Overall Ratings & Reviews Hakone Gora KARAKU

We are still on our family 5 star trip through Japan. We just stayed at Gora Karaku. I chose this hotel because of the rave reviews it got on Expedia. Here are my comments. 1) The hotel is conveniently located just 300 ft from the main Gora railroad station. This is a PLUS! 2) when we checked in (early afternoon), we asked if we could book 4 massages. At first, the answer was they could accommodate just one. Note: our stay was for 2 nights They finally were able to accommodate 3 massages , after a lot of discussion and follow-up. 3) I thought we booked western style breakfast and dinner. They had us booked with Japanese style breakfast and dinner. We requested to have us moved to western style dinner. They were able to move us to western style breakfast, but only western style dinner on the 2nd night. 3 of us don’t eat raw fish. We were not able to eat a thing for dinner on night 1. The second night was teppanyaki style. It was good. We were not told that there was an upcharge for this. Upon checkout, the hotel charged us 11000x2=22000 yen (almost $200) for the one western style meal. When I questioned it, they claimed that I booked Japanese style dinners. That is not true.The difference in price for dinners through Expedia was not different. 4) The rooms were both nice, with private onsens. However the bathrooms are teeny tiny. If you want spacious bathrooms, this property is not for you. The breakfast was not edible. This hotel is NOT reccommended! Very disappointed!

Could not be happier with our stay. Definitely the highlight of our trip

Amazing property and experience. Dinner was wonderful too.

Excellent property. Loved the en suite onsen.

Dinner and breakfast were excellent

Serene and relaxing setting. Facilities were very clean and well maintained. Staff was super attentive and friendly.

Great time at this property would definitely go again

The Orix hotel is farther away from the main Hakone shopping area, however it's walking distance to/from the Gora station so it's easy to get to. The property is perfect for quiet get away and to enjoy a private onsen. Absolutely love the experience and staffs are all very friendly, helpful and polite.

Magnificent hotel and experience in the most beautiful and peaceful setting.

The property was nice and clean. The staff for the most part had great service. What I don't know is that there were no buffets or menus. You had to eat whatever they gave you. It was very difficult to eat there. Most of the food we didn't like. We paid a lot money and didn't eat. The Onsens were meh. Nothing special. The absolute worst thing that happened to us there was when we went to the private Insen there,there was two small smoothies in bottles that we were able to drink. Later when we asked for more, they said no. We weren't eating anything and at least wanted a smoothie but would not let us have more and we couldn't even buy more. They had a small lounge where you could drink alcohol for free but we couldn't get a bottled smoothie. That was ridiculous. No room service. No food we could request to eat. So disappointing and definitely not with the money.

The property is new and tastefully done in every way. Breakfast and dinner both wonderful. The in-room Onsen was great. The outdoor onsens are clean, large and wonderful.

Beautiful property and wonderful service and food.

If you want to treat yourself and stay in one of the best properties and locations in Gora (Hakone), book some time at KARAKU. The rooms, private and guest onsen, amenities, dining, staff, and overall experience was a highlight of our trip. This is a truly special ryokan, and caters perfectly to visitors from all over the globe.

Great service and high end

We spent one night at this lovely property. I was hesitant given the cost, but it was totally worth it and I highly recommend it. The online images don't do it justice. We loved the room, the food and the staff. The place was very quiet and we could not hear guests in the adjoining rooms. We opted for the traditional kaiseki dinner and Japanese breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed both (the dinner was the best we had in Japan). We also opted for the private onsen on our balcony, which was magnificent. The public onsen was also really nice. If we are lucky enough to get back to Japan, I would spend a minimum of 2 nights here to allow for full-time for relaxation. Don't hesitate! Make a reservation at this awesome place and you will not be disappointed!

This hotel was a highlight for us. Our family loved the hot springs tubs, the japanese style clothing they provide for us to wear, and the traditional kaiseki dinner. The hotel was beautiful and the staff was very lovely (so kind and helpful). Would highly recommend. Lots of stuff to do nearby including hiking, skywalk, cable car, and lake cruise. This was a beautiful stop for us between Tokyo and Kyoto.

Best of hotels I have ever stayed. Attention to details is on the next level!

This hotel is top-notch in every way. The rooms were spacious and luxurious. The decorating was tasteful and demure. They treat every guest with great respect. They have an absolutely lovely customer lounge area which provides snacks and drinks as well as wine & beer for their guests. It is a four minute walk to the train and an eight minute walk to the bus. The skin care and toiletries that they have for your use are very high-quality. Because this is a Japanese Rioken they provided three or four sets of clothing that you could wear in the hotel during your stay. Oh yes, they had bath slippers slippers for around the hotel room, and slippers to wear on the patio. Truly, they have thought of everything to make your stay so incredibly comfortable and enjoyable. I would write them a 10 if I could. I wish we had more time to stay there longer it was so lovely and relaxing.

This resort hotel is truly excellent, though the meals included in the room package could be more varied.

This is a top level property! Luxury from check in process to check out. The restaurant and the lounge areas offerings are stellar.