I Looked Into Madoka no Mori

On this blog, I sometimes go off on a tangent and look into facilities that aren't just campsites, but places you could use on a day when you think, "Let's skip camping and do a hotel-cation instead." This time, I'm putting together another one of those detour posts.

This time, I looked into Madoka no Mori in Hakone's Gora Onsen area. I came across some information saying every single room has its own open-air bath fed by natural hot spring water, and as someone who's more of an indoor type, that really caught my attention, so I dug into the details.

A Luxurious Setup: All 20 Rooms Come with Open-Air Baths Fed by Natural Hot Spring Water

Madoka no Mori is apparently a hot spring inn located in the Gora Onsen area of Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its biggest feature seems to be that every single room type—Suite, Deluxe, and Standard—across all 20 rooms comes equipped with its own private open-air bath, and on top of that, it's fed directly by natural hot spring water. The interiors reportedly use wood sourced from Hida, so it seems like the time you spend in your room could well become the main point of the stay itself.

Apparently, the inn draws on two of its own hot spring sources, using them for different purposes. The source used for the in-room open-air baths comes out at a fairly high temperature of 91.1°C and is diluted with water to adjust it. The water is said to be colorless, transparent, odorless, and tasteless, so it seems like more of a quiet, slow-soak type of spring rather than the kind that hits you with an obvious "this is definitely a hot spring" sensation.

The size of the room and the open-air bath both seem to vary depending on the room grade. Suite rooms apparently run in the 60–70 square meter range with an open-air bath of about 12–19 square meters. Meanwhile, even the Standard rooms, at around 30-something square meters, come with an open-air bath of roughly 10–17 square meters, so it seems like the experience of having your own open-air bath in the room is something you can enjoy regardless of which grade you choose.

Komorin

Since I'm not really the driving type, having a bath right in the room means I don't have to worry about the hassle of walking all the way to the communal bath—that's a point I really appreciated.

Plenty to Enjoy Beyond the Room Too: Communal Baths, Rock-Bed Saunas, and a Range of Dining Styles

Beyond the in-room open-air baths, the inn apparently offers six communal bathing areas in total—one indoor bath and three open-air baths each for men and women. The location seems to be surrounded by forest with views of Hakone's outer mountain range, and the baths reportedly operate on an alternating schedule between the men's and women's sides. The official site apparently states clearly that guests with tattoos are welcome to use the communal baths, which should be reassuring for anyone who's concerned about that.

There are also apparently two rock-bed sauna rooms available, each set to a different temperature, so you can choose. Reservations seem to be required, and the rate is reportedly around 1,800 yen for 45 minutes.

For dining, it looks like you can choose from three styles: a hydrogen-cooking course at the counter-style kappo restaurant, in-room dining, or a private dining room. In-room dining apparently only applies to certain rooms, so if that's important to you, it's probably worth checking when choosing your plan. I also came across information suggesting that room rates vary quite a bit depending on the plan, so it seems safest to double-check that at the time of booking.

A Few Things That Caught My Attention Around Access and Booking

There's apparently a shuttle service from Gora Station and Sounzan Station, but from what I could find, it wasn't entirely clear whether advance reservation is required or whether same-day contact would also work. As for driving there, I couldn't find specific information about which interchange to use or how long the drive takes, so if you're planning to drive, it's probably a good idea to map out your route beforehand. There's a free parking lot in front of the property, but it doesn't seem to have a huge number of spaces, so it might be worth calling ahead about that as well.

Payment is apparently credit card only, with no option to pay in cash on-site. It's also reportedly stated clearly that checkout cannot be extended under any circumstances, so it seems wise not to plan too leisurely a morning and instead build in some buffer time before checkout.

Komorin

The somewhat vague rules around booking the shuttle were a small but real concern for me, since I'm the train-riding type. If I ever get the chance to go, I'd definitely want to call ahead and confirm the details.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this facility's location using the official My Area Connectivity Simulation tool, the overall rating came back as "C." Given that the location is surrounded by forest, it seems like a good idea to check the signal situation ahead of time.

That said, a C rating is just the result from the official simulation tool, so the actual experience during your stay might differ somewhat. Still, checking the connectivity situation in advance seems like a worthwhile part of trip prep either way.

Komorin

Hearing "C rating" makes me brace myself a little, but apparently the in-house Wi-Fi is free in all rooms and the lobby, so if I plan to rely on that instead, it doesn't seem like something to worry about too much.

Wrapping Up

To sum it all up, Madoka no Mori struck me as a luxury inn where all 20 rooms come with their own open-air bath fed by natural hot spring water, letting you fully savor your own quiet hot spring time right in your room. With communal baths, rock-bed saunas, and multiple dining styles on offer, there also seems to be plenty of ways to spend your time within the property, making it feel like a place where even an indoor type like me could enjoy a quiet, satisfying stay.

That said, the official simulation gave Rakuten Mobile signal a C rating, so if connectivity matters a lot to you, it's probably reassuring to check with the official tool ahead of time. There were also a few things—like room rates and the shuttle reservation rules—that weren't entirely clear from the official site alone, so if you're seriously considering booking, reaching out directly seems like the safest way to confirm the details.

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Related Links

• Official Site