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.

Stunning! The garden was next level! I love it the waterfalls etc was great! food was great! staff was friendly. Many food options outside of the ryokan, but pay attention to the opening hours! Public onsen was great! only i have no idea how to walk to the open air one. So i could not fully enjoy that part. I went but had lots of rain but thats fine!

Private bath was a little old, need to renovate it.. the wood and planks was little modly. There is also some moldy smell. Was a little disapointed at the bath, was looking forward to it. If they can renovate it with out materials it would be great!

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 during a rainy spell, and honestly, the weather only made the experience more magical. The hotel’s garden is absolutely stunning—tranquil, beautifully designed, and truly one of the highlights of our visit. Even just walking through it in the rain felt like stepping into a Studio Ghibli scene. It was also our first time trying an onsen, which was a bit intimidating as a foreigner. I was nervous about making a faux pas. I’d really recommend the hotel staff consider asking international guests about their onsen experience and maybe include a short etiquette guide or explanation in the welcome brochure. That small addition would make a big difference! A lovely touch was the Japanese-style clothing set provided by the hotel; it was so comfortable and made the whole experience feel extra special. We booked with dinner and breakfast included, and it was so worth it. The food was absolutely delicious, beautifully presented, and the dining setting was lovely. The location was also super convenient: there’s a bus stop right across the street, which made it really easy to explore the area.

A few cons: while our room was beautifully decorated and very comfortable, the common areas felt a little worn and could use some freshening up. Also, I was a bit disappointed to find that the onsen was closed after breakfast until the late afternoon - something to be aware of when planning your day.

The most "elite" experience I ever had, better than all the 5 star hotels I've been to. Perhaps because I'm a japanophile, idk. I regretted that I didn't book a room with food included, because it seems that it's really great, and we couldn't get it once we arrived because all the timeslots were booked. Instead we ate A5 wagyu steaks in the hotel steak house that were cooked in front of us and served with some traditional dishes, all of that for just about $130 per person. The coolest feature is that a "great view" is not an optional thing you have to pay for. There is a great view from literally every window – either on the green mountains or the beautifully built garden. These great views are not only in rooms, but also in reception, lounges, and hallways. Coupled with the fact that you receive a yukata you can wear everywhere, including the cozy town nearby, it gives a really authentic experience. The hotel is basically on the border of that town, and if you go further it's just mountains and forest. Since all the windows show either that forest or the internal garden, it feels like you are in some distant mountain/forest resort, while it's actually really easy to get to (like 5 minutes from the station) and you can go experience some civilization and a freaking star wars / evangelion merch shop in like 10 meters.

Literally nothing

Hotel lobby and gardens were beautiful. The room was great in size, layout and interior decor. Our room had a private onsen which was very clean and comfortable. The bathroom amenities came from Three, a mid-high end local Japanese brand. Staff were polite and friendly. The guest lounge with free drinks was nice.

There were a number of stairs without elevator options. The food, meant to be in Kaiseki style, was quite disappointing. Dinner was decent - some courses were great but the main beef dish and dessert fell short for me. My beef had some tough dried out edges that could not be chewed. Breakfast was so bad we ate bare minimum. Most of the items were too salty - it wasn't just us, we heard from other tables of the same issue. We had 2 beds and both were made up but one of them didn't have a mattress sheet - just the pillows and a blanket. I've stayed at other ryokans in Hakone before and the experience at Yoshiike did not match up.