Hakone Hotel

This hotel has a very peculiar design. Despite its grand exterior, the entrance door is ridiculously small, and there are stairs leading up to it. It's impossible to pull luggage up, and large suitcases would be a real struggle. The room rates aren't cheap either; it's even more expensive than the Fujiya Hotel's Forest Wing, and unlike Fujiya, there's no concierge at the entrance. The front desk is only two meters wide, and there's no lobby – it's worse than a budget hotel. The front desk staff were cold and indifferent, and they highlighted important points when speaking to foreigners. The hotel room photos are misleading; half of the room types don't face the lake directly. The building is shaped like a '凹' (concave character), and only the bottom section directly faces the lake. Although all room pictures show a lake view, only those explicitly labeled as 'lake view rooms' actually face the lake. The view from my high-floor lake view room was decent. The room had a slight odor, so I had to run the air purifier at maximum for a while. The bathroom was beyond belief – the towel rack was placed right in front of the toilet. How unhygienic is that? Japanese科普 programs have highlighted how dirty the area around the toilet can be, and the standard practice is to have the toilet in a separate cubicle. If that's not possible, towels should definitely not be placed nearby. The bathtub had a very wide rim, and I'm 1.7 meters tall and still found it difficult to step into. The faucet style was unusual and looked very old, with no usage instructions. Even more ridiculous were the public hot springs: one was 2 square meters and the other 3 square meters. If two people were in there, it would be like sharing a bath. They were completely enclosed, with no windows and no lake view, which is why I ended up using the in-room bathroom. Showering in the bathtub without an anti-slip mat also raises concerns. I seriously doubt this hotel's operational capability. I didn't have dinner at the hotel, but I did take a look, and the restaurant was deserted and quiet. The breakfast quality was average, with very few options and no onsen eggs, which is a big disappointment. The hotel offers welcome drinks at the bar – a cup of orange or apple juice poured from a carton, along with soda crackers. The lounge is not accessible by elevator; you have to go down a long staircase. It's no different from the drink machines at budget hotels. The fact that this hotel has been able to operate for so long with such poor management is truly a miracle bestowed by Lake Ashi. I will never book this hotel again when I come to Hakone. The location is excellent, right next to Hakone Port, where you can catch the pirate ship.

Great location with direct bus access, and right next to one of the Lake Ashi piers. Although it's a century-old hotel, the renovated interior is very modern. You can even see Mount Fuji when the weather is clear!

Overall, we were quite happy with the room. We arrived around 6 PM, dropped off our bags, and went for dinner. It wasn't until we returned that we realized our room didn't directly face the lake. We initially thought it might be fully booked, but when we pulled back the curtains, we saw many empty rooms with direct lake views. We had bought a 3-day pass and were planning to extend our stay for another night if we liked it, but this completely turned us off. (We were too tired to bother switching rooms after our late dinner.) It just felt unfair that there were empty rooms with better views at the same price, but they couldn't arrange one for us!

The hotel and its surroundings were absolutely wonderful, no complaints there. The room was a bit dated, but still clean and tidy. The lack of a separate shower and toilet was a bit old-fashioned, but these weren't major issues. The only thing that really bothered me was the extremely rude middle-aged male supervisor during breakfast. I've stayed in about seven or eight hotels during my multiple trips to Japan, and this is the first time I've encountered such an outrageous attitude. It really damages the hotel's image.

If you love peace and quiet and want to enjoy beautiful views of Lake Ashi, this place is absolutely perfect!

This Hakone hotel is a tranquil lakeside retreat. Despite being over 100 years old, it shows no signs of its age. The front desk staff were courteous and welcoming. The bedding and towels in the rooms were clean and tidy. Breakfast was a delightful experience, with fresh ingredients and a wide variety of both Japanese and Western dishes, ensuring a great start to the day. The hot spring bath, though not large, was clean and cozy. Stepping out of the side door of the restaurant, you're greeted by an open lawn, and directly ahead, the shimmering Lake Ashi, with its harbor full of sightseeing boats and small motorboats. Enjoying a rich coffee while sitting by the lake, feeling the cool breeze, was incredibly pleasant and relaxing. This stay left us with wonderful memories, and we've already promised ourselves a return visit.