Ashigarashimo District Hotels with Balcony

"The hotel is located on a mountain, about 900 meters from Gora Station, but with an elevation gain of 120 meters. The mountain road is incredibly steep. The last mountain railway train also departed early. We waited for a taxi for a long time at night, but none came. We ended up taking half an hour to slowly climb up the mountain. For travelers using the Hakone Free Pass and not driving, I strongly recommend arriving at Gora Station in the afternoon to ensure you catch the mountain railway, or download a local ride-hailing app in advance."

"We loved this experience! After travelling from Tokyo that morning and all around Hakone, we were wrecked by the time we got to the accommodation. The hosts offer free collection from the bottom of the cable car. We text them saying we would be arriving in 10 minutes and they had someone waiting for us. The check in was smooth and the hosts are very accommodating, have good English and will do anything they can to help you. We had a room with a Mt. Fuji view who was on show for a few hours. They then brought us in a shuttle to a nearby restaurant and the restaurant brought us back to the accommodation. The accom was very big for the two of us and we found the beds really comfy. We also got private onsen for 30 mins (available between 10-11pm) for only 2,000 yen. In the morning, they dropped us back (again free) to our bus stop. We loved this whole experience and calm back feeling relaxed and revived. Couldn’t recommend more!"

"The hotel is easily accessible by bus T or L (bus stop is near the train station Hakone-Yumoto). You can leave your bags in the hotel (check-in hours are limited) and go exploring. The hotel grounds are small, but our comfortable two-story room with its own onsen allowed us to relax in a private setting and recharge after a busy day of hiking in the mountains. I liked the public onsen less, as the contemplation and tranquility were greatly hampered by the noise from the road, which could be heard even late in the evening (the main public transport stops running at 6 pm). It was nice to immerse ourselves in the traditional vibe, wear yukatas, and try Japanese cuisine for breakfast and dinner (we liked dinner better). The waiter was a little awkward (he kept dropping things), but nice. We didn't understand his English very well, but there were instructions in English that helped us figure out how to cook everything. I recommend staying for at least three full days to avoid rushing through everything like we did. Be sure to consider the operating hours of public transportation, as you'll be very dependent on it. The two-day Hakone Pass paid for itself many times over. The open-air art museum was a lasting impression; it's definitely worth a visit!"

"A nice hotel that is a little distant from the nearest restaurants, shops and attractions. There’s a shuttle bus to the local railway station, which is useful but it stops at 6:00pm so after that you have to walk. It’s not too far but it is very steep. Our room was in need of refurbishment, with a stained carpet and tired fittings. That said it had everything we needed.  The onsen was a welcome facility which was very enjoyable. The ‘free-flow’ beverages from 18:00-20:00 was also a nice touch but we weren’t made aware of it and it would have passed us by if we hadn’t heard it being offered to other guests.  Dinner was very nice but a little odd, in the sense that there was no choice and was French cuisine; it was also quite expensive. Breakfast was average with undercooked bacon, good eggs, a nice yoghurt/compote combination but no preserves to have with the (one small) croissant. Service was very good."