Gorgeous stay at the foot of the famous Ikaho steps. The staff welcomed us with a delicious yuzu drink and let us drop our bags off early--when we arrived at 11 it was so quiet it looked closed, but they were just cleaning and soon attended to everything. There are two onsen areas in the hotel itself which switch which gender they welcome in the mornings. Both have three gorgeous pools, some with Ikaho's classic iron water, some in open-air, some with mountain views. The included kaiseki dinner and breakfast were both delightful and artful. (Our foodie friend from Tokyo saw our pictures of the meal and said, "wow you guys picked a good one!") The hotel had many beautiful spots to take a rest and look at the mountains--chairs set up in small corners with a view, or a spot in the garden out back for drinking tea. We booked a suite with a private onsen for a VERY reasonable price (the same as a normal room with no onsen in a place like Hakone), and kept finding new little included delights like the Japanese wagashi sweets on the table, the free tea and coffee, little woven bags to carry our belongings in to and from the onsen, an essential oils bath bomb, a set of sliding doors to turn our bath into an open-air sanctuary. The whole room smelled like cedar :) Ikaho itself is adorable and just enough to explore in one day, with a shrine, a public onsen, amazing udon, craft stores, and little places to play games in your onsen yukata. It was a dream.

We liked everything!

Room size was large, the futon and linen were of excellent quality. The private onsen was truly sensational. I really liked the fact that shoes were not worn in the hotel, keeping it clean! My white socks were still white after walking from my room to the dining room and back. The other thing I appreciated was the complimentary car service to take us from hotel to bus stop. We did not book anything but after a day of snow with the ground still wet, they insisted that they must drive us to the bus stop.

My only negative comment and I am trying to pick a bone in an egg here, was that the first day dinner and breakfast meals were eye poppingly deliciously and the second day ones were not as fantastic. But the meals were of a high standard nevertheless!

Oyado Tamaki is the perfect cozy getaway, with a welcoming atmosphere and staff who attend to every detail. From the warm greeting with yuzu tea to their helpfulness throughout our stay, the service was impeccable (5/5). Our “Kaede” room had a semi-open-air bath that was incredibly relaxing after a day of exploring. The ambiance is peaceful—especially in the lounge and courtyard—and the ryokan itself beautifully balances traditional Japanese hospitality with modern touches. There were some live Japanese beetles on display (in clearly marked glass jars) near the front desk and, even though the whole stay was great, that was a true unexpected treasure for me! We’ll definitely be returning for the exceptional hospitality and cozy vibe!

I have literally no bad things to say about this place, everything was great! To fill this space, I will give some tips to English-speaking travelers: The English support was exactly what we needed, and everything we needed to know was communicated to us. If you wanted to get more out of your stay here, I would suggest learning some Japanese, or at least be comfortable using translation apps. While there are a few staff members who speak English fluently, if you're looking for more in-depth conversations, you will have to either wait for them or do your best to make it work. I emailed special requests/accommodations ahead of time using translation apps, so I think that helped a bit as well.

The atmosphere is very quiet and peaceful. Located at the center of the onsen town center. They have separate female and male baths. They rotate the different baths once a day so that every customer can try both baths. I love the outdoor onsens overlooking the mountains. I really have to compliment on the breakfast and dinner prepared by the staff. We are almost always too full when we finish and the food is delicious and beautifully decorated and prepared. The service is unmatched. We never really need to carry our luggage and they have a shuttle service even though the walk to the front door is just less than 200 meters up the hill.

Really not much can be improved. Everything that you can think of has already been thought through by the owners.

Absolutely fantastic. This was a big splurge for us, and to be honest we were quite nervous about the cost. As soon as we arrived the service was amazing. The room is beautiful, the hot spring as well. The evening meal was the best we had in Japan, and the breakfast was delicious. The staff attentive and kind. Simply put, if you’re like us and treating yourself - don’t hesitate to book this place, it was one of the best experiences we had in the Japan.

We loved everything!

Rooms are traditional, yet modernized enough for comfort and coziness, the dinner menu was exceptional, and the Ikaho Ishidan-gai is 1 minute from the main entrance.

View from the room was good, but not exceptional. The original facility being old, there are many added annexes, which now somewhat inhibits the view from the outside private hot spring bath a bit, you can't see the entire mountain range without the annex bldg of Tamaki jumping into the middle of the scenery.

The kaiseki breakfast and dinner were amazing! They were able to accommodate my vegetarian diet!! All the meals were delicious and filling. The futons are super comfy to sleep on. They provided yukatas to sleep in as well, as to walk inside the ryokan and outside around town too if you choose. And the service was amazing!! One of our cousins unfortunately twisted her ankle while we were hiking in the area and they recommended a great local clinic to take her to, brought ice packs and bags and a shower chair for her to use as well. The in room massage that we booked was also great! Major props to our masseuse who got out alot of my knots. Prior to staying here, when I learned that my room was not considered a non-smoking room, I was super concerned as I have asthma and can't handle the smell of smoke. But they were able to air it out or do something as we didn't smell any smoke at all! I was super grateful and definitely relieved about this. One of the best ryokans I've stayed at and I would definitely stay here again if I'm in the area!! Very close to the iconic stone steps.

My prior communication with the hotel when I learned that my room was considered a smoking room - we had a lot of back and forth emails on this that made me super worried prior to coming. But all my concerns and fears were for nothing as they did a great job of somehow getting rid of the smell. It didn't smell like perfume/incense or anything to mask it either which is another relief! Perhaps they should consider changing this to a completely non-smoking ryokan. And/or have designated patio areas that allow smoking. But I'm not sure many people, especially ones with kids, like having any smoking rooms

Beautiful rooms and halls, I loved wearing the yukata and just looking around. Dinner and breakfast were elaborate and delicious, and everyone was so kinda and helpful. It's located right at the foot of the stone steps so very convenient and a nice view. Everyone was very patient with my mediocre Japanese (I think if you didn't know any it might be difficult)

One of their private hot spring baths feels sort of like it's in a storage hallway/alley—it's narrow, you can't see the sky, there is a tiny view into a forgotten sort of courtyard? It's otherwise very nice, but if like me you can't use the public hot springs (tattoos) it's a little less luxurious than you might hope hah.

The hospitality and services are excellent! During our visit, we were treated like members of a royal family. The most amazing experience that has ever happened to us. The food is so amazing and delicious and all staff are very friendly. Despite the fact that some staff are not fluent in English, they have an electronic translator that will facilitate communication. Our stay at your fantastic hotel was the most enjoyable. We are very appreciative that we were able to stay with you. I appreciate all that you have done! We’ll be back soon! :)

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The property is near public transportation, which is a big plus for a solo traveller without a car. I took a room with a private onsen, which was really enjoyable. The dinner and breakfast were all excellent. The staff were very nice and accommodating. I really felt warm-hearted when they tried to explain the dinner menu in english and did a handwritten english translation of the breakfast menu. They also offered to drop me off at the bus station and reminded me when to expect the bus. It was incredibly sweet. I do love the area as it was a good break from the city’s hustle and bustle. The Ikaho footsteps is about a 5-minute walk. It has a lot of shops so it is a good distraction while climbing the stairs.

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