I'm not a garden person. I see most gardens and I'm like, "Oh cool. Flowers." So please understand the gravity of the situation when I tell you that this hotel's extensive, beautifully curated, lovingly maintained garden is like something out of a storybook. This is not a garden to look at or have a coffee in. This is a garden to get lost in, to put on a medieval gown and pretend to be the Lady of the Lake in. It is an entire living ecosystem. The river running through it has crabs! Crabs!! My boyfriend and I spent nearly a whole day just taking pictures - of the garden, of ourselves in the garden, and of all the interesting creatures that live there. The public baths were also gorgeous (really just walled-off sections of that amazing garden) and very clean. They offer a bunch of skincare and bodycare products that you can use after getting out of the baths. They also give free skincare and sheet masks in the room, which was great! We had a "Hollywood room" with a private onsen and beds instead of futons. The beds were comfy and the private onsen was lovely. I would 100% stay here again.

The rooms weren't very sound-proof. The staff was kinda weird... They were helpful and always greeted us with a smile, but it kinda seemed like they were stressed and/or pained every time we asked them for something.

Staying here is a core memory of our trip to Japan. The hotel was breathtakingly beautiful, the surroundings were otherwordly and somehow it also was easy to access via train. Everything was 10/10, the staff was welcoming and truly nice. The room was spacious and the decor curated which is something I'm very picky about. We had a private onsen and was incredible. Our room faced the forest and I will never forget waking up to that misty mountains. The garden is a work of art as well. Lastly, the area is the perfect mix of tranquil rural Japan and a wide range of cultural activities. Cannot recommend enough.

Employees are very very nice and always willing to help. The location is like a fairy tale, and well communicated from Hakone Train Station (10mins walk). Beautiful, incredible garden. Perfect for relaxing. If you have time go to Hakone lake in the morning to get amazing views of Mount Fuji.

My wife and I could have an opportunity to feel Japanese culture. The garden was typical Japanese style and such a beautiful and cozy. What a delicious food. Of course, we enjoyed SPA. We are planning to be back there with my friends' couple in this Oct

We wished to have an outdoor spa pool for couples.

We loved our stay - the reason we picked this Ryoken was because of the gardens and they didn’t disappoint, they were stunning (even in the rain!) We are glad we included the dinner but it is very traditional and a large set menu (you can’t pick or choose) so be wary if you are a fussy eater. The massage I had was amazing and the onsen facilities were great, especially the outside ones. Would recommend pre booking a massage as I did on the day and got the last slot. We used the private onsen which probably could do with a bit of an update but was a good way to ease ourselves in as we had never used one before. Breakfast the next day is very similar to dinner and although we enjoyed it and it was all cooked well, it wasn’t what we are used to having for breakfast. As others have said it was like eating dinner again the next morning but a special experience and a difference in cultures rather than it not being good. Very friendly staff. It’s also ok to walk about in the kimono they give (including for dinner!) which we were a bit unsure about at first but soon realised it was fine to do.

Dinner was very good. I made dinner and breakfast reservations. They were all excellent. The town was very pretty and lots of small shops to visit. Very nice! It was a short trip but we all had a great time. Thank you!!

Onsen, I booked a private family bath. The clock inside bath and outside next to the counter were different. The ladies at the bath counter were not happy with us when we came out on time. There was no way to explain to them because they didn’t speak English. I wish they take little more time to explain about all new experiences to have there at onsen and hotel wise.

We stayed here early March for a few nights and just wanted to say a huge thanks to the reception team especially Kozue. We initially booked a traditional room but my partner was quite sensitive to the normal tatami smell. We raised our concerns with the team and they had arrange for a western style room instead but it ended up being the best upgrade we could get and an amazing way to spend our anniversary. By far one of the best accomodations we’ve stayed at yet with a beautiful garden and onsens! They have an incredible public open air one, and also a bookable private onsen (however I highly recommend booking the western style rooms with onsen) Would definitely love to return again

Nothing

Stunning gardens and lovely public onsen. Rooms were very spacious, clean and had a great view of the gardens.

We paid extra for the private onsen which was disappointing as it was very small and smelly. The public onsen was much better and free if you stayed at the hotel.

Amazing facility surrounded by beautiful garden and with private natural hot springs. The onsen are divided by gender and can be both indoor and outdoor. Very helpful staff and great food, both in their own restaurant and the steakhouse next door. Our room was very neat with real local fornitures and breathtaking garden view. Our days there did feel like a different experience, which I would totally recommend to anyone wanting to bring home a piece of Japan.

The price of all the satellite services is expensive. For example: the steakhouse next door is good quality but super pricey, if you want late check-out you must pay 30-35 € for each extra hour. Also, I personally did not like the breakfast, as it did feel to me like they were serving a continuation of previos day’s dinner. When you eat in their restaurant, the menu is fixed and you cannot choose anything.

Dinner night one was delicious! Cooked to perfection by one of the staff chefs right in front of us. The public Onsen was quite beautiful as well. Room was perfectly suited, large size, with a personal Onsen right on our rooms outside deck! I left my cell phone on the Shinkensen (bullet train) from Hiroshima to Hakone. Mr. Akita worked a MIRACLE and I was able to retrieve my apple iPhone 3 days later! THANK YOU MR. AKITA (If you've ever experienced Japans train system, you'll know that it's used by THOUSANDS of people every day, and to have a citizen turn in my left behind cell phone, you understand just how beautiful Japan's society and it's people truly are).

I cannot recall any negatives. Front desk was quick to answer any questions and very helpful when needed. (see helped retrieve my lost cell phone from the JR Shinkensen bullet train)