Hotele z: spa w Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

The room was quite spacious, and being right by the sea, I could enjoy ocean views from the window. The location is super convenient – it's only about 300-400 meters from the Big Ferris Wheel, 700-800 meters from the Red Brick Warehouse, 200 meters from the Convention Center, and 300-400 meters from the Portside Shopping Area. Chinatown is roughly 1.3 km away, and Noge Yokocho is about 1.2 km. Absolutely fantastic location!

Thanks to other guests for mentioning the transportation in their reviews. Getting to the hotel from Odawara was a bit of a hassle, but once I arrived, I felt it was absolutely the right choice. The hotel's location is excellent, with mountain views from the room, and it's clean and tidy. The free, unlimited ice cream at the hotel is delicious and definitely deserves a special shout-out. Breakfast was plentiful, and the dinner buffet was fantastic, with all-you-can-eat sashimi and unagi don, plus surprisingly tasty lobster, and a wide selection of drinks. That evening, I enjoyed the outdoor hot spring all to myself, facing a waterfall and forest – it was incredibly relaxing. The hotel's shuttle bus is very convenient! The staff were very attentive and detailed in their service, with great attitudes and thorough explanations! Apart from the tricky transportation, everything else was wonderful.

Take the Shinkansen from Osaka to Odawara, then transfer to the tram to Hakone Yumoto, and then take a bus to Gora. Two people dragged their suitcases and walked uphill for 15 minutes. They were exhausted. When they arrived at the hotel, they found that they could wait for the train in Gora, and it only took 5 minutes to walk. The hotel facilities are not new, and there are not many guests, mostly Japanese tourists. The hot spring is relatively small, and the water temperature is very high. You have to come out to breathe after soaking for a while. I experienced the private bath and open-air hot spring, and there were a lot of mosquitoes. The food is OK, worthy of the price.

This hotel is a paradise in the mountains of Hakone! Traditional style of the rooms - it feels like you are living in a Japanese family. We were prepared a traditional dinner, which was served in our room. It was very tasty and varied! The hotel has 3 onsen: 2 - private, 1 - public. We visited only the private ones (you need to book a time in advance at the reception upon check-in, the visit time is 30 minutes). It was wonderful! The hotel also provides a transfer from and to the nearest train stations. The rooms are clean, cozy, we slept on tatami under soft blankets. The hotel has a relax room. With massage chairs and a very quiet atmosphere. We stayed in this room after visiting the onsen and got great relaxation. And you are also given national clothes for rest and sleep. It is very beautiful and cute. Breakfasts were also in kaiseki style - varied and unusual. The hotel staff is very kind and friendly. this hotel allows tattoo baths. great experience, thank you very much! want to come back again!

The hotel is noticeably dated. The rooms have a persistent old-carpet smell, and the advertised room views are misleading. We selected this room expecting abundant natural light and a panoramic 280-degree view, based on the photos provided. In reality, roughly half of the supposed windows are frosted for privacy reasons, something carefully obscured with curtains in the website's photography. The actual view consists primarily of an office building, an amusement park and several construction sites, one of which appears to be a recent development within the amusement park. Due to very poor sound insulation, we could hear jackhammers starting from around 7:30 a.m. each morning. Due to the same reason one would hear every speeding motorbike and, every weekend, loud window-shaking partying early to late evening. The Ferris wheel prominently featured in the hotel's marketing materials is visible only if you stand at the extreme left window of the room. By contrast, the ventilation shafts directly below the room are impossible to miss. When I inquired about changing rooms, the staff did not acknowledge the discrepancy between the advertised and actual views and instead attempted to upsell us to more expensive room categories. The gym exists largely in name only. It consists of two pieces of equipment in a cramped room that closes early, and guests must request special permission each time they wish to use it. To make matters worse, the hotel entrance emits a continuous high-frequency sound. I understand such devices are sometimes used to discourage loitering or deter pests, although their effectiveness is debatable. For younger guests or anyone without significant hearing loss, the sound is distinctly audible and quite painful every time they enter or leave the hotel.

