Hotels near Kowakudani Station, Hakone

Ryori-yaku (restaurant name), the hot springs in Hakone are unparalleled, but the food here really deserves mention. I've been to Ryori-yaku in Izu before, and compared to that, this one probably suits my taste better. It's not as sweet, so the food is refreshing and not cloying. The only downside is that the rooms are really small—every inch of space is precious!

We used this hotel for a birthday trip. We had requested a message plate when making the reservation, but it wasn't reflected in our request. However, when we inquired with the staff during dinner, they kindly accommodated our request, allowing us to create the surprise. I had always wanted to stay at Fufu, and this was my first time, and it was a wonderful experience. We've already talked about wanting to stay at other Fufu locations for each other's birthday trips in the future. Thank you for the wonderful hospitality.

We were looking for onsen with private bath on the balcony and probably hit the sweet spot. Unfortunately we had only 1 night stay, but it was fantastic. Onsen is located at the top station Gora, where you can get from Odawara. That’s around 2 hours from Tokyo all together, around 3 hours from Kyoto. Last 2 sections of the way are going through a picturesque steep railway. Views are great! Be sure to rush to the front or back seats (doesn’t matter which) to secure a spot for nice photographs. Private bath is fantastic, rooms are clean and spacious with a touch of ryokan style (tatami etc). That’s a perfect place to sit and relax doesn’t matter it’s sunshine or pooring rain outside. The food was fantastic (according to my wife), however the options are limited if you’re not eating fish or sea products due to allergy or other reasons. For Karaku team - I would suggest adding a signature wagyu set for those who would like something else. Selection of wine and alcohol drinks is superb. Free snacks and coffee are available till 8 p.m. as well with a view terrace. For those who like some regular conbini stuff - Lawson is around 10 mins walk with Miyazaki style trains passing by👌🏻 All in all, we wish we had stayed at least 2 nights as there are lots of activities around.  Thanks to Karaku staff for a warm welcome and tailored experience!

This hotel is self-service, but it's absolutely fantastic. First off, the location and the view from the window are unbeatable. It features authentic Hakone hot spring water directly to your room, and you can definitely smell the sulfur. You can also BBQ on the terrace while enjoying a foot bath and a drink. It's perfect for a longer stay during your vacation.

Thanks to other guests for mentioning the transportation in their reviews. Getting to the hotel from Odawara was a bit of a hassle, but once I arrived, I felt it was absolutely the right choice. The hotel's location is excellent, with mountain views from the room, and it's clean and tidy. The free, unlimited ice cream at the hotel is delicious and definitely deserves a special shout-out. Breakfast was plentiful, and the dinner buffet was fantastic, with all-you-can-eat sashimi and unagi don, plus surprisingly tasty lobster, and a wide selection of drinks. That evening, I enjoyed the outdoor hot spring all to myself, facing a waterfall and forest – it was incredibly relaxing. The hotel's shuttle bus is very convenient! The staff were very attentive and detailed in their service, with great attitudes and thorough explanations! Apart from the tricky transportation, everything else was wonderful.

During our recent stay at Yumoto Fujiya Hotel, we found the location to be very convenient, making it easy to explore the beautiful surroundings of Hakone. The room we stayed in was clean and well-maintained, which contributed positively to our overall comfort. While most of the staff were generally polite, we felt that there was room for improvement in terms of warmth and friendliness, particularly from the reception staff. We appreciated the exceptional welcome from the doorman, who was genuinely friendly and made a positive first impression. One area that needs attention is the breakfast. We noticed a lack of variety, as nearly 90% of the items remained the same throughout our stay. It would be great to see more changes in the menu to enhance the dining experience. We had a disappointing experience at the hotel's Japanese restaurant “Night Snacks (Pub)”. The lady server displayed a lack of warmth and friendliness and did not engage with us during our meals. Totally no smile on her face. It was disheartening to see her provide a more attentive service to the local Japanese customers, which left us feeling unwelcome.  She should be send for some customer services courses to improve her services especially for a hotel outlet. It’s a total disappointment for tourists to bring back such experience.  However, in stark contrast, the staff at the sashimi counter were outstanding. He greeted us with friendly smiles and made us feel acknowledged. The sashimi he prepared was exceptional and truly delicious, earning high praise. Overall, while there were some highlights during our stay, the negative experiences overshadowed the positives. I would rate our overall experience at Yumoto Fujiya Hotel as a 5/10. Given the factors mentioned, I would prefer to explore other hotel options during our next visit to Hakone.

