Hakone Nanase♡

A Disappointing Return to What Was Once a Favorite

6.0

In 2018, I stayed at this hotel and was absolutely amazed. The experience left such a deep impression on me that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I fondly remembered the beautiful piano and violin performances in the lobby, the delightful room with a private hot spring on the balcony, and the cozy Japanese-style private dining rooms serving exquisite cuisine. At the end of last year, I finally booked another stay, excited to relive the magic. Unfortunately, this time was a letdown. While I couldn’t secure a room with a hot spring, the differences went far beyond that. The room I stayed in was quite ordinary, lacking the charm I remembered. The dining area had changed to standard partitions instead of the intimate Japanese-style rooms, and while the food presentation was still stunning, the flavors were unremarkable, and the portions left me feeling unsatisfied. Sadly, this stay didn’t live up to my cherished memories, and I know I won’t be returning again.

Great location and onsen but without meals

6.0

Special location on a hill next to a waterfall, little hotel with an onsen both private in the room and public The room and onsen were great A special experience not to miss The only thing that was missing is a breakfast or restaurant of any kind According to the reception the chef took a day off🤷🏻‍♀️ The hotel is very isolated abd hard to get without a car, so we had to buy few things and eat at the room, i think it’s not appropriate for a hotel not to think about their customers

Lovely ryokan - some things to note, but we would recommend.

8.0

Staying here was a very enjoyable experience. We stayed for 2 nights. What we enjoyed: 1. The quiet country atmosphere 2 our own private onsen (divine)! 3. The private onsens where you can lock the door. 4. The dinner was spectacular - presented beautifully, in our own private room. 5. Large rooms. 6. Wearing our traditional and comfortable yukatas to dinner was so nice. Things to be aware of: 1. The rooms are very dated! Comfortable but dated. 2. Our fridge had seals that no longer sealed hence the fridge was useless. 3. They only offer a Japanese breakfast these days (which our group did not enjoy). I had advised previously of a fish allergy so I received a western breakfast instead which was great. We asked if we could all have this on the 2nd morning, but the response was they don’t do western breakfasts (obviously only if you prearrange an alternative). 4. If arriving on the train, it’s a precarious trip down hill with your luggage (the hotel will only offer a courtesy pick up at certain times). 5. The hotel does not have a bar or food outside of breakfast and dinner (if you have this as part of your package) so you will need to come organized with food and drinks outside these times. The hotel is a bit isolated - during the day it is easy enough to get to a convenience store - but not at night.

Lovely staff & experience; if a little expensive

8.0

The staff were lovely and the concept of a private onsen in your room was great for a special occasion (we were on our Honeymoon); we also didn’t struggle to use any of the “shared” private onsen (there are three you turn up and lock the door and it is yours for 45 mins). These were slightly bigger than the private onsen hence why we used both. Whilst the hotel was a lovely experience after the wonderful chaos of Tokyo I’m not sure it was worth the £330 a night we paid. The room needed updating - there were patches of masking tape covering gaps in the floor for example. We also experienced a loud humming noise in our room the duration of the trip that couldn’t be fixed; despite the staff being super helpful. We were in room 47. The food was an experience! If you enjoy sashimi / raw fish you will love it. I have attached pictures of the menu both nights we stayed; night two menu was much preferred. The breakfast was a unique experience (fish and rice) which was nice to try but not our cup of tea as Westerners! Still amazingly presented. Disappointing only water or oolong tea was included in the price and we had to pay 800yen for a beer with the meal given we’d paid so much to stay to begin with. In summary: definitely worth staying somewhere like this on your trip to Japan! But it is expensive so don’t expect a full “five star” experience

beautiful resort in the midst of nature

8.0

large, comfortable, scenic rooms with a nice seating area with tatami floors. excellent japanese breakfast ...only problem is , it has to be booked in advance. as with the dinner ...kaiseki dinner but requires a prior booking so we missed out on that. Lovely private and public hot baths. nestled among trees and greenery. quite a revitalising stay!

Wonderful resort with private baths and amazing food

10.0

We stayed for two nights at this wonderful resort, and it felt like a dream. We booked a suite with a private onsen. The room itself was very large, and the beds quite comfortable. I can't say the same for the sofas, which felt as if they had seen better days and felt awfully springy; thankfully, we didn't need anybody to sleep on them overnight. The private bath was of course the main attraction, and it was just wonderful -- it was so enjoyable we took 4 dips just on the first day. We also tried the family bath down on the 1st floor one afternoon; at no point did they all look full and they were great for stretching out your legs and getting more space to soak in. The food was the other star here. Both dinners were spectacular. The food was traditional Japanese food, with no substitutions or changes; some of the dishes were certainly things we wouldn't have ordered if given the choice, but turned out delicious. For breakfast, we were not offered a choice but simply served a Japanese breakfast. I'm not sure everything was to my palette, but the parts that were were cooked to perfection. I'm talking some of the most perfectly grilled fish I have ever had. The front desk staff was impeccably polite and spoke English with no problems at all. They happily took our bags when we arrived hours before check-in, and even provided some maps of the area. No complaints at all. The resort looks close on the map to Kowakidani train station, but trying to walk the hilly road with no sidewalk while dragging two suitcases was not at all a pleasant experience. The hotel does offer a ride in their private van to/from the train station, which we took advantage of upon checking out and would recommend. Otherwise, the main transportation available is the H bus, which is convenient (running from Hakone-Yumoto all the way down to Lake Ashi), but only comes every 15-20 minutes, can be very crowded, and takes many many tight turns -- great for sightseeing but not recommended if you are bringing luggage!