Kinokuniya Ryokan — Hotel in Hakone

A different kind of experience than your usual accomodation. We kinda expect that this ryokan is old as stated over 300 yrs old. We want to experience something of a japanese traditional service, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The ryokan has remained its old character. Admired the collection of antique and unique pieces on display. We booked the Japanese futtons. It's comfortable. The dusty ceiling and wall has probably added to its old character. We're fine with that as the toilet and beds are clean. We love the private bath or onsen although we have to pay extra for that. The location is quite remote and going somewhere else will be a challenge. The best thing we've ever done is to hire a car to take us around. The surroundings are quite mystical so make sure go for a nice walk and explore the place. I imagine the setting of Spirited Away. The only disappointment we have is when they cancelled all our breakfast inclusions for the third day. We only missed out the second day breakfast as we have to travel to Yamaguchi Prefecture and we are early riser. Breakfast at 8am is quite late for us. The gentleman at the reception had assumed that we are cancelling all our breakfast inclusions during our stay. We are so looking forward to our breakfast on our last day until they told us that we can't have it anymore as it's been cancelled. Understand that there some miscommunication and lost in translation somewhere. It left us disappointed overall considering that we have paid over AUD$800 per night. Not cheap. We have stayed in other ryokan in Kyoto before and they are always very accomodating and I would say that it's worth what you have paid for. Breakfast has also have western or japanese tradional breakfast options. This ryokan doesn't give you any choices unless you say that you have food allergies. Overall, it's not worth what we...

Our travel firm organised for us to stay here, no doubt to get an authentic Japanese experience, but after incredibly comfortable stays in various cities (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka) in invariably immaculate accommodation (admittedly in more "Western" hotels), the standards of this Ryokan fell far short of expectations. The staff make a lot the Japanese traditions, and the 400-year-old history of the place, but at times it felt that the threadbare carpets and musty toilets had not been renovated since the 1700s either! The "garden" was a building site- of which we had a great view. The much lauded traditional dinner and breakfast were also distinctly ordinary- by the high standards one gets used to in this wonderful country. I agree that the mature restaurant staff are delightful. Portable heaters were placed in various parts of the hotel, as there did not seem to be any heating (including in our room) and, uniquely perhaps for a first world country, no running hot water in our room. The onsen closed at 07:30 in the morning (as it was being cleaned that day- but why not after 10:00, after guests had checked out?), so we breakfasted (in our yukatas) and rushed back to Tokyo, and a shower! The yukatas themselves were probably clean, but the overcoats could have been freshly laundered. This place makes a lot of tradition and has various rules and regulations (drinks ordered during dinner have to paid for in cash etc.), but some of the underlying assumptions one gets used to in this magnificent country (obsessional cleanliness, perfection of ones surroundings) are not realised. My recommendation is that the place is closed down, and a major overhaul and modernisation is carried out, to make it fit for the 21st Century and the...

Our travel firm organised for us to stay here, no doubt to get an authentic Japanese experience, but after incredibly comfortable stays in various cities (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka) in invariably immaculate accommodation (admittedly in more "Western" hotels), the standards of this Ryokan fell far short of expectations. The staff make a lot the Japanese traditions, and the 400-year-old history of the place, but at times it felt that the threadbare carpets and musty toilets had not been renovated since the 1700s either! The "garden" was a building site- of which we had a great view. The much lauded traditional dinner and breakfast were also distinctly ordinary- by the high standards one gets used to in this wonderful country. I agree that the mature restaurant staff are delightful. Portable heaters were placed in various parts of the hotel, as there did not seem to be any heating (including in our room) and, uniquely perhaps for a first world country, no running hot water in our room. The onsen closed at 07:30 in the morning (as it was being cleaned that day- but why not after 10:00, after guests had checked out?), so we breakfasted (in our yukatas) and rushed back to Tokyo, and a shower! The yukatas themselves were probably clean, but the overcoats could have been freshly laundered. This place makes a lot of tradition and has various rules and regulations (drinks ordered during dinner have to paid for in cash etc.), but some of the underlying assumptions one gets used to in this magnificent country (obsessional cleanliness, perfection of ones surroundings) are not realised. My recommendation is that the place is closed down, and a major overhaul and modernisation is carried out, to make it fit for the 21st Century and the...