I travelled through Japan for four weeks and, out of all the hotels I stayed at, Hotel the Yama stands out as one of the most memorable. Unfortunately I was only there for one night, but I feel that I was able to enjoy each hour I spent there to the full. First of all, the building, which is full of character, is located right by Lake Ashi. As well as sitting on an extraordinarily large and well kept garden, which is open to the guests, the hotel features a panoramic room on the top floor with an unencumbered view of Fuji San in the distance - breathtaking in the warm glow of the early morning. My bedroom was beautiful. Large - very large. I was touched by the attention and care that was put into every detail. The loungewear was gorgeous, and there was a dainty selection of tea and biscuits that looked like a present. The room had a full view over the lake and I could also see Mount Fuji. Even at night, under a moonlit sky, I could enjoy the scenery: the fast moving mist raising from the hills and the nightlife of the creatures jumping out and in the water, each distant sound vivid and soothing in the serene surroundings. Watching the sunrise from there is a joy I won't forget. The hotel's onsen is fantastic, I especially enjoyed the outdoor one, and there's a drinking water fountain in the changing room where the water is actually delicious. The staff was warm and welcoming from the moment I arrived to the moment I left and I can say with confidence that the Japanese breakfast I ate at Hotel de Yama was the best and most memorable I had in Japan. My only regret is that I had to leave so soon.

This is a little old school in a nice way, the building has quite a bit of history, but is fantastic, an amazing place to stay for two or 3 nights right on the lake. The service was exceptionally good and the room size represented the largest we stayed in for a 2 week trip to Japan. There are 2 restaurants a French one and a Japanese one. We ate at the French one which was exceptionally good with fantastic service. Check out time is also 12 noon, which can be useful.

This is not the fault of the hotel, but just be aware that you need to get either a busy local bus from Odwara or an expensive cab. Once you reach the port the hotel has a very efficient pick up service.

Onsen was beautiful and clean. Went during March and pretty much had it to myself 2 of the 3 times I went. Breakfast was good. Japanese breakfast had some interesting things I never tried. I loved the free coffee in the lounge every morning since I can't start my day without it. It tasted quite good/strong and not the typical watered down hotel coffee. The staff was excecptional and the shuttle service was alway on time.

Since the shuttles only run 9am-5pm, it is a little tricker to get around if you are leaving outside of these hours. Hakone Free Pass made travel around the area and to/from the hotel easier tho.

The 2 restaurants serve delicious food - we stayed here on a half board basis, having our evening meal twice in the French Restaurant and once in the Japanese restaurant. We had to select which restaurant and at what time we would like to eat at the time of booking. We asked for 7pm the first night but were allocated 645pm - so I think this may be the last sitting (certainly last orders for those dining a la carte were 730pm). As we had booked dinner bed and breakfast we were given a set menu ( different each night). I have a food allergy and was disconcerted twice when waiters in each restaurant went through a description of our typed out menu with us - in one case pointing out an extra we could opt for - without referring to the mushrooms looming large on said menus! This was despite my having contacted the hotel in advance (and my Japanese friends having done so as well) and my reminding the people seating us each evening about my allergy! Each time, when the waiter checked with the kitchen, all was ok - but I will never know if this would have been the case if I had not raised this yet again. The food was delicious - but I had that stressed feeling of "will I be ill later"... The rooms were comfortable with fridge, 2 chairs, table, as well as double bed. Our room on the 2nd floor (same level as the entrance and reception) also had a balcony. The onsens are on 2nd ( for men) and 3rd ( for women) floors and each have indoor and outdoor areas. There is a laundry room with 2 washing machines for guests to use. There is a hotel minibus until 510pm to and from MotoHakone Port ( by request after 510pm) where the pirate boats go from across Lake Ashi. On a clear day one can see Mount Fuji from the hotel - on our last morning we glimpsed it from the hotel's observatory on the top floor! The other days the clouds were too low, and the weather too wet, to see anything!

It was a lovely hotel with lots of staff - a really beautiful place - but what it lacked was any sense of getting a connection with staff over the 3 days we were there, simply due to its size. The Yamaha Disklavier self playing grand piano had wonderful tone – the keys of the piano moved and the strings of the piano were hit automatically – but it would have been even nicer to have occasionally had a real pianist as well.

