Best Hakone Hotels

"Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu is a truly comfortable and relaxing ryokan that made our stay very enjoyable. The staff were attentive and welcoming from the moment we arrived by car, and they promptly helped unload our luggage and delivered it to the hotel. They also assisted with carrying our luggage back to the car during check-out. The room was well-equipped, clean, and very hygienic, and the high-floor view was wide and beautiful. Breakfast and dinner buffet were both satisfying, with delicious food and a good variety of choices. The onsen was also impressive, with two levels of outdoor baths that are alternated between men and women at different times, allowing guests to enjoy both. The water park-style onsen area was a bit less impressive, but overall, this ryokan deserves a very high rating. The official site highlights its open-air onsen, private baths in all rooms, and well-regarded dining, which matches the strong overall experience here"

"We had an absolutely wonderful stay and would happily give this hotel 5 stars! From the very beginning, the staff were incredibly accommodating and responsive. They kindly arranged to pick us up from Gotemba Premium Outlets, which made everything so convenient for us. After attending the beautiful Yamanakako Ice Lantern Festival, we made a last-minute request for dinner. Despite the short notice, they thoughtfully prepared a delicious shabu-shabu meal for us. They even gave us complimentary cookies because our moms were very hungry after the festival. It was such a sweet and caring gesture that we truly appreciated. The hotel itself is spacious, clean, and wonderfully warm, making it the perfect place to relax after being out in the cold. We felt comfortable, cared for, and genuinely welcomed throughout our stay. Highly recommended for their exceptional hospitality. We would definitely love to come back!"

"The hotel room is spacious, and on a clear day, you can see the snow-capped Mount Fuji directly from the seaside garden – it's absolutely stunning! This foldable makeup mirror is super cool! If you get a front-facing lake view room, you can literally lie down and enjoy the entire panorama from your room! The hotel is right next to the pirate ship pier and the H bus terminal! It's also really convenient to get to Gotemba Outlet; just transfer from the H line to the M line. For returning to Hakone-Yumoto Station, you can ride the bus all the way to the end, and there's a bus stop right in front of the hotel! Overall, I'm extremely satisfied!"

"This was my second stay here. My previous visit with my child was so enjoyable that when a friend came to Japan, I brought them here for a night. Throughout our stay, the staff were incredibly kind and thoughtful. Both breakfast and dinner were very satisfying. However, at check-out, one particular staff member's attitude absolutely floored me. 1. For self-check-out, there were three machines. One was free, and there was no queue, so we just went ahead and used it. 2. After checking out, I wanted to inquire about the hotel shuttle and public bus routes and schedules, as we didn't have a car this time. Both manual check-out counters were busy with guests, so I stood behind them, waiting my turn. 3. Suddenly, a staff member came out from the side to guide guests queuing for check-out. She noticed I was inadvertently standing in front of the line she was directing. She gestured for me to move, and I apologized and immediately stepped aside. Then, when she had a moment, I asked her where I should queue to inquire about the hotel bus schedule. For some reason, she seemed extremely annoyed. She spoke to me with a blank expression for a couple of sentences, then realized I didn't speak Japanese, and that she couldn't explain it to me quickly. Our conversation wasn't even finished when she angrily turned and walked away... At first, I thought she was in a hurry to attend to the queuing guests, as it was peak check-out time, and that she'd get back to me. So I waited in a spot where I wouldn't bother her or her line. But then I realized she completely intended to ignore me! I just stood there waiting for her, hahaha. Eventually, I thought, 'This isn't right. Is getting a schedule really this difficult?' She was the only person available to ask, so I went up to her again and asked in English. She froze, looking at me with a surprised expression, perhaps not expecting me to come back after her impolite demeanor. So, she had to patiently, albeit reluctantly, quickly reply to me in English. I asked if she could give me a copy of the schedule. She didn't even say ”please wait a moment.” She just turned directly to the counter, grabbed a schedule, practically slapped it into my hand with a ”Pia!” sound, said absolutely nothing, and then spun around and walked away, hahaha. I even managed to say ”thank you” to her. I was stunned. A 2600 yen per night hotel, and in my two years in Japan, this was the first time I'd experienced such shockingly poor service. I suggest that during peak check-out times, more staff should be assigned, or essential information like schedules should be placed in a conspicuous location, which would also save staff the trouble. And while the hotel indicates Chinese-speaking service is available, if staff who only speak Chinese are discouraged from asking questions, then I suggest the hotel shouldn't be on platforms like Ctrip trying to attract Chinese customers in the first place."

"Facilities: As expected from a century-old garden, it's a truly exquisite Japanese style. The room even has a private hot spring, and it's incredibly clean! A germaphobe's dream! Hygiene: Extremely clean, and the yukata (robe) was very comfortable. Don't even get me started on the food – it was beyond amazing, with two different meals a day. The service was superb too! Environment: Very comfortable and quiet. I especially loved the garden; I imagine it would be even more beautiful during autumn when the maple leaves change. Service: Excellent! The front desk staff even remembered me by face."

