Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Hotel has a nice atmosphere and the rooms are decently nice with the exception of the shower which is absolutely tiny. The in room baths are a nice touch but are pretty small overall. Service is immaculate which is to be expected for the rather high price point. The kaiseki course was good but I've had better in both Kinosaki and Arima. The location is pretty terrible as you have to rely on buses to get anywhere and they run late. Additionally the shuttle starts at 9 am so good luck if you want to get an early start.

Great stay with 2 families and kids. The private deck onsen is a bit small but the rest of the amenities were fantastic. Shabu the first night kaiseki the second both were good probably a tabelog 3.3-3.5. Breakfast is also great with a huge variety of dishes. Yunessan feels like it could use a renovation but is servicable. The morning view is one to remember. I could probably sit in the private onsen all day and relax.

We stayed one night at Ten-Yu and had a great time with our stay. We had the buffet breakfast and dinner package for our stay. For us the buffet experience wasn't the greatest. There's the early and late entry for dinner buffet. We had the late entry and we found most of the food had been empty out. The staff did replenish some of the dishes but we felt they weren't too keen on putting out the food. Selection wise there's a great variety, but in my opinion nothing too special. Breakfast buffet is from 0700-1000 and it's first come first self. There's lots of seating tables so no need to worry not getting one. Food wise, is roughly on par with other breakfast buffet I've tried. Again nothing too special. If I were to choose one buffet I would go for the dinner and get the early entry to get more fresh food. There's also shabu-shabu package as well. There are ice cream machines that you can get for free outside the restaurant. You need tokens for it, which you can get from staff. The room we stayed in had a tub that you can enjoy the hot Spring water privately. Our room was facing the side of the mountain and it was actually very scenic looking at the changing color of the trees and taking in the autumn sun. The 5th and 6th floor have the public bath. The 6th floor has the beautiful open air bath that faces out to the valley. It's especially beautiful during the morning when you can watch the sun rise. The men and women public baths rotate floors each day. Ten-Yu has shuttle buses that will take you from Gora station to Ten-Yu. The buses runs every 20-30min depending the time of day. The shuttle bus stop at Gora station is located on the other side of Gora station. When you are exiting the station there's a under passage you need to go through to get to the shuttle bus stop. The under passage is located on the right side of the station as you are exiting. For us the highlight of the stay is the relaxing scenic environment at the resort. Obviously the Hot Spring is awesome, but for us if we come back next time we would probably do just one meal instead of two for our package. I would say the best time to come is Spring/Autumn, and probably Winter when it's snow

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu was an excellent choice for my holiday. The hotel is beautifully surrounded by the nature of Hakone, creating a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere. Our room was located on the top floor with stunning views of the greenery. It was spotlessly clean, tidy, and well maintained. The hotel provided Yukata and Kimono for guests to wear during their stay, which added a special cultural touch. We really enjoyed the onsen and sauna facilities, both the rooftop onsen and the one on the fifth floor. The premium dinner offered a wide variety of dishes, and it was fascinating to watch the chef skillfully cut a fresh tuna. The Japanese breakfast was also excellent, served in a calm and tranquil setting. In the evening, a live music performance created a warm and romantic atmosphere. We also enjoyed the outdoor foot bath while listening to the soothing sound of rustling leaves. The hotel’s garden features a small onsen shrine and a waterfall, which were lovely to walk around both in the morning and at night. I especially liked the self-serve ice cream machine and treated myself to one after visiting the onsen. Overall, my best friend and I were very satisfied with the high quality of service, the beautiful scenery, delicious food, and the excellent facilities. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Hakone.

Just got back from our honeymoon here and it was absolutely perfect. Can’t say enough good things about this place. The staff made our trip so easy - everyone spoke English well and was incredibly friendly and helpful. They really went out of their way to make our honeymoon special, which we appreciated so much. The facilities were amazing. We loved the bar for evening drinks and the garden was beautiful to walk through. But the hot springs were definitely the highlight - having both private and public baths was perfect. We could enjoy romantic private time in our own bath, and also experience the traditional public onsen. So relaxing and refreshing. The food was fantastic every single meal. They had a great mix of traditional Japanese dishes and Western options, all prepared beautifully. Whether we tried something new or stuck with familiar favorites, everything was delicious. This was exactly what we needed for our honeymoon - relaxing, and the staff made us feel so welcome. We’re already talking about coming back. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a romantic getaway!

Overall, this ryoken is a fabulous place to stay, just be aware of the meal times before you go. We arrived at 2pm and we're told our room wasn't yet ready (check in is at 3pm). We left to go see the Ropeway and pirate ship - both very nice. When we returned to the resort at 5:30pm, we were told that we missed our 5pm dinner time (we didn't know.....our reservation email only says that dinner is between 5 and 6pm, and the resort will choose the specific time). The front desk staff apologized and told us our food would be served at an alternate location. We were whisked into a van and driven to a nearby building where we recieved the incredibly tasty (and incredibly pricey) teppanaki meal that we paid for. Afterwards, we took the shuttle back to the hotel - for some reason it took 3-4 times longer to return this way. Back at the resort, we finally got to our room, where we donned our robes and proceeded to the onsens. My sons and I were on the 5th floor onsen, my wife on the 6th. The men/women designations are swapped between the two each day. We all went to the onsens and met up about 90 minutes later, agreeing they were incredibly relaxing. Later, back in our room, my 8 year old enjoyed the outside onsen bath and I fell asleep in the swing chair next to him. So nice!

