Matsuzakaya Honten — Hotel in Hakone

A Truly Unforgettable Stay – An Immersive and Intimate Ryokan Experience ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the moment we arrived at Matsuzakaya Honten, we were welcomed with warmth and grace. Despite turning up mid-morning with our luggage, the team greeted us at the front gate and invited us inside to check in with a cup of freshly brewed green tea and a delicate wagashi – a traditional Japanese sweet shaped like a flower. It was a beautiful, quiet gesture that set the tone for our entire stay.

We left our suitcase at the front and, with umbrellas provided, set off to explore Hakone. Upon our return – a little earlier than we’d promised – we were invited to rest in the serene garden lounge with a freshly poured beer, while the staff gracefully attended to other arriving guests.

Our room was more like a private apartment than a hotel room – no numbers, just a name on the door. Inside, a generous layout awaited us: a full-size entry with lounge area, separate toilet, kitchenette, sliding shōji (rice paper) doors leading into a traditional tatami-matted bedroom, and an additional room that opened to a private deck and garden. The bathroom area included a modern shower and washroom, with doors opening out into our own private rotenburo (open-air onsen bath). The misty weather and gentle drizzle made the entire setting feel like a scene from a dream – quiet, contemplative, and deeply restorative.

The ryokan itself blends history and hospitality with grace. It features a games room with traditional Japanese board games, a small museum with historical artefacts (including glass mirrors from ancient times), and common areas that feel like walking through a peaceful cultural retreat.

The meals were absolutely superb. Both dinner and breakfast were kaiseki-style, multi-course experiences – an elegant way to explore Japanese cuisine. They accommodated my partners vegetarian dietary requirements thoughtfully, without compromising on variety, flavour, or presentation. Every dish was a celebration of local ingredients and seasonal balance.

The private onsen was a standout feature – peaceful, beautifully designed, and something everyone should try at least once. Soaking outdoors under the warm sky was nothing short of magical.

Communication was smooth and easy despite our limited Japanese. The staff were kind, attentive, and intuitive, providing support when needed while allowing for peaceful privacy throughout the experience.

Thank you to everyone at Matsuzakaya Honten for creating such a special, intimate and memorable stay. We left feeling rested, inspired, and truly connected to Japanese hospitality...

My boyfriend and I had stayed a night here as a midtrip respite this past October and we wished we had stayed a little longer! The overall stay was such a fun experience and the staff were incredibly kind. We had arrived a couple of hours earlier before check-in, but they had allowed us to drop off our luggage as we explored Hakone for a couple of hours.

When we had finally made our way back to our hotel for check-in, they had ushered us into a sitting area and offered us a warm towel along with tea and snacks. This was where they had asked us about what time we would like to have dinner and breakfast. They had also asked us about our food allergies during this time as well. Afterwards, one of the staff escorted us to our rooms while giving us a brief tour of the hotel. She showed us the complimentary bar near the lobby, the general lounging area, etc. Our luggage was already in our room when we had arrived which was great.

Our room was the largest that we had on our entire trip and it was definitely both of our favorites. We had two full sized beds and the mattresses were so comfy. I believe that this was the best sleep I had gotten in Japan lol The rooms were absolutely beautiful and very well maintained. We didn't have time to try the public baths provided on site, but we definitely took advantage of the private open air bath in our room. There was something so magical about soaking outdoors while it rains.

Both dinner and breakfast was a whole experience itself. The staff who had served us our meal was attentive and had explained each dish and advised us to eat our dinner clockwise. they serve dinner in courses, and they will lay everything out for breakfast. The flavors were wonderful and we enjoyed everything.

Lastly, I want to thank the staff member one more time for being so kind to drying my shoes for me. Because it was rainy during the time that we had visited, the sneakers that I had worn had gotten soaked. I had intended to use the hair dryer to dry my sneakers when we got back to our rooms, however they require you to keep your shoes at the front and exchange it for their indoor sandals. Later the next day at check-out, I found that one of the staff members had taken the time to dry my shoes for me and they were still warm. I was extremely grateful because our next destination was Kyoto which was a couple...

Style. Historical unique Edo period inn founded 1662, in an area used as hotspring resort since the Kamakura period. Nostalgic vintage decor and furnishings to give a sense of time travel

Setting. Tucked away in Ashinoyu. 100% natural untouched hotspring water with an amazing mix of sulfur, sulfate and bicarbonate (硫黄泉、硫酸塩泉、炭酸水素塩泉). Healing free flowing water at 200 liters per minute, straight from the source

Explore. Hakone’s mix of culture and nature

Rooms. 22 room. My very spacious and comfortable residential style room (waka murasaki) had an adorable private outdoor onsen, great for endless soaks. I loved the sense of space & place here with all the latticed shoji sliding doors. The tatami living room was not aesthetically pleasing so I hid out in my cosy bedroom, dreamy tranquility except for the occasional floor creaking because of the guests upstairs. View from my living room was alright as after the trees, the view was of the backside of another building and its appliances ( better to cover up with bamboo screen )

@ the hotel. Buildings nestled in amongst trees. Free drinks (including shochu, wine etc) provided and lots of lounge areas. Loved the recently renovated public indoor/outdoor onsen, there are two of them and the female male section is switched daily. There is a lounge area overlooking a gorgeous walled rock garden. Strangely, behind this fenced garden was a visible trash area overflowing with plastic bags, perhaps time to heighten the wooden wall panels ?

Food & drinks. kaiseki dinner with excellent service by the Nepalese staff. Been to a few other Hakone ryokans, this meal was just ok (ie Hakone Suishoen’s dinner was definitely better)

Prices. US$780 half board plus $77 for the extra orders at dinner

Rating. 4/5 Generally wonderful experience. Especially appreciated this place’s 362 years of history plus the fabulous...