Nikko Kanaya Hotel

Japan’s countryside is full of hidden gems, but few are in as privileged a position as the Nikko Kanaya Hotel. Here in the town of Nikko, at the entrance to the famous Nikko mountain park, you’re not exactly off the beaten path — but there’s something to be said as well for staying in the sort of grand country hotel that comes to symbolize a destination, and the Kanaya, in its near century and a half of operation, has become exactly that sort of place.

In architectural style it’s unmistakably Japanese, but key to its long-term success with foreign travelers is the fact that, in operation, it’s a Western-style hotel — meaning a pair of beds in every room and Western-standard seated furniture. The style is classic, even conservative, and it’s at its best in the deluxe rooms in the original building, though, in fine egalitarian spirit, there’s not a great degree of variation across the room classics.

This sort of restraint is especially apt in the Kanaya’s particular location. The focus is kept squarely on the park, and the hotel is simply a comfortable and elegant place to spend one’s nights. Just as it used to be, in the days before the hotels became the main attraction.

How to get there:

Nikko Kanaya Hotel is 2 hours by car from Tokyo or 2 hours by train from JR Tokyo station to Nikko via Utsunomiya and complementary shuttle bus is scheduled at 14:00 and 16:10 from Tobu Nikko station. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.

• 70 Rooms
• Style: Contemporary Classic
• Atmosphere: Quiet

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