My favourite stay in Japan.
Right from the start the hospitality is top notch. The staff kindly kept our shoes for us at the entrance (no shoes are permitted in the ryokan as it is covered with tatami) everytime we came and went.
The whole ryokan is so beautiful, traditionally decorated but modern at the same time.
We got a room with a private Onsen because we had tattoos. The bed was super comfortable, pillows were customisable, but the beds were singles pushed together with separate quilts so it was a little weird for us.
The best part of our stay was food and freebies.
Our stay included breakfast and dinner. Both kaiseki style. Some dishes are a little bit much for our palate (preserved side dishes) but overall really really yummy, especially when paired with their recommended sake.
Freebies-wise the lounge next to the public baths had free-flow draft beer, soft drinks, tea/coffee, snack, ice cream 24/7 and it was just a dream to sit there in the evening chugging beer after a soak in the onsen. From 10-10.30pm everyone also gathers at the lounge for free-flow ramen (includes chashu) which is freshly cooked in front of you and so delicious after a long day of walking around Hakone.
The only con is the location as it is situated on top of steep hill. Don’t be fooled by google maps when it says it is only 300-400m from the station, pulling our luggage up that steep incline was quite a workout.
Overall loved loved this place and would definitely return.