Hakone Kowakien Hotel

The environment is amazing, and the dinner buffet is incredible – it was the best value-for-money hotel on my six-day trip. I especially have to mention the dinner; definitely book it, the quality is excellent. The private onsen I booked for the evening was also very clean. Although a bit small, it offered good privacy, so it was still great. It's a shame it rained on the day I stayed, so I didn't get a chance to explore the hotel. I'll definitely book here again next time I visit Hakone.

Had a wonderful 2-night stay in Hakone! Having breakfast and dinner at the hotel saved us a lot of hassle. While you're at Owakudani, make sure to try the famous local specialty, the black eggs. There's a small stall tucked away in the back of the supermarket behind Owakudani that sells them – 4 hot eggs for 500 yen. They say eating them adds years to your life, haha!

The hotel is absolutely beautiful! It's a new property that opened in the last few years, so the facilities and decor are incredibly fresh and modern. You definitely have to book the breakfast and dinner package – both include an all-you-can-eat sashimi buffet, which is amazing! The location is also very convenient.

Excellent location in Hakone. This hotel is huge and well-equipped with five-star amenities. The breakfast spread is also quite extensive.

The staff were all very polite. There were free drinks in the lobby. We booked a private onsen for 60 minutes for 2500 yen, which was really nice. Breakfast was a buffet with good food. Overall, it's a great place to relax.

From Hakone-Yumoto, take the train to Gora Station. After exiting the station, you can walk across from Setsugetsuka Hotel to catch a bus to Kowakien Hotel. The hotel also has a shuttle, but to get to the shuttle pick-up point, you need to go through an underpass, and there's no elevator. The transportation around the hotel is quite convenient, so make good use of the Hakone Free Pass. The hotel rooms are decent, and both breakfast and dinner are buffet style, with good quality and a wide variety of choices. You can enjoy unlimited sweet shrimp! 🦐🦐🦐

I originally planned to stay one night in Hakone, but after checking some guides, I realized there were so many attractions. So, I decided to book an extra night. Apparently, booking two separate nights doesn't guarantee you the same room. The front desk lady spent quite a while checking her computer to arrange a single room for me. Next time, I'll remember to book both nights at once. It might have been because of the Chinese New Year period when there are lots of guests checking in. Hakone is perfect for a one-night, two-meal stay. Since the attractions in Hakone are spread out, it's best to spend the day fully immersing yourself in sightseeing. If you get hungry at lunchtime, just grab some snacks to save time, and then enjoy the hot springs and buffet at the hotel in the morning and evening. The rooftop hot spring might use regular hot water, but it wasn't too crowded, and they had some toiletries and skincare products, so I just decided to wash up there instead of in my room.