Gōra Kadan

While there was a minor communication delay before our arrival, it was promptly resolved, and our stay proved to be an absolutely exceptional experience. Upon stepping into the ryokan, we were immediately impressed by its ability to seamlessly blend traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern conveniences. The architecture and ambiance truly reflect this thoughtful integration. The service provided throughout our visit was impeccable. From the efficient check-in process to the serene spa, the exquisite dining, attentive room service, and smooth check-out, every interaction was handled with professionalism and care. The staff's dedication extended to assisting with luggage and even providing a complimentary Mercedes ride to Gora station, a gesture that was greatly appreciated. A significant highlight was the open-air hot spring. Its incredibly relaxing and naturally immersive setting allowed us to disconnect from the demands of the outside world and truly unwind. The kaiseki dining experience was a culinary delight. Each dish was not only delicious but also presented with artistry, offering a truly memorable gastronomic journey. Overall, this ryokan offers an unparalleled retreat, providing a harmonious blend of tranquility, luxury, and authentic Japanese hospitality. We departed feeling thoroughly refreshed and deeply impressed. We highly recommend it.

This Inn is known as a ryokan - a traditional Japanese Inn.||We were fortunate to have a suite with its own outside hot tub/spa. Others in our group had to use a communal hot tub/spa. In Japan, apparently the tradition is to use the hot tub/spa in the nude.||For us it was a once in a life time experience. The beds were at floor level. Difficult to get up from if you have a mid night trip to the bathroom. Breakfast was served in our room by a very charming Geisha. However, we had a floor level table and seat. You do need to be nimble to be comfortable getting up and down.||The Inn has a very nice restaurant and bar.||Service was 1st class. They made everyone feel very welcome.

Had a lovely stay. Staff was wonderful. Excellent service. Special thanks to “Tex” and Maya. Maya gracefully and patiently served our amazing dinner and breakfast. Tex took us to a (and picked us up from) great lunch place. Domo arigato! ||We didn’t have our own onsen but our travel agent arranged scheduled access to the private onsen and that was a lovely treat. Beautiful restful place. Only negative- rain and fog blocked mt Fuji! Also recommend nearby brewery for lunch.

From the moment we arrived, the experience was nothing short of exceptional. We were warmly greeted at the train station and whisked away in a luxurious Mercedes, setting the tone for a truly personalized adventure. Their thoughtful tour of the area made us feel instantly welcomed, offering insights that brought the place to life. The service was **exceptional**—every detail was handled with care and attention. Our kids had an absolute blast enjoying the beautifully designed onsen facilities—an experience they’ll treasure forever. As for the food, it was simply unforgettable. Every dish was a masterpiece. Although our stay was brief, the memories created here will stay with us for a lifetime.

A remarkable, and wonderful, experience - so relaxing. Rooms are traditional (tatami flooring), but ours had a western bed - looking onto a beautful garden with its own onsen. Dinner (served in our room) was a a set, 9-course tasting menu - presentation was incredible, delicious. Rarely saw other guests, despite it being full, most prefering to stay in their rooms. Public areas are beautiful - looking out at a bamboo grove or zen garden. Staff nothing short of superb, so welcoming and charming. Stunning, stunning place - you have to book months in advance for a reason.

From the second we arrived until the second we left we were treated to exceptional hospitality, kindness and professionalism. The room we stayed in (107) was comfortable and cozy. We loved having our own hot spring bath to relax after a wonderful day of exploring Hakone. Our Room Attendant, Moha, was lovely. She was very attentive and pleasant. We really enjoyed wearing the traditional clothing for our kaiseki dinner and breakfast. The meals were delicious and beautifully presented. Our only regret is staying just one night. We highly recommend Gora Kadan for a couples getaway while visiting Japan.

What a beautiful ryokan! We prefer boutique hotels over the large chains (i.e. Four Seasons, etc) and this was perfect for us. Our room had a private onsen, which we took full advantage of by soaking every morning and late afternoon. Each room was assigned a personal attendant and she was friendly, communicative, and funny! We thought the facilities were beautiful (not outdated at all), clean, and provided some flavor of traditional Japanese culture. The food was excellent (one of the best ways to experience Japanese traditional food) and it was fun to have breakfast and dinner in the room each day. They bid us goodbye with a thoughtful and useful gift - a small recyclable bag that we used frequently throughout the rest of the trip. We would definitely return to Gora Kadan the next time we visit Hakone!

