Beautiful space, comfortable room and beds, gorgeous view, staff was incredibly kind and friendly!

The location is definitely a bit off the beaten track and the shuttle the hotel offers was in the shop for inspection, so getting into Gora was tricky.

Absolutely incredible stay! I visited as a solo traveler and the inn was very accommodating - they reached out shortly after booking to inquire about transportation needs for arrival/departure as well as and dietary restrictions and requests for meal times. I used the shuttle service from Chōkoku-no-Mori Station and was picked up promptly! I also had a welcome drink during check-in with a view of the mountains, then was led to my room where he showed me how to use the onsen and additional amenities. The front desk even came back to my room with my drink topped off! The room was beautiful and the onsen was the star of the show - it was already filled up and hot when I arrived to my room and I loved having the chance to take a long soak before changing into the complimentary yakuta robe and tabi socks before dinner. The meals were excellent and very traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine with multiple courses in your own private dining room. The server was the same person who picked me up from the station, checked me into the inn, and showed me my room. He did an excellent job of explaining each course and answering my many questions about each delicacy I was trying. Alcohol like sake/beer/wine/etc. is an extra charge but reasonably priced. The Japanese breakfast was delicious! The beds were comfortable, the service from the front desk was impeccable, and other than the few guests I overheard in the room next to me during meals, I would've assumed I was the only guest there. The mountain view from my room was excellent and my only complaint is that wish that I'd stayed another night! All in all, I can't wait to visit again!!!

Nothing - everything was excellent!

The ryokan is traditional with a clear focus on quality of experience. Kaiseki experience was amazing as the chef seemed highly observant on our eating preferences. Nothing was overdone and I respected and admired the charm of this place. I recommend this place for those who deeply appreciate Japanese hospitality and culture. The staff were some of the loveliest I’ve ever met. Akane was bubbliest and kindest staff who recommended us to take the cable car to explore Hakone. We had great fun as we discovered lake ashi and the swan boats, so thank you Akane!

It would’ve been nice if the wood on my onsen bath didn’t have algae, but it wasn’t a big deal since it’s bound to happen due to the contact with constant moisture.

The view was so nice, it really felt like authentic Japanese culture. The private Onsen was great, but the highlight of the trip was the delicious food! The room was very large, we got two twin rooms with a mountain view for a group of 8 people and it was quite big, with each room having 2 twin beds and space for 2 very comfortable futons. The rooms were very cute and had amazing and peaceful views. Additionally, the inn provided Yukatas and sleeping robes (can call the front desk for bigger sizes if needed) which we really enjoyed. We could also use another 'public' Onsen (which was technically private for us) if needed. I also liked how the toilet in the room was equipped with a modern bidet (with a dryer feature)!

Onsens are HOT! Make sure you are not sensitive to heat. You can use the coldish water to cool it down but it takes quite a while. Additionally, make sure to close the window in the private Onsen before night comes because there are plenty of flying bugs that will come in - though they die from the heat after a while haha.

A+++ . Amazing Ryokan. The views from the communal entrance area and dining areas are stunning. Lovely traditional feel full of tatami mats. Food was stunning and delicious. We weren't expecting quite so much and so many courses!! If you have a tight schedule I'd recommend messaging them in advance to request specific times for breakfast/dinner, but be aware they only serve during a set window. If you are just planning on leaving at 10:00 and coming back around 17:00 everyday you'll be fine. It's a great place to have a relax from, but they also offer a shuttle bus to help you get to local train stations. The staff are a small but lovely team which gives you a personal feel. If you need anything they provide you with a phone to call the staff. Just leave a voicemail or try a few minutes later if there isn't anyone available immediately. We didn't feel the need to rent the private onsen as the semi open air bath in the room was wonderful.

Nothing!

This was our first stay at a traditional Japanese inn, and it exceeded all expectations. The private bath was absolutely perfect and the setting couldn't have been more serene. Both dinner and breakfast were excellent. My pescetarian diet was almost perfectly accommodated, and every dish was beautifully presented and delicious. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, and despite the language barrier, they were incredibly helpful and patient with us throughout our stay. The entire experience felt authentically Japanese while being completely comfortable for first-time visitors like ourselves.

