Hakone Yuyado Zen

One of the most amazing hotel experiences. I have stayed for work and pleasure at many of the finest hotels in the world, and this gem rates near the top for a small luxury hotel. The room was excellent, immaculate, and new. The service is incredible. All of the staff was great, but particularly the two Nepalese staff members (who have lived in Japan for some time), the primary one being named Budha, who was incredibly kind, attentive, and responsive and spoke excellent English. The hotel has an amazing executive chef as well and every night and morning they serve a Michelin-type multi-course unique meal served in Japanese style in a private dining room. Our room also had its own mineral bath in atraditional japanese tub pumped diredtly from the hot springs in a very large sepeate room with a view of the forest. Overall a fantastic experience worth many times the cost. It is highly recommended. We stayed in the most expensive room in the highest rated hotel in Kyoto prior to coming here, and while it was also excellent in all rergards, this was a better experience and value.

We absolutely adored our stay here. Everything was incredible, from the staff, to the view, to the meal. The room was exquisite - there are a lot of things (beverages, snacks, face masks) to make your stay cozy on top of having the amazing private onsen. I highly recommend paying extra for a Mt. Fuji view room as well! The meals were so authentically delicious and incredible, we enjoyed every bit of dinner and breakfast. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming and did a fantastic job accommodating my peanut allergy. While it was tricky to get to (a ~45 minute bus from Odawara or a few cable cars/trains), the remote-ness is absolutely part of the charm. From the ryokan it was super easy to get around Hakone which was a blast! I cannot recommend this place enough!

irst of all, the hotel is not situated in one of the mainstream locations near Yumoto or Gora. The nearest public transport station is in Ubako or Palace hotel Mae and these would need a pickup from the hotel especially if you have never been there before. Don't expect there will be any convenience stores or any other shops nearby, but you shouldn't need to leave the hotel as it comes with all the drinks, food and services that you will ever need. The hotel is very modern and well furbished. There are not many rooms so at any one time you won't feel crowded at all. There is a common room/bar/lobby where they would serve the welcome drink and do the check-in. Once that is done, the staff would take you to the room and explain to you about the room and how the onsen will work. The beauty of the Private onsen, besides being completely private you could also "tune" the water temperature. Like a bath, you could add cold water to make it colder, which is not possible in a public onsen. We picked the western room with Mt. Fuji view. At first we could not see the mountain as it was covered behind the clouds. However, on the next day, as soon as we woke up we saw the beautiful Fujisan capped with snow. Taking the onsen with the Mount Fuji as a backdrop was definitely an experience (and the onsen was in a semi-opened area so you could feel the fresh air while taking the onsen) Dining (Both dinner and breakfast) was done at the restaurant instead of at your room. I think that's fine as you get your own "room"or partition inside the restaurant so you will have complete privacy over the course of your meal. Like all onsen hotels, dinner was a multi-course meal, each used the seasonal ingredients and fully explained in English. (The staff there spoke perfect English and there was no issue in communication.) Other reviewers commented the food was a bit bland but I thought it was fresh and tasty. They even gave you some rice roll for snacks at night if you ever got hungry. Breakfast was also plenty and tasty. The room price is definitely not on the cheap side, but for the spacious room you get, the private onsen and the Mt. Fuji view plus the sumptuous food and the hospitality you get i think it is value for money.

My husband and I booked this hotel/Ryokan in the middle of our vacation in Japan and we were not disappointed! We had a room that faced Mt. Fuji and a private onsen. The room itself was well appointed, and extremely comfortable. Sandi, one of the staff members was incredible! She spoke excellent English and made sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our stay. She took the time to explain the amenities of the room and to find yukata we would be comfortable in. She really made the place something special! We were greeted with a complimentary non alcoholic wine (we are non-drinkers) and refreshment upon arrival. There was a full Kaiseki meal at breakfast and dinner everyday. When I discovered my tastes were too western to tolerate the fish offered they happily accommodated me with A5 Wagu beef! All beautifully presented! This is THE place to come if you are looking for a resting spot between Kyoto and Tokyo on your trip, or you just want to get out of the city and enjoy some of the traditional offerings of Japan. Simply amazing! Definitely will be back again!