I Looked Into Hotel Green Plaza Hakone

On this blog, I've been running a sort of series looking into not just campsites, but also hotels that could work for those days when you think "let's skip camping and do a hotel-cation instead." I've covered a few interesting places so far, but this time I decided to look into a larger, chain-style hotel.

This time I looked into Hotel Green Plaza Hakone, located in Sengokuhara, Hakone. It seems the same group also has properties in Karuizawa, Kamogawa, Hakuba, and elsewhere, positioning this one as the Hakone branch of what looks like a large hot spring resort chain. What got my indoor-loving heart a little excited was coming across information that it has an open-air bath with a view of Mount Fuji.

What Kind of Place Is Hotel Green Plaza Hakone?

This hotel is located in the Sengokuhara area of Hakone Town, in Kanagawa Prefecture, and is apparently one property within the "Hotel Green Plaza" group, which also has locations in Karuizawa, Kamogawa, Hakuba, Tojoko, Hamanako, and elsewhere. Sengokuhara is close to both the silver grass field and Owakudani, so this location might suit people who want to enjoy sightseeing and hot springs together.

Check-in generally starts at 3:00 PM and check-out is by 11:00 AM. Reservations can apparently be made through an external booking system linked from the official website, as well as by phone. Payment methods seem to cover a wide range, including credit cards and major QR code payment services, which felt like the kind of convenience you'd expect from a hotel of this size.

As for access, by car it apparently takes about 25 minutes via the Gotemba Interchange on the Tomei Expressway, or about 32 minutes via the Odawara-Atsugi Road. By train, you'd need to transfer to a ropeway from Odawara, and from the nearest station you'd need to walk or use the hotel's shuttle bus. I also saw a note mentioning that since there's only one shuttle bus in operation, you might have to wait, so if you're heading there by public transportation, it seems wise to allow some extra time. Since I don't really drive despite having a license, this is the kind of access detail I'd want to look into carefully.

Komorin

A route involving a ropeway transfer plus a shuttle bus might actually be a welcome option for someone like me who doesn't drive. That said, with only one shuttle bus running, it sounds like you'd need to be prepared to wait a bit during busy periods.

Guest Rooms with Mount Fuji Views and a Communal Bath Fed by a Private Hot Spring Source

There appear to be 10 room types in total, ranging from special rooms like Asian-style twin rooms with private open-air baths and Japanese-style suites with hinoki wood baths fed by the hotel's own hot spring source, to Fuji-view Japanese-Western rooms overlooking Mount Fuji, as well as relatively affordable Japanese-style and Western-style rooms. Free Wi-Fi and non-smoking policies in every room are points worth noting as an indoor type myself.

The communal bath apparently uses water from the hotel's own hot spring source, called Sengokuhara Onsen, which rises at an elevation of 860 meters, and is described as a mildly alkaline "beautifying skin" water rich in metasilicic acid. The open-air baths for both men and women are reportedly designed to offer views of Mount Fuji, and I came across information suggesting the view from the women's open-air bath in particular is quite good. It seems there are certain hours when day-trip bathing is available even for non-staying guests, which could be a nice option even if you're not booking an overnight stay. That said, I couldn't confirm details about private baths, pet policies, or parking on the official website, so those points remain unclear.

Buffet Restaurant, Spa, and Other Lively In-House Facilities

The restaurant, called Hana no Wa, apparently seats 240 people and serves a Japanese-Western buffet, with dinner offered as a premium buffet featuring a live kitchen, hand-pressed sushi, roast beef, and more. Breakfast is also apparently served buffet-style. There's also a cafe lounge and a gift shop, giving the impression that you could spend a full day without ever leaving the building.

There's also a women-only spa room and relaxation services available, so it seems like you could enjoy some time unwinding your body in addition to the hot springs. There's apparently also a garden designed by a British designer and a chapel that has won an architectural award, so it sounds like a place worth exploring on foot even if you're not staying overnight.

Nearby, sightseeing spots such as Owakudani, Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine, the Pola Museum of Art, and the Hakone Museum of Glass Art seem to be scattered within about a 15 to 25 minute drive. The silver grass field of Sengokuhara is also close by, so depending on the season, it seems like a great location for strolling around too.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this location using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, the overall rating came back as "C."

Perhaps because it's located in a mountainous area at a relatively high elevation, this result suggests it's worth checking signal conditions in advance. To put it plainly and without exaggeration, based on this result, it seems wise to allow some margin for connectivity stability on-site.

Komorin

A "C" rating was a bit disappointing for me too. Since free Wi-Fi is apparently available in every room, it seems best to plan on relying on that during your stay.

Wrapping Up

Summing it up again, my impression of Hotel Green Plaza Hakone is that it's a hotel-cation destination with hot springs fed by its own source and Mount Fuji views, plus rich in-house facilities like a buffet restaurant and spa. With such a wide variety of room types, it also seems like a good option ranging from anniversary trips to budget-friendly solo travel.

On the other hand, access seems to require a bit of planning whether you're driving or using public transportation, and it might be reassuring to factor in things like shuttle bus wait times. The Rakuten Mobile signal came back with a "C" rating, so if connectivity matters to you, it's probably a good idea to check the official tool in advance for peace of mind.

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Related Links

• Official Site