There was no transportation provided when we arrived, and getting there was a bit of an adventure. Thankfully, we managed to get an Uber.

location and views were beautiful. food was delicious, both dinner and breakfast. Hakone is a difficult place to get around, taxi's are few and far between.

the place was beautiful but a little dated. the beds were a little soft. because our adult children slept on the tatami mats, which was the dining area, which was the main living area, the overall space we had for the 4 of us was tight. there were only 2 armchairs and an outside lounge to sit on for the 4 of us. one could sit at the dining table (on the tatami mats) but this was not comfortable. we found that the space for hanging for the 4 of us was really limited.

The ryokan was near a bus station, so it took us only 7 minutes to walk there. It was a bit of an uphill hike, but coming there, it looked very nice, and the staff greeted us. We were given refreshments, a towel, and checked in very quickly. After checking in, the staff guided us to our luxury room, showed us our private onsen, and let us know the yukata was available with socks. In the room, we got water and green tea as well. If there were any issues, the phone was there to call the front lobby. They were able to taxi us to the Kowakien bus station to go back to Odawara station. All the staff were helpful and kind. The dinner was luxurious, elegant, and delicious. I told the staff I had a fish allergy, and they were able to accommodate me by giving me more meat. My partner had a nice spread of fresh fish to dine on. It was about 8 courses since it was a kaiseki, and it was something I had never experienced before. I remember feeling so hungry, but by the end, so full and satisfied. The staff went over each portion and explained what was given for dinner and breakfast. The breakfast was filling, and I was able to get an omelette with bacon. My partner got more fish, which he enjoyed. The food itself felt like an experience and was worth it in the booking of Hakone Kyuan.

There were a lot of flies and a hornet in the main area coming in. The bath area has a lot of carpenter ants, so I would be careful since they do bite. Be aware of bugs outside the balcony.

Secluded Ryonkan in de mountains with lovely staff who went out of their way for us. It was a lovely 2 night stay after lots of sightseeing in Yokohama and Tokyo. At this slowpaced traditional Japanese B&B we could relax and unwind. Our private onsen overlooked the cherry blossoms (Sakura) and we feel so lucky to have had this experience. When we left early in the morning to make our train to Kyoto we missed our breakfast slot so the staff made a bento 🍱 box for us to take on the Shinkansen 🚄. Thank you for your kindness.

It’s remote, so think about how you want to get around before you book this place. They do offer a shuttle bus service to some stops. We made the decision to book a car once arriving in Odawara and this offered a lot of flexibility to explore gorgeous Hakone. If highend Japanese dining isn’t your thing, also don’t book this as this is part of the experience where the chef cooks an elaborate 8 course meal. We loved this and it was excellent food, but good to manage your expectations if you have fuzzy eaters in your family.

First and foremost, the staff were exceptionally kind, accommodating, and responsive to us. I've rarely had such a hotel experience where I felt the employees were as dedicated to exceeding our expectations as Hakone Kyuan. Kanda, Miki, and Sumi (I believe that was her name) were all exceptional hosts to us, guiding us through the multiple-course meals, promptly picking us up from the bus station, and making sure our room was exactly as we wanted. Most of the staff were able to speak some English in case we had questions, which is massively helpful when you're further from cities in Japan and there is less English signage. Secondly, the property and rooms were absolutely stunning. We ended up loving our stay so much that we rearranged our trip to stay another night here, but another guest had already booked our room from the first night, allowing us to effectively try two different rooms. Both rooms were comfortable, spacious, and beautiful, providing incredible views of the mountains nearby. Both rooms also had a balcony and a private onsen, which was the main selling point for us. Our first room had the onsen within the screened-in balcony, while the other was indoor. We ended up preferring the latter, as we went when it was colder and it took less time to heat up the bath inside. Finally, the dining experience. While there wasn't any sort of outdoor dining area, the indoor dining area was beautiful and provided scenic views of the mountains while we dined. The room is big enough to accommodate several groups of guests, and we were provided our own private area to dine each meal. Breakfast and dinner were included in the reservation, and both meals had multiple courses that changed each day. The meals are traditional Japanese, so seafood is a heavy focus for both breakfast and dinner. We didn't mind this, although I think other foreigners would.

It's honestly hard to find anything we did not like about our stay here. One thing I can think that may need some improvement was the directions for the TV and air conditioners. The buttons for these machines were written entirely in Japanese (obviously) and English directions for operating them were either missing or incorrect. It was a trivial issue that we saw in other places in Japan, and with just a bit of Google Translate it was a non-issue, but for the less tech-savvy, I could see this being a frustration.