My mom and I just had a wonderful one night stay at this ryokan recommended by our friends in San Francisco! We were exhausted from our long train and car ride from Kyoto, but upon arriving and entering the vicinity, my mom and felt welcomed, cared for, and pampered until the moment they waved us good bye after dropping us off exactly where we had to go the next day. This was our very first ryokan experience coming from our stays at two fabulous Ritz properties in Japan and at Hoshinoya Kyoto and I have to admit, I was initially a bit nervous that we would have been already too spoiled by their 5-Star hotel amenities and facilities. However, this hotel which perfectly blended modern decor/amenities (I.e. stand-alone sink, illys espresso machine, plush beds, etc) without losing its integrity as a ryokan and essentially allowing us to experience what traditional vacations were like back when the above were not available yet. We especially loved the table with seats covered atop a Japanese heat-pad and covered in Asian style blankets as well as the wooden open air bath deck that's available for all rooms in the building.

Highlights -The public bath: the bath area here boasts multiple outdoor onsen pools of various temperatures, allowing you to enjoy onsen looking at the stars (or snowflakes in our case!). I was also very impressed by the spacious and flawlessly clean and well-manned vanity and shower stations, overall elevating our bath experience here greatly.

-The very personalized attendance to your needs during your stay that felt continuous as the same server/room attendant who came too check you in will serve all your meals as well

-The courteous, warm staff who all spoke good -enough English

-Separate dining facility apart outside of your room

-The lobby lounge area that's half open air where you get to enjoy the nature while being served Tea/Coffee

-The luxurious Shiseido skin care products (lotions, soaps, etc) available in your room and in public bath

-The very high-tech massage chairs!! Best free massage chairs ever

Lowlights Honestly not too many, but if anything, probably that it was 1) a bit further out from Odawara station and therefore expensive to get to via taxi when it was snowing 2) not reaching out personally to confirm arrival details after your reservations in order to work out your arrival time/means and 3) the food relative to other places we've eaten at - Hoshinoya Kyoto and Gora Kara - were not as delectable. However, the Hida beef, the sashimi course and the breakfast porridge were very impressive yummy.

Overall, the level of hospitality, the well-maintenance of its luxurious facilities, the awesome public onsen, the open air bath available in every room, the personalized service and attendance including your transfer to/from this ryokan make this place a top-notch ryokan in Hakone that delivers its 5-Stars hospitality experience without needing iPad docked rooms or a gym staffed with Power Plate machines. I'd take the superb massage chairs over a gym any day anyway ;)