This was one of the most amazing experiences my wife and I have had. Although it's not cheap, it something you must experience coming to Japan. ||If you take the train, it's on a scenic route up the mountain. We arrived at the station and called the hotel who picked us up in their new Mercedes which was lovely. Checkin was short and we were escorted to our room where it is traditional Japanese style. We were asked to change into the Japanese atire that was provided and we relaxed looking at the Japanese garden from our room. We were delivered dinner at 7pm and dined in our room, a 10 course banquet. After dinner we were invited to sit and relax looking over the garden, while our Nakai-san removed our dining area and setup our bed which was the traditional mattress on the floor. I had the best night sleep on the trip.||The bathroom has a deep bath and a shower along with the usual amenities you would expect including a hair straightner which made my wife happy.||Breakfast was magnificient, also servered in your room where you had the choice of western or Japanese, we had one of each and they were fantastic.||They even give you a photo in a nice wooden frame of your dinner as a souvenir||Overall, a highly recommended place.

The most incredible experience you could have in Hakone. Private onsens overlooking the mountains and extremely spacious rooms. The rooms are very traditional and comfortable, only the bathrooms are modern and up to date. Breakfast and dinner are both kaiseki and there is a LOT of food, you will not go hungry. The menu rotates every month but some of the highlights from my meal were the fugu fish, black cod, tuna, and chawanmushi. Highly recommend this experience, book it in advance!

The location is simply stunning, offering a breathtaking view from the room and private onsen. The staff's attentive care is truly remarkable. 伝統的な和食もとてもおいしかった。Truly unforgettable experience. 特にスタッフに感謝したいと思います。

This place was formerly the retreat for the Emperor. It is every bit worthy of this distinction. This place is a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn/hotel where you can come to experience the serenity, beauty, and minimalist characteristics of this place. It's located on the top of the mountain, in a quiet and peaceful location with views of Hakone. They have amenities such has an open-air Onsen, gym, pool, salon, spa. The gym was in a room without windows/poor air circulation and the equipment was limited. Some equipment were also dated. Just FYI. Our room had a private Onsen on the balcony and a shower that was connected to the outdoors. It was cool! Despite it being traditional, they had all modern day necessities such as electric plugs, heating, tv, refrigerator, etc. We had both breakfast and dinner served in our room. They had several courses, all assembled with great attention to detail and design. It tasted amazing as wel. It was like a journey through time. Of course I had to take many pictures! Customer service was good! Everyone was helpful and polite! Anytime I walked past any staff, they stopped to bow. They made this whole experience phenomenal. This place is expensive but worth the experience.

At our last night of our 7 day Japan trip, we experienced what felt like was the culmination of our wonderful stay here in japan at various top tier hotels (Ritz Kyoto, Tokyo, Hoshinoya Kyoto) and ryokans (Madoka no Mori). This one really stood on top with its wonderful blend of top amenities (pool, gym, lounge, massage chairs, in-room sauna) with a flawless service and pampering from the moment I made a reservation at this property. I appreciated that the hotel reached out with questions around my stay in order to best accommodate us and extra props for sending a complimentary sedan (Mercedes!) to pick us up from the exact location we had requested. Also our personal attendant who made our breakfast, dinner and our beds were just wonderful. Highlights -Hassle free use of the beautiful private family bath facility; they had automatically reserved a time for us use this and we appreciated every minute of it -The enormous professionalism and warmth exuding from every single staff member we met -The gorgeously decorated Lounge -Our spacious room with a huge backyard and a lounge area -The amazingly delicious food; sashimi was very fresh, pickles deliciously prepared and loved the meat melting in my mouth after a deep in the hot pot! Lowlights -the coffee was available but NOT free! This was probably the first hotel/ryokan where they did not have coffee available in room and only in the lounge where the cost was hefty (~$9 for hot coffee); not cool -no English books/magazines available in the lounge -no English help on how to use the massage chairs -gyms/swimming pool closing early at 7pm Comparing Gora Kadan with Madoka no Mori where we had previously stayed at, we really enjoyed both properties and will highly recommend them both. I'd say our experience overall at Gora was more exceptional with its breathtaking architecture/interior, use of family bath and felt less crowded and rooms more spacious (but also more expensive). The food was also better here and the location too with its proximity to Gora station and Hakone Open-Air museum area. I think where Madoka no Mori stood out was in it's more impressive public bath facility, the more superb massage chairs and their Lily's espresso machines in-room and also freely serving coffees and teas in their lobby/lounge area. Overall, I loved our first set of Ryokan experience and the dreamy memories made at Gora Kadan. I will be back :)

