Spa Hotels in Hakone

Our one night stay at this ryokan was marvelous. It's right in front of a bus stop which was very convenient. They had someone waiting to welcome us at the entrance and made us feel very welcomed from the moment you step in. The room was beautiful and cozy during January winter. All toiletries were readily available so there's no need to bring anything apart from yourselves and some change of clothes. The private onsen was amazing with a scenery to boot. Dinner and breakfast served was delicious and very authentic Japanese cuisine that highlights the natural flavors. We couldn't get enough of the food. Our friendly server (might be Yuka. Forgot her name so sorry) did an amazing job giving an explanation of each of the dishes (in Japanese) The only complaints we have were that they do not have coffee in the room, you can get it from the lobby bar with coupons provided, but we weren't too fond of getting out of the room early in the morning. The other one was that awkwardly situated urinal that's right in front of the toilet so it is in your face if you lean forward while you're doing your business. Overall, it's value for money and would love to go back there and perhaps more than one night stay the next time.

When checking in, the hotel will explain the tourist route of Hakone. It's a no-brainer to check in and just follow the map provided by the hotel. The service exceeded my expectations. I felt like a princess returning home during my stay. I thought this was the standard Japanese service. But later I stayed in other hotels and found that the service of Gora Kadan is far better than other hotels of the same price. The room is a bit old and the shower is also very old, but it is cleaned quite well.

Staying at this hotel again on a rainy day, and the surroundings are still beautiful. This time, I booked a room in the annex. The room was spacious, and I got a fantastic deal on Trip.com – excellent value for money! Most hotels here only allow check-in after 3 PM, so we decided to explore first and then took the Lake Ashi cruise to the hotel's shuttle bus stop to get to the hotel.

Yama No Chaya has its own beauty and serenity. I personally don’t find it hard to locate - 2 bus stops away from Hakone Yumoto station + a 5 minutes walk are worth the stay. (Bus service stopped for one of the days due to bad weather and we walked for 20 minutes to Hakone Yumoto Station - all good) The team is very hospitable - they also have some English and Chinese speaking staff otherwise simple English is not an issue to communicate. Our butler - Sandip always carry a smile with him, and he ensured we are very well taken care of. Every morning, the team will prepare heat pack and umbrellas for us (it was raining and snowing). In the evening, they made tea and prepared snacks (vary from mochi to sushi) for us upon our returned. The room we booked is Yamano Ichigo (main wing) - just nice for 2. The viewing platform was where we relaxed every evening and we soaked our tiredness away in our very own private onsen at the basement. Despite of having our own private onsen, I still went to visit 3 other public onsen within the Ryokan - you will not be disappointed. Our room came with daily breakfast and we added on dinner for 1 night. I must say the chef and culinary team put in their passion and effort to prepare all the dishes. It’s not common for a visitor like me to taste Kaisekai cuisine which I enjoyed very much. You need to take time and an empty stomach to full experience it :) However, my partner and I weren’t used to heavy breakfast and our butler noticed it - we get to change to western style for the rest of the stay which was equally delicious. We are thankful that we minimised food wastage. Overall, we felt pampered during our stay at Yama no Chaya :) I will return again in the future when I visit Hakone.

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!

Setting: The hotel is nestled in the mountains, offering fresh air and quiet nights. It's also near a small river and waterfall. It's also conveniently located near attractions like Hakone Shrine and Lake Ashi. Service: The staff were attentive, the breakfast was plentiful, and lunch and dinner reservations were available. Facilities: The hotel's overall decor is relatively new, and the rooms are significantly larger than similarly priced hotels in Tokyo. The hotel's indoor and outdoor hot springs are very clean, and soaking in the water while listening to the gentle cascade outside was a relaxing experience.

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!

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.

Positives 1. Large spacious and clean room. Certainly an upgrade from the smaller Tokyo city rooms we were in. 2. The medicinal tea bar was a hit with our group and an interesting touch to the hotel. 3. The public baths (onsen) were well maintained and clean. 4. The hotel provides yukata robes that you can change into. 5. Breakfast and dinner were decent and necessary judging by the limited number of eateries in the area. There is Gora Brewery just behind the hotel and a Daily Yamazaki convenience store just 1 min walk. 6. You can get to Gora Park in 1 min. Tips to get from Gora station to hotel and vice versa 1. Walking. The steep slope is really not for the faint hearted. 2. When you get off at Gora, hop onto the Tozan line from Gora and get off at Koen Shimo (1 stop). It is covered if you buy the Hakone Free Pass. From Koen Shimo, it is a straight walk to the hotel. Much easier than climbing the slope. 3. Hotel shuttle. From Gora station exit, turn right and you will see an underpass. Go through it and this is where the shuttle picks / drops. We didn’t manage to find out how to get the shuttle from Gora station, but from the hotel - you should book the shuttle in advance as it can get full especially during check out time.

This ryokan is perfect for people who want to experience ryokan for the first time but want something cheaper within Hakone area. Situated on the main road with buses to Owakudani and train to Odawara. I'd recommend catching the bus from Odawara to this ryokan since the walking trail from the closest station to this place is hilly and has lots of stairs. Main road is not very luggage friendly so pack very light when you're staying here. This place has very nice rooms with view to the river behind it. The view is spectacular when the entire river area is covered in red autumn leaves. Dinner and breakfast are very delicious, you will be served a range of traditional food from a la carte to dessert. You can also book your private indoor onsen FOR FREE. The ryokan also has an open outdoor onsen across the bridge for 3000 JPY. The only downside of this place is the main road is very busy as it's the only way for people to drive from Odawara to Owakudani. So local people take this road to get to Owakudani. Buses from this place will not stop at there in the weekend. Your best plan is to go to Lake Ashi first and take the opposite route to Owakudani instead. Plan your trip in this area very carefully because a bus trip that would take 10-15 minutes will end up taking you 1 to 1.5 hours.