Onsen in Hakone Motoyu Kansuirō — Hotel in Hakone

Can we just say this was amazing hospitality and I would highly recommend this place! This feels like a sacred getaway from modern civilization but the journey was tiring (I have to admit it wasn’t easy because we took a bus here and it was raining pretty hard and the bus driver was rude (ok, if you didn’t understand Japanese you would haven known he was very frustrated with the tourists with over-packed, WIDE luggage and he kept saying “move back for others” but of course if you didn’t speak Japanese you wouldn’t know! 😝 But once you arrive here … this is where the hospitality begins and you are greeted by gracious hosts and kind attendants who help you with luggage and offer slippers and a room to wait for check in. You’ll have a main host who will show you to your room and a tour of the baths & rules. I would suggest you try all the pools because the male/female pools switch & the mineral baths does feel exotic! We loved the pool that overlooks the River! The sound of the water and the hot soak felt luxurious and the stepping stone (non-ADA compliant) path felt like an adventure wearing the given tabi socks and outdoor slippers. There’s a little temple at the top, kind of cool! Breakfast and dinner are included and it’s amazing how many dishes they bring out! There is an English translation for you that doesn’t quite do justice (ie: handmade fish cake, sounds bland right?) but everything tasted very good and with great attention! After the meal the futon bedding was made in the tatami room. Very comfortable and don’t worry if you’re techy and need your electronics there are outlets for laptop or iPhone chargers! It was an experience to remember, the architecture was stunning and felt traditional. I wanted my daughter to experience this with me, because when I was about her age my mother took me to an onsen ryokan (but not as authentic as this!) but the quality time and quietness really does bring out the zen espression “Ichi go Ichi e” meaning one chance one opportunity to meet… time is fleeting and will never be here again. Enjoy with someone you love. This would be my...

My wife and I stayed at the ryokan as part of our tour of Japan. Having experienced ultra modern hotels in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Kyoto, we were keen to sample a traditional Japanese inn. ||We had a suite of rooms with a private onsen and rockery type garden, which was lovely. Despite being very old (I understand the current building is 100 years old), the suite had modern facilities such as air conditioning, a washlet toilet, sink and shower (as part of the onsen). It also had a mini bar. A drinks list is provided with dinner and the prices seemed reasonable.||The set-up is very traditional and in stark contrast to the modern hotels, the staff did not speak much English. They do not help with luggage forwarding (the other hotels were very helpful with Yamato paperwork!) Therefore if you are staying here for a night or two as part of a tour, consider taking an overnight bag and forward your luggage from the hotel you are at beforehand to the hotel you’ll ultimately be staying at, or make sure you book Shinkansen seats with luggage space. We had to take a trip back to Odawara station where a helpful JR rep changed our seat bookings for the onward trip, but this took up time we could have spent exploring the area. ||The downsides are the hotel is old and feels old (a somewhat musty smell pervaded the place). We saw no other guests and it was very quiet. The meal arrangements are quite strict- dinners and breakfasts are served at the prescribed times on the dot but the tea arrived a few minutes early so make sure you are up and dressed in good time. We were attended by a very pleasant and hard working young lady throughout. ||The dinners were very elaborate and of good quality (the best miso soup we tasted during our trip). If you are used to a bowl of muesli, slice of toast or a croissant for breakfast, the large Japanese breakfast will come as a shock. Being full from the previous night’s dinners, we were unable to finish them, and some dishes were just a bit too adventurous for 8 in the morning. ||On the whole, a good experience for a...

My wife and I stayed at the ryokan as part of our tour of Japan. Having experienced ultra modern hotels in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Kyoto, we were keen to sample a traditional Japanese inn. ||We had a suite of rooms with a private onsen and rockery type garden, which was lovely. Despite being very old (I understand the current building is 100 years old), the suite had modern facilities such as air conditioning, a washlet toilet, sink and shower (as part of the onsen). It also had a mini bar. A drinks list is provided with dinner and the prices seemed reasonable.||The set-up is very traditional and in stark contrast to the modern hotels, the staff did not speak much English. They do not help with luggage forwarding (the other hotels were very helpful with Yamato paperwork!) Therefore if you are staying here for a night or two as part of a tour, consider taking an overnight bag and forward your luggage from the hotel you are at beforehand to the hotel you’ll ultimately be staying at, or make sure you book Shinkansen seats with luggage space. We had to take a trip back to Odawara station where a helpful JR rep changed our seat bookings for the onward trip, but this took up time we could have spent exploring the area. ||The downsides are the hotel is old and feels old (a somewhat musty smell pervaded the place). We saw no other guests and it was very quiet. The meal arrangements are quite strict- dinners and breakfasts are served at the prescribed times on the dot but the tea arrived a few minutes early so make sure you are up and dressed in good time. We were attended by a very pleasant and hard working young lady throughout. ||The dinners were very elaborate and of good quality (the best miso soup we tasted during our trip). If you are used to a bowl of muesli, slice of toast or a croissant for breakfast, the large Japanese breakfast will come as a shock. Being full from the previous night’s dinners, we were unable to finish them, and some dishes were just a bit too adventurous for 8 in the morning. ||On the whole, a good experience for a...