We loved everything! The onsen was absolutely amazing — it had everything: lotions, creams, indoor and outdoor baths at perfect temperatures. The lounge clothing provided was both comfortable and stylish, and added to the relaxing experience. There was a stargazing night tour, a kids’ room, and the staff gave excellent, thoughtful service. Plenty of seating areas, a convenience store right inside the hotel, and a great gift shop — even selling the same products used in the onsen! The dining experience was the most incredible we had during our entire stay in Japan. It was colorful, diverse, with unique small chef dishes alongside a generous buffet, including fresh fruit (which is rare!). Guests could even take food back to their rooms. The location was excellent, overlooking the lake with a walking path that led us straight to the hotel.

The hotel is surrounded by nature and other hotels, so while the atmosphere is peaceful and scenic, it’s not a lively area if you're looking for city life or lots of shops nearby.

Incredible service, every staff member was so polite and made you feel welcome. I liked the furniture and onsen facilities. I liked the decoration, the entire hotel felt warm and welcoming.

There was too much MSG/dashi used in the dinner food, I had very dry mouth and very thirsty at night, made it difficult to sleep. I didn’t have that issue with the breakfast. Also the futon wasn’t a traditional futon, but 3 separate pieces of foam that would separate when you moved around while sleeping so that was uncomfortable. Would’ve enjoyed a traditional futon more.

Loved the meals, Japanese style rooms, loved the room view and the hotel itself. So calm and quiet. Enjoyed the fireplace in the evening and the activities each evening. The onsen was magical. The Japanese staff were exceptional and very respectful. Free coffee and the room to relax was superb. Buffet was great and had so many great local dishes. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

The non-Japanese staff somehow forget their manners when dealing with a foreigner. Japanese staff mannerisms were exceptional, absolutely no fault. However, non-Japanese staff need to be re-trained in how they behave towards foreigners. Simple Japanese custom of bowing in respect was forgotten. Not greeting at front desk was forgotten. I came there for a Japanese experience, it would be nice to receive this. The only non-Japanese staff that was exceptional and very helpful towards me was Prasad. The fireplace could go for longer at night and fire started early in the morning.

This ryokan is lake-facing at the Yumoto Onsen. It is about a 40-minute drive from the Tobu Nikko station and a 15-minute scenic drive from the Lake Chuzenji region. It is located far enough from the main tourist hotspots to be peaceful; but close enough to not be too much of an inconvenience. Patrons seem to be mainly Japanese. Contrary to other reviews, we found the food to be of good quality and variety. Breakfast is an abundant buffet, and dinner is a mix between buffet and a set menu There were international staff members who could speak decent English; they were helpful. The onsen was a tad crowded but featured both indoor and outdoor baths with natural spring water. Our room had an en suite toilet and shower. There were decent views of the lake (though partly obstructed by foliage). There is a lounge providing complimentary cold and hot beverages from check in time till about 8 pm. There is a boardwalk along the lake just outside the property. Abundant parking.

The dining hall felt a little squeezy. There seemed to be a stargazing session in the lounge in the evening - we were not informed of this and it seemed to mainly be targeted at Japanese travellers, leaving international travellers out.

- Very relaxing place with lots of food options - Inside and outside onsen with a good equipment - Comfortable and huge Japanese room - Close to hiking trails - Enchanting view from the dining room over the nearby forest / lake with deers playing around - Super friendly staff

- Food was not the greatest but there were lots of options - The futon and the pillow could be a bit more comfortable - The hotel is very remote, there's nothing around (it's worth taking the Nikko All Area Pass as you'll use the bus a lot)

The food was absolutely wonderful- we weren't expecting to be treated to such a feast on a nightly basis! The children's meals were also pitched exactly right. The staff were lovely- they were polite and friendly and couldn't have been more helpful. The onsen was clean and so relaxing- a great way to unwind every day. The room (we had Japanese style) was spacious, quiet and clean. It felt a bit special, with wonderful views.

Nothing- it couldn't be better

Everything. Fantastic service. Great tatami room.

Futons not well laid out. Upside down and we really needed two mattresses

The onsen was the only thing I was impressed whereas overall facilities were on par.

The quality and varieties of the food provided were under my expectation which made the hotel not value for money.

Perfect food. Very rich buffet as a breakfast (with Japanese and European dishes), very tasty Japanese style dinner. Very comfortable and big onsen with outside bath. The room is also very big and comfortable, with panoramic window, great view to the lake. It's our second visit here, we hope to come again :)

Amazing staff, so nice and helpful. The room is great and spacious, and meals are really good. I’m vegetarian and the staff were so helpful and did their best to give me as many options as possible.