[Review] Nikko Station Hotel Classic

I figured for the first entry I’d start with the very first onsen that I visited for a day trip.

This one is convenient because it’s only a very short walk from the main Nikko station.

Nikko Station Hotel Classic is exactly as the name suggests, it is more of a hotel with an onsen than a traditional ryokan. The building is aged, not in the falling apart and deteriorating way but in how the designs and structure shows the architecture is from a different era. It is well-preserved and clean despite its age, which gives it a quiet charm.

They have three baths: the hot bath (あつ湯), the warm bath (ぬる湯), and the outdoor bath (露天風呂).

This is one of my favourite things about onsens. Being able to change baths and feel the difference is half the fun.

I usually dip in the warm bath first, and then move up to the hotter one and then the outdoor bath. The warm bath is just slightly above normal body temperature, I’d say around 38-39 degrees. It was a cool October so I quickly moved to the hotter one.

Both the indoor baths are tiny compared to usual sizing that sharing it with more than 3 people would be too crowded. Luckily I had the place all to myself that day, so I was able to stretch my legs and relax completely.

I spent most of the time soaking in the outdoor bath. It is a wide square of a pool that looked more like a swimming pool at first glance.

Given the location, it is pretty quiet. The touches of nature around the bath were well maintained and pristine like the rest of the hotel. I had a good soak.

When I got out after what felt like a little less than an hour, I was still the only person there. Considering it was the afternoon of a weekend, it felt somewhat luxurious.

There were chairs and vending machines right outside the entryway, but I loitered back into the lobby and sank into one of the sofas in a daze.

The lobby was built with generous space but still had a quiet privacy as it wasn’t facing the entrance. I was noticing the architecture more than when I just walked in, the interior design had a standard hotel structure but there were Japanese pattern woodwork on the ceiling, giving it a bit of a retro vibe.

There’s this comfortable dreamlike state of mind that you can get from a good soak.

When I could finally move again I walked back to the station and had cheesecake in a cute little cafe.

Overall, this is easily one of the best choices if you want to make a day trip to Nikko and include an onsen with easy access.