Hananoyado Fukuya — Local services in Hakone

I am ashamed to say that this review is SEVERAL MONTHS LATE as I went to this ryokan back in October, but honestly I'm still thinking about this place so here's my belated review!

I went to Japan with a couple friends, and I had decided with one of them that we were going to splurge on at least one luxurious place in Japan and we chose this place.

As soon as we arrived we were given complementary snacks, a drink, and warm towels while the check in process was being completed. All the staff were so professional and accommodating! A 100/10 in service HOWEVER I'm a native Japanese speaker so for reviews on English interactions I would recommend looking into other reviews!

The public baths here, though small, can actually be reserved/closed away from other visitors while in use - perfect for those who are uncomfortable with bathing publicly with strangers or maybe families who don't want to disrupt others with their young ones! There are two public bath rooms and during our 3 night stay we didn't have any issues with both rooms being occupied or other people walking in. Otherwise, the rooms come with a cedar bath tub indoors and a metal bath outside on the balcony. Two notes about the outdoor bath - in October it was starting to get chilly so we had no issues with bugs! This may be a concern in the warmer seasons. The outdoor bath and the public baths have some sediment in them at the bottom! This is normal for natural hot springs as they are mineral rich, and will leave your skin smooth and silky! I have sensitive skin and had no problems whatsoever.

The food? I'm still dreaming about it. My photos do NOT do it justice. Dinner is a course meal served each course at a time - our meal was served in our room however our friends in another room (a group of 4) were lead to a private dining room. Breakfast has options between a western style and a Japanese style breakfast - we opted for Japanese but the option was nice for our other group! Every dish we had was different during our stay, and though a small detail, so was all of our dishware!! I didn't see a single plate reused which was not only impressive but a fun little detail for me personally.

Accessibility in the hotel was amazing! I'm considering bringing my grandparents here as they have an elevator (with a bench inside) despite being such a small 2 story building, as well as chairs inside the public baths with handles/armrests. The hill in front of the building is very steep though, so I would highly recommend calling a taxi cab to get here and drop you off by...

After reading the first 10 reviews of this accommodation ( I cannot rightfully refer to it as a ryokan), I am dumbfounded. We actually thought we arrived at the wrong guest house. This was by far the worst accommodation for the money, almost $3000 for 2 nights in a room that accommodated 4 adults. In addition to the original bill of $2780, tax, bottled water and a spa fee elevated the price to $3000. The decor was 1960’s original without any upgrades. ||||Writing this review will serve to inform others and to work through the PTSD I endured for 44 hours. We took a taxi, $45, to the lake area of Hakone and were greeted by a gentleman and woman at the front desk who informed us at 2:40 that check- in was at 3. No welcome! We said we were going into town( down a steep hill). There was some discussion amongst the staff, seemingly arguing about whether or not the driver would take us into town. They did not. Once we arrived and shown our room, I wanted to check out, but knew we were outside the cancellation policy... the room smelled. The owner came to our room, knocked and immediately barged in several times to the point we locked the door. He was rude, intrusive, and later on his demeanor devolved into anger. The food was horrific and we passed on breakfast. We never used the onsen, preferring to go to the public onsen, Tansen. Suddenly, the owner appeared as our server the second night. He couldn’t be friendlier. The food was better, this time edible. The four of us knew he had been alerted by our booking agency that we were very upset with the accommodations. We couldn’t wait to leave. The bill had extra charges- water. When I questioned this he told us there was no reason we couldn’t drink the water from the bathroom sink. Truly, the worst...

The perfect place for a restful and peaceful getaway. We received excellent service and attention to detail while we stayed here. The staff were helpful and friendly. The breakfast was delicious with a generous portion and a variety of dishes.

Upon arrival we were provided with a warm refreshing towel to clean our hands. We also received a welcome drink which was a choice of either matcha or white wine. Our luggage was taken to our room directly. We were then taken on a tour of the place and were introduced to our room. Our room had a private outdoor hot spring bath which we thoroughly enjoyed throughout our 4 day stay there.

We had complete privacy with a view of the garden. The birds were bathing in the stream right outside our room. It was peaceful and quiet.

The area itself is conveniently located. The convenient store is just down the slope from the accommodation while restaurants are all within walking distance.

If you can’t appreciate peace and quiet then this is not the place for you. The accommodation feels like staying at a loving grandma’s house. You won’t get the modern luxury hotel feel, but the peaceful atmosphere is guaranteed. If you’re looking for rest and relaxation then I highly recommend this place.

I’m grateful for the top service provided by the staff of Hananoyado Fukuya. They went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. One of the evenings it was raining heavily and they insisted to drop us off at where we wanted to go. They were very caring and concerned. We appreciated their care and lot.

Also, it is very nice that they replenished the beverages in the refrigerator daily and paid attention to what needed refreshing or replenishing. Thank you for the...