We had an amazing stay at Hakone Hotel Kowaki-en. Since its recent renewal, the hotel feels incredibly modern, clean, and welcoming.
The highlight was definitely the open-air hot spring on the top floor—soaking in the onsen while taking in the stunning mountain views was pure bliss. The buffet was another pleasant surprise; both breakfast and dinner offered a fantastic variety of fresh seafood, sashimi, and even free-flowing drinks.
Location-wise, it’s highly convenient as the bus stop is right in front of the property. The staff were attentive, and the overall ambiance was peaceful. It's an excellent half-board choice for anyone looking to unwind in Hakone. Highly recommended!
Ten of us checked in in the five rooms, sadly one of the rooms were not properly cleaned, we found some dirt on the carpet, but we did understand the incident should be caused by the previous guests, and the hotel was nice enough to change to a bigger room for us. The hotel staff was very nice and helpful, and the hotel was quite newly refurbished, just unlike other old-fashioned onsen hotel, the entertainment in this hotel was quite limited. The entire family gave very high compliments to the food quality! Both dinner and breakfast were awesome! Overall this is a hotel for relax and a break from city life.
It was super close to the Yunessun and there are a lot of choices for the dinner & breakfast buffet!!