Fantastic experience! The travel does take a little bus ride from the station, but it takes you up the mountain to a beautiful and relaxing space. It was foggy and rainy so there wasn't much of a view, but it provided a different ambience. The service was excellent from the moment we walked in to when we walked out. The private onsen in the room was nice and relaxing; it was what I was planning to enjoy. But the front desk did provided covers for tattoos, so it gave me an opportunity to enjoy the two public onsens available. The onsen are assigned women or men only and swaps each day. Even with a 1 night stay, it allowed us to experience both sceneries, which were both amazing and tranquil in its own ways. The buffets were delicious although not as piping hot as I'd have preferred. There's also a combini with a short walk to the neighboring hotel/building. This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. A great way to recharge and rejuvenate from a more hectic vacation in the major cities.

The location around the hotel is nice and they offer a free shuttle bus from Gora station so that’s convenient. The views at the outdoor onsen was also very beautiful, service was alright but it’s really hard to speak to them. But the most disappointing thing and the reason for the lower rating is the food at the buffet for both dinner and breakfast, was not the quality of a 4* hotel. The sashimi and sushi smelt so fishy & unfresh we had to avoid it, hot food was mostly lukewarm, soup as well. Breakfast was similiar. This isn’t the quality of food you expect at a hotel that you pay so much for. I’m also suprised there’s no usb charger port, expecting this is a norm for most hotels now. Honestly hope they improve, especially on the quality of the food because it has such beautiful views, it’s just a shame :(

This place was amazing. It comes with a public onsen separated by sex. Breakfast is also included and consists of a wide variety of options. The service was excellent too. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. They even drove us to the bus stop when we were behind schedule! Everything was very comfortable. I would definitely stay here again.

I am trying to be objective here but didn't have the best experience. Maybe I need to adjust my expectations but was looking forward to a relaxing and restful stay. However, was greeted by many other visitors probably seeking the same experience. Staff were friendly and courteous and the room was very pleasant. Kimonos were provided and link to instructions on how to dress were totally fine. I struggled a bit with the dining format. The food selection itself was very substantial and the presentation spectacular. However the sheer number of people made navigating the dining area a challenge. That, plus being vegetarian, I had a hard time figuring out what I could eat. I did find a friendly staff member who kindly guided me around to show me what options were available and in short I did not go hungry that night. Looking forward to a restful night's sleep I was discouraged to wake up a really stuffy and hot room. I had set the thermostat to 18 degrees Celsius which should have been fine but I was roasting. I dropped it to 15 and didn't feel a difference. I was about to give up and call the front desk when I realized I could turn the system off and open the balcony door to get comfortable but still it took a while to cool down. Ironically I noticed the lobby the next morning was also very warm. I will say that the private onsen was definitely a high point of the stay. I soaked twice and really felt great after getting out both times. It is set to autofill for 15 minutes and the first time I got in I just spilled water everywhere! Wasn't sure what the protocol for that was but the second time I let some water out as it filled to avoid overfilling. I don't think this would be my first choice to return to but hopefully it worked out well for others. The area was pretty and the staff were great, just didn't have the experience I was hoping to have.

This entire road is dotted with ryokans facing the gorgeous cliffs of Mt. Hakone, which was partially obscured from rain clouds most of the time we were here. Still, it made for a moody and scenic backdrop for my many dips in the private onsen in our room's balcony, which kind of alone made for an excellent experience at Ten Yu. But what really sealed it for me was the lush, outdoor oasis of the outdoor onsen that transported me into a fairytale forest that I meditated in for a long while. The breakfast and dinner buffet left a lot to be desired for what is considered a high end ryokan. The food had mostly been sitting out for quite a while, and they serve exactly the same options everyday. The seafood and meat is of low quality. It's totally serviceable and there's a lot of variety within each spread, but it's saying a lot if I turn down unlimited crab legs. After a third time having the same mediocre meal I was ready to eat somewhere offsite and was glad it was time to check out after day 3. I would have maybe rated this hotel lower were it not for this outdoor onsen. I was perfectly satisfied with the private bath we had on our balcony, which I enjoyed 4-5 times in our short 3 day stay, but the outdoor public one was something else. At first, entering the private onsen felt underwhelming, seeing just two large hot baths at the same temperate, one bubbling and one with still water. I liked going back and forth between cold plunge and hot bath to sauna. At 20 degrees celsius and in that hot room it can hardly be considered a cold plunge, I guess compared to the 40 degree hot bath it was. I happened to see someone disappear behind a door labeled outdoor bath, and I went to inspect, not expecting much. Instead I found a large, lush hot spring completely covered by backlit greenery. It's gender segregated and the 5th floor one faces their beautiful waterfall. At first my partner and I expected to get bored being separated and planned to meet up half an hour later but both ended up enjoying our separate garden oases for well over an hour. We both took it as an opportunity to meditate. Both spaces were largely empty, so it's quite conducive to a meditative experience. The staff was really warm and kind throughout, and I appreciate little touches they have, like unlimited coins for the ice cream machine, different iced teas on offer in the lobby, and little rubber bands to hold up the sleeves of the kimonos they provide guests to wear while wandering the space. The rooms and common areas were quite clean and the lobby is beautiful. This was an upgrade from the ryokan I stayed in in Kyoto during my last Japan trip, and I really could do worse than this luxury ryokan.