I spent a wonderful night here during New Year's Eve. The waiter barely understands people and foreign languages, but he is friendly and good at communication. I booked a public bathroom first, but then I changed it to a private bath when there was room. My satisfaction improved a lot! The hotel is very close to Hakoyō-Yumoto Station, and the taxi cost was less than 1,000 yen. Later, we couldn't get a taxi and it was very comfortable for us to walk to the station for 15 minutes with our children🏳️🌈

Our experience staying in Hakone was perfect! We stayed at the Tensein in Hakone-Yumoto, an easy location to take the bus, car or train to some popular tourist attractions in the area. The check in itself was rather slow but the staff do their best to speak good English and discuss every detail about your stay with you. The room had everything we needed, the shampoo and conditioners provided was wonderful and there was a variety of products to use. On check in, the private onsen was given at 50% discount at 1,100 Japanese yen per use, we got 2 vouchers so used it 2 times (as we have tattoos we could not go into the public onsen). On check in you have to collect your towel and your choice of Yukata (traditional Japanese robe) which you’re welcomed and encouraged to wear around the hotel and gardens. The hotel is strictly no shoes, so upon arrival you leave your shoes in a locked box and keep the key. If you wish to walk around the beautiful gardens, there are slider type shoes available to slip on, as well as umbrellas to use if it’s raining. Outside they have a onsen for your feet to enjoy with a drink. All of the food and drink (apart from breakfast which was included) was put on our bill at the end. There was a wide selection of drinks, nibbles and food available for dinner and lunches at the dining room and there was a large buffet dining room for buffet breakfast and dinner (if you booked it). The hotel is just a short 10 minute walk to the town and 15 minute walk to the Hakone-Yumoto station. Visiting Mt Fuji is easy, with a bus ‘H’ running from stand 2 opposite the Hakone -Yumoto station. Get off at ‘Motohakone’. From there, you can take another bus and a train to get you to another town ‘Gora’ and surrounding attractions to enjoy.

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.

There are pros and cons to staying here! Pros: The hotel itself is lovely, with polite staff and a clean, spacious, atmospheric room offering mountain views. The public onsen is included in the price and is quite pleasant, especially if you're lucky enough to have it to yourself, as we did (we went in the morning). The hotel also has vending machines for drinks and snacks, which is very convenient since there are no stores nearby. You can arrange to have your luggage sent to the station so you don't have to carry it yourself, but unfortunately, we missed the 10 AM deadline to book this service. Cons: Unfortunately, these left a strong impression. The hotel is located in a terribly inconvenient and remote area, really out in the sticks and difficult to access. It's far from all the attractions you travel to see – we had to take a boat to get to them – and far from any establishments where you'd want to find food. Not only are these places far away, but they also close early, open late, are overpriced, and the food isn't even tasty. We couldn't call a taxi to the accommodation because you needed to link a local phone number! We initially walked with our suitcases along the road, then took a bus. The buses didn't accept our Hakone pass, a card we specifically bought for Hakone, even though buses were supposed to be included. And the price without the card was clearly inflated – 300 yen to travel uphill for 8 minutes. Since we had another individual onsen booked elsewhere (a 20-minute drive away), after that at 9 PM, we realized the buses had stopped running. There was no chance of calling or hailing a taxi, so we had to walk back to the hotel. This meant a two-hour walk along a dark mountain road, surrounded by forest, with only occasional streetlights. We tried to hitchhike, but no one stopped, not even taxis. After an hour of walking uphill (our emotions were indescribable), about the 10th car, if not more, finally stopped, and a young Japanese couple gave us a ride back to the hotel. Overall, the hotel itself is good (it was also cold at night, we used the air conditioning to warm up, but the room was large and difficult to heat; thankfully, there were extra large blankets). However, everything else regarding the location was terrible. If you plan to stay here, make sure to plan your transportation in advance.