Hotels in Kowakidani/Miyanoshita, Hakone

This was my second trip to Hakone, and since I was traveling with my 70-year-old parents, I chose Hakone Yutowa Hotel for its convenient location. The hotel is only 400 meters from Gora Station, about a 7-minute walk on flat ground. It's also super close to Gora Park, though that involves an uphill climb. We stayed for three days and two nights. Breakfast and dinner were both buffet style with unlimited drinks and alcohol. They offer afternoon tea from 3 PM to 7 PM, and an evening bar time from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. After soaking in the hot springs, complimentary ice cream and milk were a lovely touch. Everything was absolutely wonderful; I'm so glad we chose Yutowa Hotel.

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.

As we booked quite late, the room we booked did not have in room shower. When we checked in, the reception helped us to change to a room with shower. I appreciated they remember my request and tried their best to fulfil. Staff was nice, easy to communicate. Room and bedding were new and super clean. Other than 2 double beds, it provided an extra mattress for my son, giving us three a perfect restful stay of 2 nights. The breakfast was bakery with coffee / tea / orange juice, simple but definitely sufficient. Onsen was a bit small though and the hotel location was not clear. We entered the hotel phone number in the car’s GPS system but it brought us to another hotel. Since we got there at night, it took us sometime to locate the hotel. Opposite to the hotel was 蓬萊園，there was a beautiful garden inside which was good for morning walk.

Excellent experience we received in this Osen Ryokan. It was probably the most memorable experience in our honeymoon trip. We arrived there in a heavy rainy day. It was cold and we were extremely tired. Staff members were giving us big welcome and help. Most of them can speak Japanese and English so don’t worry on the language issue. The room was spacious and comfortable. The open air bath in room was awesome. We really enjoyed the time with it. The meals were great as expected. In between the meals they also served the refreshment which was remarkable. Must try.

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.

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.

The atmosphere was fantastic, and they even had a campfire BBQ at night. The hotel has a kitchen, so you can buy ingredients and cook for yourself, and there's a 7-Eleven and Lawson nearby, which is really convenient for grabbing things. Overall, it was a very comfortable stay, and I plan to recommend it to my friends.

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.

This hotel is a paradise in the mountains of Hakone! Traditional style of the rooms - it feels like you are living in a Japanese family. We were prepared a traditional dinner, which was served in our room. It was very tasty and varied! The hotel has 3 onsen: 2 - private, 1 - public. We visited only the private ones (you need to book a time in advance at the reception upon check-in, the visit time is 30 minutes). It was wonderful! The hotel also provides a transfer from and to the nearest train stations. The rooms are clean, cozy, we slept on tatami under soft blankets. The hotel has a relax room. With massage chairs and a very quiet atmosphere. We stayed in this room after visiting the onsen and got great relaxation. And you are also given national clothes for rest and sleep. It is very beautiful and cute. Breakfasts were also in kaiseki style - varied and unusual. The hotel staff is very kind and friendly. this hotel allows tattoo baths. great experience, thank you very much! want to come back again!

The hotel is very clean. You need to change into slippers when you enter the hotel. Your shoes are kept by the hotel. It is a public bathing area. There is no shower in the room. The hot spring is good and not crowded. It is worth going again.