Beautiful stay with exceptional hospitality, but dinner quality varied night to night
Hakone Airu was a very memorable stay, and what stood out most was the hospitality. The staff were genuinely kind, attentive, and welcoming throughout our time there. Everyone made us feel taken care of, and I especially wanted to recognize staff members whose names I may be spelling phonetically in English, including Pneun-Mo, Me-uh/Mew at the front desk, Main, and Sung Say. They were all fantastic. All of them I believe are from myanmar (Burma) and are wonderful. We wish them the best, as they truly were extremely accommodating in our requests, like leaving early to make our Shinkansen.
The property itself felt peaceful and special, and the overall experience was very relaxing. Breakfast was delicate, thoughtful, and very well done. For travelers from a Western background, some of the Japanese breakfast items may feel unique at first, but it was wholesome, balanced, and a great experience.
Dinner, however, was a bit inconsistent between the two nights. Our dinner on 03/31 was fantastic and noticeably better than the first night (03/30), attached menus. The ingredients felt fresher, and the overall quality was much higher. The clam soup was wonderful, the octopus appetizer was excellent, the onions in the soup were surprisingly delicious, the shrimp tempura was outstanding, and the wagyu was fantastic. Dessert was also a perfect finish, especially the sakura element, which felt light and