I Looked Into Hakone Hotel

On this blog, I've been gradually looking into not just campsites, but also lodgings that could work for those "let's skip camping and do a hotel vacation instead" kind of days.

This time, the place that caught my attention was Hakone Hotel, which apparently stands on the shore of Lake Ashi. The official website is full of photos with that relaxing, "gaze at the lake and unwind" kind of atmosphere, and as an indoor type, I couldn't help but be drawn to this kind of "no need to move around" lodging.

A Long-Established Hotel Overlooking Lake Ashi

Hakone Hotel is located in Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, and based on what I could see on the official website, it appears to stand right by Lake Ashi. Check-in is apparently at 3:00 PM, and check-out at 11:00 AM.

As for room rates, the official website doesn't list them in a straightforward price table; instead, availability searches are done through an external booking system. For reference, I checked prices listed by a few different OTAs, and they vary quite a bit depending on the season and plan—from around the high 20,000s to the 40,000-yen range per night, based on what I found. Since prices seem to fluctuate a lot by season, it's probably safest to check the latest availability directly through the official booking system or an OTA when actually considering a stay. Reservations can apparently be made either through the official website or by phone.

In terms of access, it's about a 50-minute bus ride from Odawara Station, or roughly 35 minutes by bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station. For guests who book through the official website, there's also a paid taxi transfer option from Odawara Station or Hakone-Yumoto Station, which looks like a helpful choice for someone like me who doesn't drive. There's also free parking on-site, with space for 42 cars.

Komorin

As someone who barely drives despite having a license, just knowing there's a transfer option from the station felt pretty reassuring. Being able to get there by bus is also a nice safety net.

Two Types of Hot Springs and Ways to Relax Inside the Hotel

There are two baths, called Ashinoko-no-yu and Taikan-no-yu, which switch between men's and women's use, and both apparently draw from Moto-Hakone hot spring's simple sulfur spring water.

• Ashinoko-no-yu (4th floor): This has an indoor bath and a semi-open-air bath, and from the semi-open-air bath you can apparently see Lake Ashi, the outer rim mountains of Hakone, and even Mount Fuji on a clear day. It's for women's use from 2:00 PM to midnight, and men's use from 6:00 AM to 10:30 AM.
• Taikan-no-yu (3rd floor): This appears to have an indoor bath with a jacuzzi, plus an open-air bath with a continuous flow of fresh spring water. The open-air bath has a round opening in the ceiling, apparently designed so you can gaze up at the blue sky or the stars while soaking. It's for men's use from 2:00 PM to midnight, and women's use from 6:00 AM to 10:30 AM.

Bath towels apparently need to be brought from your room, since none are provided in the bathing areas, so that's worth keeping in mind. As for day-use bathing, the hotel does seem to offer a day-use booking link overall, but I couldn't confirm from the official website which bath it applies to or how much it costs. If you're interested, it might be safest to ask when making a reservation.

There's also a lounge space exclusively for guests inside the hotel, and it seems there are time slots during which you can freely enjoy soft drinks like coffee, tea, and matcha lattes throughout your stay. A mini library is apparently attached as well, and as an indoor type, I felt like just having a space like this would raise my overall satisfaction with the stay. There also seem to be plenty of other options for relaxing without moving much, like a wine dispenser you use with dedicated coins, a fully reservation-based spa room, and shiatsu massage that comes to your room.

All 48 rooms are apparently non-smoking with lake views, and there seem to be about eight room types, including moderate twins, superior twins, lake-view doubles with king-size beds, junior suites with balconies, and Japanese-style rooms. There's a note saying Wi-Fi is free in all rooms, but I couldn't find detailed specs or information about coverage in common areas on the official website.

Dining, the Private Pier, and Things to Enjoy Nearby

On the dining side, there seem to be multiple food and drink spaces, starting with a main French restaurant that offers views of Lake Ashi and Mount Fuji, plus a teppanyaki restaurant, a lake-view lounge, and a dining and bar area. Breakfast is apparently buffet-style starting at 7:30 AM, and dinner mostly requires advance reservations. Specific pricing wasn't published, so it's probably best to confirm that when booking as well. Room service also appears to be available from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

The hotel also has a private pier, and kayaks and motorboats are apparently operated by an affiliated outside organization. There's also a hammock you can use until sunset, so this seems like a great place for spacing out while gazing at the lake.

Nearby, about a 4-minute walk away, there's the Hakone Ekiden Museum, a Hakone Sightseeing Cruise pier, and the Hakone Checkpoint, and if you drive a bit further you can also reach Hakone Shrine, Hakone-en, and the Komagatake Ropeway. For art museum lovers, places like the Narukawa Art Museum, Okada Museum of Art, and Pola Museum of Art also seem to be scattered around the area.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I use Rakuten Mobile, so whenever I look into a place to stay, I always check the signal conditions too. When I entered this facility's location into the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, the overall rating came back as a "C."

The actual experience might vary depending on where you are in the building and the time of day, but it still seems like useful information to know ahead of time. It's probably a good idea not to rely too heavily on having a connection during your stay—if you're expecting an important call or message, try looking for a spot with better reception, like the lobby, or have a backup plan ready just in case.

Komorin

A "C" rating is a bit of a concern, but maybe times like this are exactly when relaxing with soft drinks in the lounge and the mini library is the right call.

Wrapping Up

To sum it up, Hakone Hotel left me with the impression of a place with 48 lake-view rooms and plenty of thoughtful touches for relaxing inside the hotel, like the two hot springs and the lounge. Between the semi-open-air bath that makes use of the lakeside location and the open-air bath with the open ceiling, there seems to be a lot to enjoy just from the baths alone. Even as someone who doesn't drive, I found it reassuring that there's a transfer option from the station and that it seems accessible by bus.

That said, the Rakuten Mobile signal check came back with a "C" rating, so if you're planning to rely on a connection to some extent, it's probably reassuring to check the official tool beforehand. If this is a concern for you, go ahead and check the conditions for your own destination using the official Rakuten Mobile tool.

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Related Links

• Official Site