As you as you walked in, you will be amazed with their building and every small interior detail. My mother and I came here for vacation, the Room was huge and had small garden that are also very cute. Course dinner is included on the stay, which came with 9 course. Delicious !!! Of course, we came here for hot spring, amazing ! Can't explain how good it was, pls just look at photos ;)

This was a very disappointing experience. That disappointment was not related to the sparse room and sleeping conditions, which were to be expected in a Ryokan. The main issues revolved around the food and dining experience... which were located in a windowless and characterless room, with plastic surfaces and seats, the décor resonant of a Midwest Marriot hotel, circa 1975. Then came the food. We had their "famous" shabu shabu, which was surrounded with a half inch of fat, in addition to its already marbled texture. I realize that some people enjoy eating boiled cow fat, I really do not. Before the shabu shabu, we were served a procession of traditional Japanese appetizers, all of which appeared to have been prepared long in advance, and stored in a fridge. I noticed that this Ryokan was affiliated with "Relais Château", and I have now ask myself what that even means. Based on this experience, it is no imprimatur of quality. One final point.. Hakone is about 2.5 hours each way from from Tokyo.. if you are on a tight schedule in Japan, it ain't worth it.

This is probably the most famous "Ryokan" in Japan. You could ask a cab driver in Tokyo and s/he will take you there. And the place is like out of a movie. Pros - Top notch service. Very personalized and detail-oriented. A swank Mercedes will shuttle you anywhere. - The rooms are amazing, comfy, "spartan yet luxurious". - Food (both dinner and breakfast) - perfect. We attached loads of pictures. - Location/Setting - idyllic. The Open-Air museum nearby is highly recommended. Listening to the water at night and birds in the morning is memorable. - The bath tub in the room. Just check the pictures. Cons - A little bit too expensive. We paid something like $1,600 for the two of us. - Not much going on. One day is probably plenty (granted: I get bored very quickly - The pubic hot springs were a little "small" - I was expecting more. No complaint though, maybe I was just expecting "more" from what I had read before.

We stayed here two rainy nights in September. This was our first ryokan experience and it was a bit traumatic. We had read rave reviews about this being one of the greatest ryokans in all of Japan, but we had a few disappointments. For sure the staff is very caring and considerate. Constant rain during our entire stay did not help matters, although no one could blame that on the GK. The very low ceilings that kept hitting my head were problematic for my 6'2" frame. The swimming pool seemed old and small. The evening meals in particular we found to be lacking in quality. One example was some tempura that was soggy, cold, and obviously cooked 12 to 24 hours previously. It could be that our expectations were too high, but it was short of the special place that we expected.

This is my second time in Gora Hakone for a luxury Onsen/Ryokan experience. I was greatly impressed with Gora Hanaougi last year but wanted to try the one place that's rated higher but is also more expensive. I will compare the two so that an informed decision can be made. The first thing is that you get picked up by s black Mercedes S class vs a regular Van at the Gora station. The hotel, the grounds and service are definitely next level. The dining experience is so much better IMHO equivalent to a Michelin 2 star in service and as good as any Michelin 3 star in taste and presentation. The reviewer that complains of the dining should have known that the staff communicate well before what your food preferences and allergies are so they can tailor it to your needs. The next day after checking out we asked for recommendation for lunch and they made the reservation at a very nice restaurant and provided us a ride both ways in the hotel limo. The lunch was in a beautiful soba house that was very impressive as well. The grand bath is nice but about the same as the Hanaougi. So to sum it up, if you want the best, I think it is worth it.

Gora Kadan is beautiful, the property is impressive, bold and well manicured. If you have money to spend I'd imagine this place is worth every dollar. The service is excellent, you have an attendant who is there for every step, people are welcoming and the space feels exclusive/private. However, for over a grand a night the actual rooms could use an upgrade. The toilets (even for japan standards) are old and don't self flush. That sounds crazy to comment on being an American but it was clearly out of date for Japan especially at this level. The rooms were OK - the lighting was awful (I'm very sensitive) and pretty standard as far as ryokans go. I expected more for the price. We had a room with an outdoor bath that was beautifully manicured, no complaints there. The food was excellent, however very traditional. Some modern amenities would complement the gorgeous property. This place lacked soul and felt dated in a way that was a bit uncared for not "honoring traditions" - I'd stay there again only if I had cash to blow. I'd recommend taking a less traveled path elsewhere with that budget and really getting an A+ experience.