Independent Kawaba hotels

"This is a unique place. My kids (7 months, 20 months, and 7 years) all had a blast!"

"Wonderful place to stay in the Nikko area. This is a small hotel of 15 rooms overlooking lake Chuzenji. You either make a bus from Nikko station or a have a car to drive up the mountain. There are lots of walks to do in this area and the Kegon waterfall is very impressive. The rooms are spacious and was in the western style. The staff were incredibly friendly and nothing was a hassle. We had breakfast and dinner included which I would recommend. The breakfast had a variety of both western and eastern dishes. The dinners were in the kaiseki style and were fabulous. With beautiful fresh ingredients. They also inquire as to any food allergies and cater the meal to that. Could not ask for a better place to stay. "

"Had an awesome stay, right up in the mountains. Staff were great and even shuttled us to the train station and back whenever we needed it. Loved and it would definitely stay again. "

"Wonderful stay. "

"R9 The Yard has become my preferred choice for business hotels in Japan, particularly when traveling by car. The included parking and ground-level container rooms make unloading luggage or tech incredibly convenient (there are no stairs or elevators to navigate) The rooms are consistently clean and modern, with everything in good working order. Not aged at all like some other hotels at similar prices. The bathrooms, which are especially important to me, are always spotless. Each guest receives one complimentary meal per night of stay, and the hotel also offers on-site coin laundry facilities. Basic amenities such as soap, toothbrushes, and more are available in the lobby. Check-in is straightforward and efficient, conducted via a multilingual tablet in the lobby, including English. At this location, a staff member at the front desk also spoke some English, which was a helpful touch. There is also a large drugstore next door called スギ薬局 (Sugi Pharmacy), which carries absolutely everything you might need, from toiletries and cosmetics to snacks, ready-made meals, and stationery. This was my second stay at an R9 property, and once again, the staff were friendly and welcoming. Based on my experience so far, R9 The Yard continues to deliver excellent value and comfort."

"Second visit here. Perfect for family getaway with kids in winter. Also good spot for summer when watching Fuji Rock music Festival. Would definitely stay again."

"Restaurant and housekeeping services were exceptional. Hotel is well maintained and the front desk check in process was quick and friendly. Room peaceful and quiet with great views of mountain side and lake. Recommend 4th floor if possible. 403 was a great room and lots of amenities (e.g., cups, tea pot, robes, phone plugs, etc.). Osen. bath 1st floor was very clean too. Bikes available. Parking for rental cars. Small gift shop and vending machines with food options. Must get breakfast and dinner option. The food and service is excellent. "

"Everything about the property and my stay there was magical and beautiful. It’s very remote and hard to get to but very much worth it. The only drawback is not having much time to explore the town but if you’re looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city there’s not much better. "

"Our stay was reasonably comfortable, except for a few small factors: 1. It’s a shame that they allow smoking in the rooms because we are non-smokers and smoke particles cannot be completely eradicated from the room even with a room humidifier and spray fragrance. So we could not be as comfortable as we normally would be had it been a non-smoking room. My request to the property is to create more non-smoking rooms to be available or completely eradicate smoking rooms, period! Because smokers can easily go outside the door and have a smoke. There’s no reason to smoke it up where they eat and sleep! 2. The fan in the bathroom is on 24 hours a day. When its the dead of winter and you’re freezing. It’s a very freezing cold shower if you wish to conserve hot water and not let the water running while you soap up. Then you have that fan running blowing cold air into the shower room. My request to the property is to change the fan so it can be operated by a switch. I know they want to cut down on the mold factor but for goodness sakes, part of the housekeeping job is to clean the shower and if they do that after every check out, there won’t be a chance for mold to grow. So no reason to have the fan on 24 hours a day without a switch to turn it off by the guests!! PLEASE DO BETTER! Robert Speaker"