Hakone Guesthouse Toi

If you're particular about dust on windowsills and walls, or the hygiene of bedding (excluding the covers), you might want to reconsider booking. While the duvet cover was clean, it's just a single cover, so as you toss and turn in your sleep, your body inevitably touches the duvet itself. However, considering the insane accommodation prices in Hakone, this place is incredibly, truly cheap! The location requires taking a bus to get anywhere, but the bus stop is close by. Be warned, Japanese rural bus schedules are a real headache! Make sure to check the bus times carefully for both your inbound and outbound journeys. Plan your day by checking the timetable for each bus route, otherwise, you could easily waste an hour or two. The staff are incredibly friendly. I met different staff members upon arrival, during my stay, and at check-out, and they were all genuinely super friendly. In short: Would I book here again if I revisited Hakone? Yes!

My family member was reluctant to post a negative review from her account, saying 'never mind.' So, I specifically booked an additional night to leave an honest review myself. First, the guesthouse's location was extremely inconvenient for public transport. We arrived at Hakone-Yumoto Station around 1:30 PM, and after waiting for an infrequent bus, we didn't reach the guesthouse until 3 PM. To make matters worse, navigating the uphill and downhill paths with heavy luggage was truly exhausting. Second, I strongly felt that the staff displayed implicit discrimination against Chinese guests. Upon arrival, after being briefed on all the rules and completing check-in, we had dinner until 4 PM. We planned to visit the Glass Forest Museum before its 5 PM closing time. I remembered the staff had previously offered to show us to our room after dinner, so I reconfirmed, asking them to take my sister to the room while I left for a bit (my sister doesn't speak much English and was very tired). However, an hour later, my sister told me that because a group of Caucasians had arrived, the staff told her it was 'inconvenient' to take her to the room, so she was left waiting the entire time. I find it completely unacceptable that despite confirming twice – once initially and again before I left – that they would show my sister to her room after dinner, the staff neither contacted their manager for assistance nor even bothered to ask my exhausted sister if she needed help, leaving her stranded for a full hour. This incident reeked of superiority, arrogance, and blatant discrimination, which is utterly intolerable. Furthermore, the accommodation environment was subpar. All washing and bathing facilities were shared, making it impossible to ascertain their hygiene. There was also a faint unpleasant odor. Consequently, I rushed back and immediately checked into a different hotel. In the end, I lost over 900 RMB in room fees from the two nights I originally booked, plus over 100 RMB for the 'compensation' to write this review – totaling a cost of over 1000 RMB. My main message to anyone planning a trip to Hakone is this: in a place meant for a relaxing holiday, don't compromise on comfort for a cheap deal. Good transportation and a clean, comfortable environment are crucial. Secondly, do not tolerate the superiority complex of some locals. Don't assume that communication issues are always your fault (like my sister's situation). A portion of them truly harbor implicit discrimination, and their feigned politeness often masks intentional disregard.