5-Star Hotels in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

We were looking for onsen with private bath on the balcony and probably hit the sweet spot. Unfortunately we had only 1 night stay, but it was fantastic. Onsen is located at the top station Gora, where you can get from Odawara. That’s around 2 hours from Tokyo all together, around 3 hours from Kyoto. Last 2 sections of the way are going through a picturesque steep railway. Views are great! Be sure to rush to the front or back seats (doesn’t matter which) to secure a spot for nice photographs. Private bath is fantastic, rooms are clean and spacious with a touch of ryokan style (tatami etc). That’s a perfect place to sit and relax doesn’t matter it’s sunshine or pooring rain outside. The food was fantastic (according to my wife), however the options are limited if you’re not eating fish or sea products due to allergy or other reasons. For Karaku team - I would suggest adding a signature wagyu set for those who would like something else. Selection of wine and alcohol drinks is superb. Free snacks and coffee are available till 8 p.m. as well with a view terrace. For those who like some regular conbini stuff - Lawson is around 10 mins walk with Miyazaki style trains passing by👌🏻 All in all, we wish we had stayed at least 2 nights as there are lots of activities around.  Thanks to Karaku staff for a warm welcome and tailored experience!

The room was quite spacious, and being right by the sea, I could enjoy ocean views from the window. The location is super convenient – it's only about 300-400 meters from the Big Ferris Wheel, 700-800 meters from the Red Brick Warehouse, 200 meters from the Convention Center, and 300-400 meters from the Portside Shopping Area. Chinatown is roughly 1.3 km away, and Noge Yokocho is about 1.2 km. Absolutely fantastic location!

Thanks to other guests for mentioning the transportation in their reviews. Getting to the hotel from Odawara was a bit of a hassle, but once I arrived, I felt it was absolutely the right choice. The hotel's location is excellent, with mountain views from the room, and it's clean and tidy. The free, unlimited ice cream at the hotel is delicious and definitely deserves a special shout-out. Breakfast was plentiful, and the dinner buffet was fantastic, with all-you-can-eat sashimi and unagi don, plus surprisingly tasty lobster, and a wide selection of drinks. That evening, I enjoyed the outdoor hot spring all to myself, facing a waterfall and forest – it was incredibly relaxing. The hotel's shuttle bus is very convenient! The staff were very attentive and detailed in their service, with great attitudes and thorough explanations! Apart from the tricky transportation, everything else was wonderful.

This hotel is self-service, but it's absolutely fantastic. First off, the location and the view from the window are unbeatable. It features authentic Hakone hot spring water directly to your room, and you can definitely smell the sulfur. You can also BBQ on the terrace while enjoying a foot bath and a drink. It's perfect for a longer stay during your vacation.

The hotel's location is super convenient, close to Minato Mirai and Sakuragicho. There are tons of restaurants in Landmark and Queen's Square, plus my favorite supermarket, Seijo Ishii. Traveling with kids, we opted for a room with a microwave and washing machine, which was incredibly handy. The hotel even provided special toiletries for our child every day, a really thoughtful touch. The hotel itself is new, with a modern design, and the staff are all very enthusiastic. You can even see Mount Fuji from our room! We'll definitely choose Mitsui Garden again next time we're in Yokohama!

The hotel is noticeably dated. The rooms have a persistent old-carpet smell, and the advertised room views are misleading. We selected this room expecting abundant natural light and a panoramic 280-degree view, based on the photos provided. In reality, roughly half of the supposed windows are frosted for privacy reasons, something carefully obscured with curtains in the website's photography. The actual view consists primarily of an office building, an amusement park and several construction sites, one of which appears to be a recent development within the amusement park. Due to very poor sound insulation, we could hear jackhammers starting from around 7:30 a.m. each morning. Due to the same reason one would hear every speeding motorbike and, every weekend, loud window-shaking partying early to late evening. The Ferris wheel prominently featured in the hotel's marketing materials is visible only if you stand at the extreme left window of the room. By contrast, the ventilation shafts directly below the room are impossible to miss. When I inquired about changing rooms, the staff did not acknowledge the discrepancy between the advertised and actual views and instead attempted to upsell us to more expensive room categories. The gym exists largely in name only. It consists of two pieces of equipment in a cramped room that closes early, and guests must request special permission each time they wish to use it. To make matters worse, the hotel entrance emits a continuous high-frequency sound. I understand such devices are sometimes used to discourage loitering or deter pests, although their effectiveness is debatable. For younger guests or anyone without significant hearing loss, the sound is distinctly audible and quite painful every time they enter or leave the hotel.

My main reason for choosing Hotel Indigo was the expectation that a foreign hotel would offer more diverse food options than traditional Japanese cuisine, and that the rooms would be more modern. Both expectations were met, which was great. However, the hotel's location is quite remote, making it difficult to walk to Gora Station. Thankfully, the hotel provides a shuttle service to the station from 10 AM to 6 PM. If you plan to take the shuttle to Odawara, remember to book it in advance at the front desk. There's also an unsightly warehouse-like structure next to the hotel, which is a bit of a letdown considering how secluded the location already is – it really spoils the view. Around 90% of the guests here seem to be Western tourists, likely in groups, as the breakfast area was almost full before 8 AM. For dinner, we decided to eat near Gora Station and had some excellent unagi (eel) rice. A taxi back to the hotel cost us 700 yen. For first-time visitors to Hakone, I'd recommend staying in Hakone-Yumoto instead, as it's livelier, offers more dining choices, and has more convenient transportation. Also, the hotel's public bath is mixed-gender, requiring you to bring your own swimwear or borrow special attire from the front desk, which I found a bit inconvenient, so I didn't end up using it.

When checking in, the hotel will explain the tourist route of Hakone. It's a no-brainer to check in and just follow the map provided by the hotel. The service exceeded my expectations. I felt like a princess returning home during my stay. I thought this was the standard Japanese service. But later I stayed in other hotels and found that the service of Gora Kadan is far better than other hotels of the same price. The room is a bit old and the shower is also very old, but it is cleaned quite well.

This is my first time to experience this kind of pure Japanese-style hotel. Although I only stayed there for one night in a hurry, the experience was very rich and colorful. The service staff was warm and considerate. Although we relied almost entirely on translation machines and body language, it did not affect our communication. The aunt who was responsible for taking care of us would patiently help us change our clothes, remind us to appreciate the cherry blossoms, and ask us where to go. It felt like my own relatives were taking care of the children who came to travel. This is probably the meaning of a family hotel. Dinner and breakfast were very delicious and sufficient! The girls really couldn't finish it! When I learned that someone of us had a birthday, I got a handwritten blessing card, which was very touching! Our friends agreed to stay more time to come here next time!

Cons: This onsen ryokan is located on a hill, so the location isn't the most convenient. It's quite difficult to explore the onsen town or walk around nearby. Perhaps because it's a smaller onsen, the public bath doesn't have an open-air bath, but the private open-air bath in the room somewhat makes up for it. Pros: The lobby offers expansive mountain views, the hotel interior is new, and the room layout is well-designed. Both dinner and breakfast are above the standard for an onsen ryokan; you can really feel the chef's dedication, not just a typical mass production. I wrote this review mainly to express my gratitude to our server, Ms. Saki Takano. She communicated with us in English and even used a few simple Chinese words to introduce the dishes. When we left, she wrote us a blessing card in Chinese characters. Her sincerity and warmth, without any pretense, truly made us feel at home. Thank you very much.