"Our room this time was facing the street, and we could see Mount Fuji right when we opened the curtains in the morning. Even though some mountains were blocking the view, the peaks peeking through actually gave it more depth and character. The room was spotless and spacious enough to open up two large suitcases, making it perfect for families or groups traveling together. Notably, there's a convenience store at both the north and south exits of the hotel, which is super handy for grabbing water and snacks. However, the north exit is quieter compared to the bustling south exit. Also, the north and south exits aren't directly connected; you have to walk around for about 10 minutes, which can be a bit challenging if you're lugging heavy luggage. Since we were facing the street, we occasionally heard traffic or people chatting late at night (though it was much better with the windows closed). I guess that's a small price to pay for such a beautiful view. Overall, the view and cleanliness were big pluses, and it offers good value for money. I'd recommend it to anyone who has reasonable expectations for the view and quietness!"

"This was my first time visiting Hakone, and I chose Miharuya, a historic ryokan with a rich past, even visited by Sun Yat-sen. It's an older place, but overall quite good, and the value for money was decent. For less than 2000, it included breakfast and dinner for a family of three. The only downside was the inconvenient transportation. You need to take a shuttle from the main station, but thankfully, there's a free minibus that connects nearby hotels. A pleasant surprise was a large onsen amusement park nearby. It was my first time experiencing swimming and going down a slide in an onsen, and we spent a long time there – it was absolutely fantastic."

"Our experience staying in Hakone was perfect! We stayed at the Tensein in Hakone-Yumoto, an easy location to take the bus, car or train to some popular tourist attractions in the area. The check in itself was rather slow but the staff do their best to speak good English and discuss every detail about your stay with you. The room had everything we needed, the shampoo and conditioners provided was wonderful and there was a variety of products to use. On check in, the private onsen was given at 50% discount at 1,100 Japanese yen per use, we got 2 vouchers so used it 2 times (as we have tattoos we could not go into the public onsen). On check in you have to collect your towel and your choice of Yukata (traditional Japanese robe) which you’re welcomed and encouraged to wear around the hotel and gardens. The hotel is strictly no shoes, so upon arrival you leave your shoes in a locked box and keep the key. If you wish to walk around the beautiful gardens, there are slider type shoes available to slip on, as well as umbrellas to use if it’s raining. Outside they have a onsen for your feet to enjoy with a drink. All of the food and drink (apart from breakfast which was included) was put on our bill at the end. There was a wide selection of drinks, nibbles and food available for dinner and lunches at the dining room and there was a large buffet dining room for buffet breakfast and dinner (if you booked it). The hotel is just a short 10 minute walk to the town and 15 minute walk to the Hakone-Yumoto station. Visiting Mt Fuji is easy, with a bus ‘H’ running from stand 2 opposite the Hakone -Yumoto station. Get off at ‘Motohakone’. From there, you can take another bus and a train to get you to another town ‘Gora’ and surrounding attractions to enjoy."

"Highly highly recommended Location: Super near Gora station very convenient to travel everywhere. There is even direct bus to and fro Gotemba premium outlet, Hakone-Yumoto and Odawara was convenient as well. Ryokan: Check in was great, front desk communicates and explains everything in English clearly. Was able to reserve my 2 night’s dinner upon checking in too. There were free snacks, lounge area with coffee/drinks/ice cream, you can choose your yukata for both male/female, daily nighttime free delicious ramen. Room: Excellent, bed was comfortable and there is an outdoor tub as well. Take note the tub will be filled with hot water instead of hot spring water. There was pyjamas as well. Onsen: There are 3 different outdoor private tubs which will light up when in used (first come first serve basis). We managed to try all 3 and our favourite was the wooden tub, followed by stone tub and lastly the one with 2 tubs (so each person to soak in 1). Queue can be quite long sometimes as this private onsen is popular among couples. To be considerate it is best to use it as quick as possible. Then there is the public onsen with both indoor and outdoor, hot, cold dips and sauna. Hot dips can reach up to 40-42 degrees. There is another human made hot water carbonation onsen which has lesser people since it is not hot spring water. I thoroughly enjoyed all the onsens. Meals: Highly recommend to opt the breakfast and dinner options. Restaurants close very early around 5pm so there are not a lot of dinner options outside the ryokan. Meals were excellent and Japanese Kaiseki style. Very delicious and there was so much food in the course meal. Overall 10/10 experience and I would choose this ryokan on my next trip."

"I really liked the hotel. The price-quality ratio is perfect; I'd even say you could pay more for this comfort. The room was spacious and clean, with a forest view. Fresh linens, excellent breakfasts, and delicious coffee. A mountain lake is a 15-minute walk away. Free shuttle to the cable car. A great onsen. Traditional kemanos for visiting the onsen. Shared showers for women with plenty of skincare products. I would happily return to this hotel."