Hilton Club The Bay Forest Odawara — Hotel in Odawara

I finished my trip around Japan at Bay Forest and while I'm more than happy I visited the area, if we weren't HGVC owners I wouldn't stay here again. Bay Forest is an isolated location that requires the shuttle bus to get anywhere (nothing within walking distance and Bay Forest sits on top of a winding hill) so traveling eats into your day. For example, to get to Lake Ashi you have to take the free shuttle to either Odawara Station or Nebukawa Station. As the Nebukawa shuttle runs more frequently, I ended up taking that one more often but that required then waiting at Nebukawa Station for a train to Odawara Station. At Odawara station you need to take a train to Hakone Yumoto. At Hakone Yumoto you need to take a bus to where you'd like to go around Lake Ashi. Door to door this takes about 70 mins (longer if you miss a connection or end up on a local bus). So getting around the area is totally doable and easy but can feel taxing at times. Of note, I visited Odawara after Typhoon Hagibis so a lot of the transportation was down in the area. Once it's all up and running again, travel times should be faster but it will still require a few steps to get where you're going. Also, taxis are available but it will be an expensive trip if you want to really get into Hakone (e.g. $105 USD to get back from Ubako, all taxis metered). ||||I had built my cottage (and overall experience) at Bay Forest up in my head before arriving but I should have tempered my expectations. The cottage listing says it can sleep 6 but that's definitely a stretch. There's only one bathroom! There's a MASSIVE bedroom downstairs (down tiny stairs with a harsh rubber tread, can't wear shoes inside so you definitely feel it) with a tatami open area and a pull out sofa in the kitchen/living room area. So while yes, 6 people can definitely sleep in the cottage, the arrangements aren't conducive to enjoying having 6 people in tight quarters. My living room did have a gorgeous view of trees and Sagami Bay though.||||The hotel itself was nothing exceptional especially in regards to the food - as reported in other reviews, it's overpriced for the quality. The onsen is on the 3rd floor of the main hotel building but it has more of a locker room feel than the idyllic Japanese onsen. There is an outdoor onsen however (access to the right of the sauna) that approaches that feeling. ||||There are plenty of English speaking staff so you won't have a problem finding someone to help you. There were definitely a few incredibly friendly staff (especially in the spa, bar and general reception area) but overall the service was average. ||||One day it poured sheets of rain for 12 hours so I took advantage of it and went to the spa. Matsumoto at the spa was definitely the highlight of my stay at Bay Forest. She was AMAZING! As I had some time to kill, I got a 90-minute massage and 60-minute facial. She instantly made me feel welcome and relaxed. Highly recommend getting a treatment with her. The rest of the women in the spa were also super friendly and helpful but Matsumoto was a star. The spa itself was nothing glamorous.||If you happen to be a birder, there's a few birds flitting around the grounds. The walking trail behind the parking lot was closed due to Typhoon Hagibis but it looked as if it would have had some birding promise. ||||Overall, I enjoyed my time at Bay Forest and don't regret staying here; I just wish I would have come in with more realistic...

I finished my trip around Japan at Bay Forest and while I'm more than happy I visited the area, if we weren't HGVC owners I wouldn't stay here again. Bay Forest is an isolated location that requires the shuttle bus to get anywhere (nothing within walking distance and Bay Forest sits on top of a winding hill) so traveling eats into your day. For example, to get to Lake Ashi you have to take the free shuttle to either Odawara Station or Nebukawa Station. As the Nebukawa shuttle runs more frequently, I ended up taking that one more often but that required then waiting at Nebukawa Station for a train to Odawara Station. At Odawara station you need to take a train to Hakone Yumoto. At Hakone Yumoto you need to take a bus to where you'd like to go around Lake Ashi. Door to door this takes about 70 mins (longer if you miss a connection or end up on a local bus). So getting around the area is totally doable and easy but can feel taxing at times. Of note, I visited Odawara after Typhoon Hagibis so a lot of the transportation was down in the area. Once it's all up and running again, travel times should be faster but it will still require a few steps to get where you're going. Also, taxis are available but it will be an expensive trip if you want to really get into Hakone (e.g. $105 USD to get back from Ubako, all taxis metered). ||||I had built my cottage (and overall experience) at Bay Forest up in my head before arriving but I should have tempered my expectations. The cottage listing says it can sleep 6 but that's definitely a stretch. There's only one bathroom! There's a MASSIVE bedroom downstairs (down tiny stairs with a harsh rubber tread, can't wear shoes inside so you definitely feel it) with a tatami open area and a pull out sofa in the kitchen/living room area. So while yes, 6 people can definitely sleep in the cottage, the arrangements aren't conducive to enjoying having 6 people in tight quarters. My living room did have a gorgeous view of trees and Sagami Bay though.||||The hotel itself was nothing exceptional especially in regards to the food - as reported in other reviews, it's overpriced for the quality. The onsen is on the 3rd floor of the main hotel building but it has more of a locker room feel than the idyllic Japanese onsen. There is an outdoor onsen however (access to the right of the sauna) that approaches that feeling. ||||There are plenty of English speaking staff so you won't have a problem finding someone to help you. There were definitely a few incredibly friendly staff (especially in the spa, bar and general reception area) but overall the service was average. ||||One day it poured sheets of rain for 12 hours so I took advantage of it and went to the spa. Matsumoto at the spa was definitely the highlight of my stay at Bay Forest. She was AMAZING! As I had some time to kill, I got a 90-minute massage and 60-minute facial. She instantly made me feel welcome and relaxed. Highly recommend getting a treatment with her. The rest of the women in the spa were also super friendly and helpful but Matsumoto was a star. The spa itself was nothing glamorous.||If you happen to be a birder, there's a few birds flitting around the grounds. The walking trail behind the parking lot was closed due to Typhoon Hagibis but it looked as if it would have had some birding promise. ||||Overall, I enjoyed my time at Bay Forest and don't regret staying here; I just wish I would have come in with more realistic...

We stayed in this resort for 3 nights. Generally we had a restful time.||||Check in: It was a slow process. Staff speak limited English.||||Cottage: Clean, very roomy but has a funny smell, like someone had cooked yam in it. Comfortable bed but bathroom is on ground level and bedroom in lower level. We found it a bit inconvenient.||||Restaurant: Overpriced, and not that great. No sashimi, but sushi are quite fresh. Very limited hot food choices. Coffee and tea are included, all other drinks are extra.||||Hot Spring: Men and Women are separated which we didn't know beforehand. The Japanese go into this Hot Spring Bath naked, so that was the reason for the separation. I was a bit uncomfortable, and I got 3 mosquitoes bites.||||Shuttle Service will take you to the Odawara (hourly) and Nebukawa Stations (more frequently). The latest shuttle going back to the resort from Odawara leaves at 6:15 pm, which we found a bit too early for a night in town.||||TV has very limited English Channels. It does have Fox Movies but movies available are old and unknown.||||Overall, we had a good time, very relaxing and quiet resort. Being in a remote area, it should provide more restaurants to fit different budget and taste. Due to very limited staff with good command of English, the resort should provide more detail written information about the...