Hakone Kowakien

This is a family-friendly hotel with a strong focus on kids, so there are lots of children around, especially at lunch, which can be overwhelming. The hotel is very nice; the pool and gardens are also attractive. However, if you're visiting without small children, it might not be the best choice.

we were happy with everything in the hotel. Nothing to complain about. We were there to enjoy private Onsen and it was very nice. There is some Sulphur smell in the corridors but I guess, that is expected when you are near a hot spring.

I am allergic to seafood, we talked to the staff and the chef and no one helped me or cared about it. They just didn’t take any responsibility, it was horrible, they should change.

Water park and SPA are across the road. But everything was great.

The place is amazing great breakfast and dinner and the amenities and activities are great

There were great instructions in English for the bath. There is a very handy shuttle bus to Gora that is a helpful additional alternative to bus. This place is only about two years old so everything is very clean and fresh.

good

Relaxing stay, enjoyed the private onsen.

We enjoyed the Onsen and all the amenities

Stunning accommodation.

Nice onsen and the beds were comfortable. The buffet was great.

A nice getaway into the mountains of Hakone. The private onsens were really nice and relaxing (about $15 USD for an hour), easy to book too. The massage services were wonderful as well. My wife and I got breakfast and dinner included in our stay as well which had a pretty good variety and quality to it. Convenient too since there are not really any restaurants nearby but you can get to one if you take the bus or walk for a bit. Great staff, clean facilities. The washer dryer situation was rough. Washed well enough but the drying part didn't work so well.

Our stay at Hakone Kowakien was wonderful. Just to clarify we stay in the Hakone Kowakien Hotel. (Not the Ten-yu) I notice there were mix up of reviews when I was researching the hotel before our trip. The area around the hotel are breathtaking and the grounds beautiful. They are doing some work outside of the dining area while we were there so the windows are covered up and you don’t get a view while you are eating. We opted for breakfast and dinner during our stay. They had a good variety of food to choose from. I find I had a hard time trying everything because I get full long before that. It is a buffet so it does feel a bit chaotic and cafeteria like. But it worked well for us as a family. My son can eat whatever he likes. Our room was on the 5th floor overlooking the mountains and trees. It was a nice change of scenery after spending 5 nights in the middle of Tokyo. The rooms are minimal but clean and in great condition. We enjoyed the Onsen on the roof. I find it was a great way to wake up in the morning and wished I had stay longer to enjoy it. We also booked a private bath. For ¥2500 I highly recommend it if you are shy. We also made use of the pass to Yunessun. We only went to the part where you wear a bathing suit. Over all we enjoyed it. The change room and showers were clean. The pools are a little hit and miss. It has definitely passed its prime. It is worth a go if the hotel gives you free passes to go there but I would not pay much to go in otherwise.

Best food i’ve ever had at a hotel buffet

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.

We had an embarrassing experience of trying to check into the Ten Yu hotel, which is the higher ended hotel with the same name. I wish they would have acknowledged that it “happens all the time” but all we felt was embarrassing and shame. Once checked into the Kowakien Hotel, everything was fine. But the initial embarrassment never left us. We did enjoy the onsen and food, and the location was perfect. Just don’t make the mistake we did… but the hotel is wonderful.

Food was so-so. Hotel does not forward luggage with Yamato as others do. Location is pretty awkward and taxis unwilling to go there

Excellent petit déjeuner et jardin magnifique.

Breakfast and dinner are very good.

Ok