3-Star Hotels in Hakone

Our stay was absolutely fantastic. The traditional Japanese room was spacious and super comfy. The onsen facilities were definitely the highlight, way better than I expected for the price we paid. They have 3 types: 1 indoor, 1 outdoor and 1 mixed. All these are bookable throughout the day, from 7am to 11pm and they are completely private. The ryokan is 15 minutes walking from Gora station, so if you arrive by train and you have luggage I recommend you check on google map how to get there with a bus, otherwise you’ll have to walk uphill for a while. The only negative point I can find is probably the breakfast, I tried both western and Japanese style, they are both quite pricy for what they are and I personally did not enjoy the Japanese one. Despite this I would totally come back if I ever visit Hakone again.

Environment: The hotel is located in the mountains, the air is very fresh, the night is very quiet, there is a small river and a small waterfall next to it. The hotel is not far from Hakone Shrine, Lake Ashi and other attractions. Service: The service is very thoughtful, breakfast is very rich, and you can also book lunch and dinner. Facilities: The overall decoration of the hotel is relatively new, and the room area is much larger than that of a hotel in Tokyo at the same price. The hotel's hot springs are indoor and outdoor, very clean, listening to the sound of the waterfall outside the hot springs is very pleasant.

This hotel has a very traditional Japanese tatami style, which my dog and I absolutely loved. There's a balcony where you can sit and enjoy the surroundings, and a lovely courtyard as well. The front desk staff are fluent in English, and we even met a Chinese staff member, so communication was super easy. Everyone was incredibly friendly, especially to my dog. I even borrowed a scale to weigh my luggage. You can also book private hot spring sessions, which need to be reserved in advance. The hotel provides bathrobes and even face masks. We enjoyed the hot springs both nights of our stay.

Take the Shinkansen from Osaka to Odawara, then transfer to the tram to Hakone Yumoto, and then take a bus to Gora. Two people dragged their suitcases and walked uphill for 15 minutes. They were exhausted. When they arrived at the hotel, they found that they could wait for the train in Gora, and it only took 5 minutes to walk. The hotel facilities are not new, and there are not many guests, mostly Japanese tourists. The hot spring is relatively small, and the water temperature is very high. You have to come out to breathe after soaking for a while. I experienced the private bath and open-air hot spring, and there were a lot of mosquitoes. The food is OK, worthy of the price.

I would recommend everyone to experience this ryokan at least once. A huge room with a kitchen, dining room, bedroom, bathroom, toilet and a hot bath. There is no window in the room with the bath, but because the bath is hot, you don't feel the coolness, but you can enjoy the views of the mountains. Dinner and breakfast - my respects! Gigantic and filling, but in the Japanese spirit. Fans of continental breakfasts in regular hotels will be sad. The staff is friendly. They try to speak English. It is not always possible to understand each other, but they try very hard! A special plus for this!

We arrived at noon and found that check in proses was so simple, the owner sent me a pin code to open the door. The room looks exactly the same as what shows on photos, including all amenities. Rooms are clean and cozy, spacious for 4 persons event more. I love the bathtub waters adjustment for spas, and it is so relaxing. Only the hot water is a bit difficult to adjust . Toilet are separate from bathroom and provide handwash as well . We didn't cook our meal because all the stores nearby were closed at 3 pm. Make sure to bring your own food because it's not easy to find in Hakone. Easy to walk to the station and Harbor for boat tours, to the cable car and Black Eggs. Highly recommended for all types of travelers If you would like to know more, watch my channel https://youtu.be/69AEoaBs2po?si=otl8rSuvmSVddmfu

Such a great find! Calming ryokan in a peaceful part of the mountain. Staff were all super friendly and accommodating of us as tourists who didn’t speak Japanese. Every meal was delicious and the staff took time to tell us what each little dish was and even gave us some extra mini dishes to help us try different things. They were all delicious! The onsens were also very relaxing and had everything you could need. My boyfriend and I booked the private onsen our last night and looking out over the mountain at night when it was raining was a great experience. We got the Japanese style room and it was very spacious and the tatami floors were very comfortable. View over the mountains was also terrific. The ryokan shuttle took us to the nearest two train stations (Gora or Sounzan) in the morning when we requested and picked us up at the end of the day so it was very convenient getting to the ryokan even without a car. Highly recommend this stay!!

Really enjoyed my stay at Root Hakone. I reached a little late (around 7:30-8pm) and the walk to the hostel was a little dark (roads on Hakone aren’t that well-lit at night due to it being a forested area). So recommend to reach earlier if you’re not that comfortable with walking in the dark alone! The accommodations were comfortable, single futon bed with lockable room doors, separated by a divider. Was initially expecting just a cubbie with a curtain so this was a pleasant surprise. There’s also a direct bus nearby to Togendai Station if you’re keen to take the sightseeing cruise and ropeway. The drinks made by the staff were also wonderful, enjoyed a cassis soda, cassis oolong and fuzzy navel at a great price. The management also gave a guide of nearby recommended places to travellers too (had the best coffee at Amaze Coffee, recommendation of the staff)! Overall would come back to stay again if I’m ever back in Hakone. A downside is perhaps the lack of availability of food options at night and no near konbini so be sure to grab some supplies at the station prior to heading over.

The main courtyard of this hotel is very upscale and only accommodates top-notch guests who can afford a butler. We stayed in the old building in the hotel's side courtyard, the one with the big words ”Fairyland” hanging on it. The room was large, clean and quiet. But there is no elevator, so you have to climb four floors. Customers with large suitcases should order with caution.

There are pros and cons to staying here! Pros: The hotel itself is lovely, with polite staff and a clean, spacious, atmospheric room offering mountain views. The public onsen is included in the price and is quite pleasant, especially if you're lucky enough to have it to yourself, as we did (we went in the morning). The hotel also has vending machines for drinks and snacks, which is very convenient since there are no stores nearby. You can arrange to have your luggage sent to the station so you don't have to carry it yourself, but unfortunately, we missed the 10 AM deadline to book this service. Cons: Unfortunately, these left a strong impression. The hotel is located in a terribly inconvenient and remote area, really out in the sticks and difficult to access. It's far from all the attractions you travel to see – we had to take a boat to get to them – and far from any establishments where you'd want to find food. Not only are these places far away, but they also close early, open late, are overpriced, and the food isn't even tasty. We couldn't call a taxi to the accommodation because you needed to link a local phone number! We initially walked with our suitcases along the road, then took a bus. The buses didn't accept our Hakone pass, a card we specifically bought for Hakone, even though buses were supposed to be included. And the price without the card was clearly inflated – 300 yen to travel uphill for 8 minutes. Since we had another individual onsen booked elsewhere (a 20-minute drive away), after that at 9 PM, we realized the buses had stopped running. There was no chance of calling or hailing a taxi, so we had to walk back to the hotel. This meant a two-hour walk along a dark mountain road, surrounded by forest, with only occasional streetlights. We tried to hitchhike, but no one stopped, not even taxis. After an hour of walking uphill (our emotions were indescribable), about the 10th car, if not more, finally stopped, and a young Japanese couple gave us a ride back to the hotel. Overall, the hotel itself is good (it was also cold at night, we used the air conditioning to warm up, but the room was large and difficult to heat; thankfully, there were extra large blankets). However, everything else regarding the location was terrible. If you plan to stay here, make sure to plan your transportation in advance.