Hakone Ryoriyado Kyuan — Hotel in Hakone

First off, if you have the money and time to spend on a luxury ryokan in Hakone for a night, please do it! My Japan trip was a flurry of nonstop moving and activity after activity. Dad and I spent one blissfully peaceful night here with nothing on the agenda, no sights to see, no walking - just taking some time to disconnect from our phone and the rest of the world, decompress, and zen out! It is definitely very hard to choose the right ryokan - the part that took the longest when researching and booking for the trip. When you're spending that kind of money and traveling with a slightly hard to please father, got to do your due diligence! I chose this ryokan because I wanted immersive mountain and forest views, a good selection of private onsen room types, excellent reviews on their kaiseki meals and high ratings on cleanliness. It was my second choice (since first was completely booked out) but I am so so glad I decided on Kyuan because they hit it out of the park!

If you do book this place, be extra aware of the location (slightly remote) and plan out how you're getting there and leaving. Contact the ryokan in advance if you want to be picked up within a 10 minute car ride to the hotel itself, and if they have time to take you to the next bus or train station.

The property is absolutely beautiful and the welcome experience very demure yet warm. Upon entrance, you're greeted with soaring views of the mountain ridges. Everything is all woods and greenery. They provide refreshments and hot towels while checking you in, which was a breeze. And also schedule your arrival times for the kaiseki meals which are not held in your room but on the floor below the welcome entrance.

The room we had was a corner view, large for Japan, beautifully wide and comfortable beds (super clean and new), alot of amenities (love the toe socks, the yukata garments, toiletries, water/tea, snacks), and a lovely private onsen room, adjoining the bathroom and shower room. The views were spectacular and amazing both during the day, the twilight hours and the sunrise! Onsen got very hot which was lovely (I believe they filled it for us upon arrival). I absolutely luxuriated in it and just felt very grounded looking out at the mountain views from the onsen room as well. Overall room was a perfect 10 out of 10, modest but fit just right! I had the soundest sleep here from my entire trip (korea and japan). Dad approved!

The food was also very amazing for both dinner and breakfast. Completely stuffed both times. And amazingly innovative, fresh ingredients and such a feast for the eyes! Service was one of the best I've had. The modesty screen is so clever and we had a nice private seating area with a view of the garden. I do think the meals are heavier on fish but I loved it! If you have travelers who have dietary restrictions, always communicate with the ryokan about your kaiseki meals before you fly to Japan so they have ample time to accommodate if they can.

Such a great experience!! A lasting...

I cannot recommend Hakone Ryouriyado Kyuan based on our recent stay, especially when comparing it to other luxury properties we’ve visited across Japan. While the staff were kind and the food was good, nearly every other aspect of our experience was frustrating or disappointing. FAR FROM RELAXING.

First, transportation was a major issue. In a remote area where Ubers are nonexistent, taxis are scarce, and buses are unreliable, most hotels offer some form of pickup or shuttle service. Kyuan advertised this as well, but two days before our arrival, they told us their car was unavailable due to service issues. As a result, we waited at the station for over an hour trying to get a taxi, and in other situations had to rely on the kindness of random locals to drive us.

The kaiseki dinners tasted great. However, the service on the first night was painfully slow. over an hour passed before we were served our third dish. The meal went until nearly 10pm, leaving us exhausted. Staff were apologetic, and we didn’t complain out of cultural respect, but it still made for an uncomfortable experience. The second night improved, but the nervous energy of our server continued to affect the overall atmosphere.

The ambiance of the property felt more like summer camp with a nice view or a restaurant with a hotel than a refined ryokan. Our room smelled musty, reminded me of an old nursing home, and was clearly worn down, with scratched walls and dusty surfaces. The onsen was a nice touch, but even there, an odd odor lingered.

Unfortunately, the beds were uncomfortable, and we slept poorly both nights.

On our last day, we requested help getting to Hakone Yumoto Station because we had several pieces of luggage. We were told they didn’t offer transport to that station and couldn’t help arrange a taxi. Then, after being asked to check out early, we watched as other guests were driven off to stations, while we were told to catch a bus that never arrived. We ended up walking 22 minutes with all our luggage, which was not the way we hoped to end our stay.

Overall, the service felt inconsistent and, frankly, nonexistent at times. While I appreciate the kindness of the individual staff members, the lack of attention to detail, basic hospitality, and poor property upkeep made this stay far below expectations, especially for the price point and how it positions itself. I could never recommend...

First and foremost, the staff were exceptionally kind, accommodating, and responsive to us. I've rarely had such a hotel experience where I felt the employees were as dedicated to exceeding our expectations as Hakone Kyuan. Kanda, Miki, and Sumi (I believe that was her name) were all exceptional hosts to us, guiding us through the multiple-course meals, promptly picking us up from the bus station, and making sure our room was exactly as we wanted. Most of the staff were able to speak some English in case we had questions, which is massively helpful when you're further from cities in Japan and there is less English signage.

Secondly, the property and rooms were absolutely stunning. We ended up loving our stay so much that we rearranged our trip to stay another night here, but another guest had already booked our room from the first night, allowing us to effectively try two different rooms. Both rooms were comfortable, spacious, and beautiful, providing incredible views of the mountains nearby. Both rooms (and I believe all of them) also had a balcony and a private onsen, which was the main selling point for us. Our first room had the onsen within a screened-in balcony, while the other was indoor. We ended up preferring the latter, as we went when it was colder and it took less time to heat up the bath inside.

Finally, the dining experience. While there wasn't any sort of outdoor dining area, the indoor dining area was beautiful and provided scenic views of the mountains while we dined. The room is big enough to accommodate several groups of guests, and we were provided our own private area to dine each meal. Breakfast and dinner were included in the reservation, and both meals had multiple courses that changed each day. The meals are traditional Japanese, so seafood is a heavy focus for both breakfast and dinner. We didn't mind this, although I think other foreigners would.

All in all, one of the best hotel experiences I have ever had, and would recommend to anyone...