Superb location. Very formal staff which was as expected and marketed. Food presentation excellent. Hotel shuttle picked me up from the port even after usual business hours after a call with reception. Excellent communication before my arrival in regards to restaurant choices, shuttle and luggage transport. Has a very Old Classy Hotel vibe and since it was not crowded at the time of my stay, it felt mildly surreal and very elegant. Garden is fantastic and good weather can mean view of Fuji (but not from every room). Thank you for your hospitality!

Indeed the hotel rooms and hallways can be described as dusty, most of all due to the age of it (not due to lack of care from staff I believe). I expected this so I was not bothered, but to be taken into account.

Stone's throw away from Odori Park. There are two Konbinis nearby. The rooms are quite spacious and the Staff is very kind. The best thing for me was that the A/C was built into the windowsill, ensuring that no air gets blown into my face at night.

Parking is not free. It costs 2'000 Yen per Day. The hotel is quite old, but atleast clean and no weird smell. Not the cheapest Hotel either. I visited Sapporo in Mid-April, which is not really the best time to visit Sapporo. Would've expected it to be a tad cheaper. Need to walk around 8 Minutes to get to Odori Station. From there, I need to transfer to Sapporo Station or Shin-Sapporo Station to get to the airport.

Location is just perfect and facing Lake Ashi. The landscape is beautiful. Staff are helpful. Room is big which is good for two people. Nice view of Lake. WiFi works good. The onsen is not big but it’s good. The property is a heritage building and everything is clean and nice. Wanted to dine in the French restaurant but it was full😢 Will try next trip. It was raining in the day we left and snowed the night before. My car was covered with snow and I was removing the snow, a staff came to me and gave me a wipe for doing my job. Thanks for his coming and saved me some energy ☺️

Overall none.

Very nice indoor and outdoor onsen, but unfortunately some of the guests were quite loud and not respectful of onsen etiquette. The room was a bit dated, as others have mentioned, but it was comfortable. We particularly enjoyed the garden and the view of Mount Fuji from the hotel and we had a wonderful dinner at the French restaurant featuring local and seasonal produce with lovely French and Japanese wine pairings - a bit pricy but high quality. Staff at the hotel were warm and welcoming, with the exception of the bar, which unfortunately did not allow for drinks to be enjoined on the patio with a view to Fuji and generally did not feel very welcoming or cozy- this is a missed opportunity. Also, especially after the lovely dinner, breakfast seemed sad and was lacking in options and quality - we had the French breakfast so I can’t speak to the Japanese breakfast. I would be remiss not to mention the amazing spa staff and nurturing treatments we had there- the most expensive of our trip- but worth the splurge. If you do stay here I would recommend doing it correctly and enjoying the spa and French restaurant during your stay.

Dated rooms, inability to enjoy drinks with a view of Mount Fuji on the patio

Beautiful scenic location in a 1900s Swiss chalet style accommodation. Free shuttle to Motohakone every 20mins is brilliant.

The rooms are small and beds are very uncomfortable by western standards. There are about 100 channels on TV, not 1 in English. In a beautiful location like this, it generally wouldn't be an issue other than it rained for two days and the bars/restaurants are all closed by 21:00 so it leaves few options. There are two restaurants, one Japanese and one French. The French restaurant is superb, they are not cheap, so purchasing the half board option including dinner is recommended. Your alternative is going into Motohakone and eating dinner in town. Beware the last shuttle to the hotel is 17:10 so you will need to either walk back to the hotel or find a non-existent taxi.

We loved the Odakyu Hotel de Yama – it had so much charisma with great quality wooden furniture adorning each floor. The hotel is surrounded by lush green gardens and overlooking the majestic Lake Ashinoko. The hotel ambience was calm and relaxing, the reception staff very polite and helpful. The hotel had a free daily shuttle bus taking guests back and forth into town. Our room was lovely, very large and spacious as was the bathroom. Guests could select breakfast at their two restaurants, one servicing western breakfast the other Japanese. I tried the western set breakfast served by waiters – fruit juices, coffee/tea top ups, choice of egg dish, fresh warm croissants & toast with real jam in jars! I loved it. My daughter tried the Japanese set menu which was a wonderful experience for her and she loved it.

There was nothing we didn't like. We both loved everything about this hotel:)