Our experience staying in Hakone was perfect! We stayed at the Tensein in Hakone-Yumoto, an easy location to take the bus, car or train to some popular tourist attractions in the area. The check in itself was rather slow but the staff do their best to speak good English and discuss every detail about your stay with you. The room had everything we needed, the shampoo and conditioners provided was wonderful and there was a variety of products to use. On check in, the private onsen was given at 50% discount at 1,100 Japanese yen per use, we got 2 vouchers so used it 2 times (as we have tattoos we could not go into the public onsen). On check in you have to collect your towel and your choice of Yukata (traditional Japanese robe) which you’re welcomed and encouraged to wear around the hotel and gardens. The hotel is strictly no shoes, so upon arrival you leave your shoes in a locked box and keep the key. If you wish to walk around the beautiful gardens, there are slider type shoes available to slip on, as well as umbrellas to use if it’s raining. Outside they have a onsen for your feet to enjoy with a drink. All of the food and drink (apart from breakfast which was included) was put on our bill at the end. There was a wide selection of drinks, nibbles and food available for dinner and lunches at the dining room and there was a large buffet dining room for buffet breakfast and dinner (if you booked it). The hotel is just a short 10 minute walk to the town and 15 minute walk to the Hakone-Yumoto station. Visiting Mt Fuji is easy, with a bus ‘H’ running from stand 2 opposite the Hakone -Yumoto station. Get off at ‘Motohakone’. From there, you can take another bus and a train to get you to another town ‘Gora’ and surrounding attractions to enjoy.

Staying at this hotel again on a rainy day, and the surroundings are still beautiful. This time, I booked a room in the annex. The room was spacious, and I got a fantastic deal on Trip.com – excellent value for money! Most hotels here only allow check-in after 3 PM, so we decided to explore first and then took the Lake Ashi cruise to the hotel's shuttle bus stop to get to the hotel.

Yama No Chaya has its own beauty and serenity. I personally don’t find it hard to locate - 2 bus stops away from Hakone Yumoto station + a 5 minutes walk are worth the stay. (Bus service stopped for one of the days due to bad weather and we walked for 20 minutes to Hakone Yumoto Station - all good) The team is very hospitable - they also have some English and Chinese speaking staff otherwise simple English is not an issue to communicate. Our butler - Sandip always carry a smile with him, and he ensured we are very well taken care of. Every morning, the team will prepare heat pack and umbrellas for us (it was raining and snowing). In the evening, they made tea and prepared snacks (vary from mochi to sushi) for us upon our returned. The room we booked is Yamano Ichigo (main wing) - just nice for 2. The viewing platform was where we relaxed every evening and we soaked our tiredness away in our very own private onsen at the basement. Despite of having our own private onsen, I still went to visit 3 other public onsen within the Ryokan - you will not be disappointed. Our room came with daily breakfast and we added on dinner for 1 night. I must say the chef and culinary team put in their passion and effort to prepare all the dishes. It’s not common for a visitor like me to taste Kaisekai cuisine which I enjoyed very much. You need to take time and an empty stomach to full experience it :) However, my partner and I weren’t used to heavy breakfast and our butler noticed it - we get to change to western style for the rest of the stay which was equally delicious. We are thankful that we minimised food wastage. Overall, we felt pampered during our stay at Yama no Chaya :) I will return again in the future when I visit Hakone.

Overall, my stay was very satisfying. The hotel environment is quiet and comfortable; the moment you walk in, you feel a sense of relaxation, making it perfect for a weekend getaway. The room was clean and tidy, with a cozy atmosphere, and the bedding was soft, ensuring a very comfortable sleep. The hot springs are definitely the highlight of this hotel. The water is clear, and the temperature is just right, leaving you feeling completely relaxed after a soak. The different pools are also thoughtfully designed, with unique characteristics for both indoor and outdoor options. The outdoor hot springs, in particular, offer a truly delightful experience in a natural setting. Service also deserves praise. The staff were friendly and patient in answering any questions, making me feel well looked after. All in all, it was a very relaxing and pleasant stay. If I have the chance in the future, I would definitely consider coming back and highly recommend it to anyone looking to rest well and enjoy some hot springs.

The hotel is located just within 5 minutes walk from Gora station. There are many facilities provided such as private & public onsen, lounge, snacks and free-flow beverage and juices. Breakfast and dinner are buffet style which have a variety of food selection. Great hotel in Hakone.