Nippon Travel Agency - accommodation in Hakone

Our family of four decided to splurge on a night at this highly rated hotel recommended to us by family members. The hotel staff was truly excellent - Mika the hotel manager was attentive to all of our concerns such as noise from other guests, and her team provided unexpected but highly appreciated gestures such as arranging a shuttle to another Hakone Kowakien property. The dinner buffet was truly fantastic - it lived up to the word of mouth and online positive reviews. Our Maisonette room was very comfortable and having a private massage machine made it an unforgettable stay. The private balcony onsen was nice although I question why wooden planks/ fences were used instead of glass as most of the mountain view was obstructed when inside the tub (blinds are already installed and can provide privacy if desired). If we had to nitpick, it would be that the indoor and outdoor onsen areas seemed to be in need of refurbishment from years of accumulated sulphur and mineral deposits. Also, the welcome footbath in the lobby was sadly under repair during our stay so we didn’t get to experience this part of the perks that was in most Tenyu marketing materials. Overall, it was a memorable 4.5 out of 5 star stay.

Hotel is convenient located across from Yunessen, so it’s served by many buses. The hotel was undergoing some significant renovations to its garden during our stay, and it sadly resulted in all of the curtains to be drawn in the restaurant for the meals. The breakfast and dinner buffet selection was somewhat basic and limited, coupled with the lack of any outside views, made the dining experience quite miserable considering the price that we paid for the room. The room itself was average - we expected toiletries such as body lotion to be provided at this class of hotel. There was free basic coffee in the lobby but the machine looked like it could do lattes and espressos - it just wasn’t turned on for guests. The outdoor onsen was very nice - I felt there was a missed opportunity for them to market it as an infinity onsen if they just removed those tall frosted glass. The garden was amazing though and the kids play area was very well done with sketching tablet feature. We had strangely minimal interactions with the staff - they helped with checking in but checkout was automated and luggage storage was also fully automated. Overall, it was a pleasant stay with the exception of the dining environment that was below expectation.

Really lovely hotel with beautiful onsen. Buffet style breakfast/dinner included is fantastic.