Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

We should have stayed one more day

An Oasis just 80 kms from Tokyo! The hotel scenery envelopes you in lush trees, waterfalls, and rocks. What a delight! The two different Onsen are equally spectacular, but my favorite was the one with the waterfall. Yes, it is on the pricier end, but if you can make it work in your budget, I HIGHLY recommend this hotel. Staff are all friendly and helpful and the rooms are spacious. We had 3 people, so one of us had to “rough it”on a futon. So, three western beds would have been my first preference! Small detail however, as we had a magnificent time.

Highly recommend staying here if it’s within your budget! If you have the Hakone Freepass, then head to Gora and the hotel has a very convenient shuttle bus stop there that runs every 20 min. Upon arriving staff greeted us, took our luggage, and coordinated check in. After check in, staff immediately escorted us to the room with our stuff while telling us highlights of the property, such as where the onsens were and where breakfast was. The room itself was great. It’s nice and clean. They have yukatas in the room but you need to request for kids size. Obviously the best part is having your own personal tub on the balcony with hot spring water and cold water to adjust to your personal comfort. Shower pressure was good and they provide body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and 2 kinds of lotions. The beds were very comfy with plush pillows and a fluffy comforter. We personally prefer to sleep in a cold room and had control over the thermostat. Food wise we did the package with both dinner and breakfast buffet. Dinner buffet came with all you can drink with select beer, sake, sochu up

I would have stayed 3 more days! Amazing experience! The food was great! The room and amenities were incredible! A few cons are: I had problems was the shuttle from Gora station. I couldn’t find where to get it so I just took a taxi. Another thing is that you will need your physical credit card. Also and this is common in Japan there is only CNN in english but you can connect your Netflix account.