The hotel room was nice. My husband enjoyed the bathtub on the balcony. My kid enjoyed the free ice cream machine. I liked walking around the property. Hence all the pictures. Our first night there lots of people were in the downstairs restaurant. I wondered why. I found out pretty quickly that the meal that comes with the room is horrible. Worst meal ever. Everything served to us had been sitting out way too long. I definitely recommend skipping that meal and going downstairs for something freshly cooked. Or another restaurant offsite. The breakfast buffet was good. The onsens were meh but we aren't into hot springs. Front desk staff was nice. Definitely use the machines to check out in the morning. The check out line was long.

Great hotel! Sadly the water park that hotel guess can use for free was closed for remodeling the entire time I was there. Hotel itself is great! Great staff and service, comfiest beds, and best of all the onsen and views. Immaculate views, hot water from natural hotsprings. What else can you ask for? Great place to relax after long walks around Tokyo.

A stuff was very kind and polite. Great view from the room, the food was good! Wish I could try big hot springs but if you have big tattoo you are not allowed there. Other than that, everything was amazing!

Our hotel was expensive but very nice. We love the attention the staff gives you, in certain hours they would have a number of staff just standing there lining up just to greet to the guests. Each night comes with kaiseki which to be honest wasn't something I looked forward to. Our palate was different so there will always be certain dishes we wouldn't enjoy. Its one thing to eat it once in a while but every night was a bit much. Our room came with a semi outdoor onsen which was nice but i truly enjoyed the two different outdoor onsen within the resort. One morning it was raining and it still was an enjoyable experience. They are also right nxt door which you can connect through indoor walkway to the onsen waterpark next door which also includes some small indoor games/shopping area with a conveniences store. the resort itself also have vending machines just like all the other places we visited, you can always just buy affordable alcohol there.

Amazing hot spring hotel in Hakone with your own private balcony onsen, overlooking the mountains of Hakone. Don't let the 3-star rating turn you away from this hotel because I stayed at a nearby 5-star hotel in Hakone one night and I definitely preferred this hotel much better and it had better amenities overall compared to the bigger brand. Let me first give you a tip that if you are deciding to book at this hotel, that you BOOK DIRECTLY ON THEIR WEBSITE. When you do, you have a kaiseki dinner meal & buffet breakbeat course included in your reservation. If you book via external sites, meals are not included, so it's a better deal to book directly via their website. Now for their room and hotel, it's truly spacious and clean for a Japanese hotel. The outdoor onsen is kind of small if you're tall so you'll have to squeeze your legs to fit. Also, the water is ridiculously HOT. Be sure to mix the hot spring water with the cold water because I couldn't handle it. I didn't go in the public onsen in the hotel since there was a private one in the balcony. The dinner portion of the food was quite unique and worth the experience subs they give you the option to wear yukata to dinner. For the price for the hotel, you can't go wrong with this hotel and the food. I wish I stayed here first instead of the other five star hotel because I didn't get any of the service or amenities from them like I did here.

This lovely Onsen hotel caters to the high end traveller. Rooms are spacious and the accommodations are moderately modern. The 5th floor public bath is rustic with a clear view of the hotel's waterfall. You can even here frogs croaking! The 6th floor public bath is an impressive infinity pool. Watching the sun rise will leave a lasting impression. The kaiseki dinner featured crab and beef. All were tasty but the sashimi was rather child-size. The buffet breakfast was way better. Unlimited crab legs, seafood bouillabaisse, kaisendon, etc. croissants were top notch. Only issue with the stay was that the room was overlooking a large scale construction that was very active. The crane reach up to the 8th floor! Also the location is rather remote with a limited shuttle to only the Gora station.

I prefer the smaller more intimate ryokan such as the ones in Gero where we were treated like kings. Hakone Kowakien Tenyu resort is part of a large hotel chain built to accomodate the masses, the experience was still fantastic. The infinity pool (6th fl rotenboro) was the main draw. Nothing like contemplating mid life crisis while soaking in mineral bath and staring into the distant mountains, all the while nebulizing cold fresh air. The infinity pool prob fits 50-70 peeps depending on how intimate you want to be. 5th flt rotenboro paled in comparison though still quite enjoyable. Male & female guests can enjoy these 2 onsens but on alternate days. Our standard room was spacious & palatial compared to anything in Tokyo. It feautured 2 double beds, spacious restroom area, a real closet..gulp. Private onsen came in the form of a metal tub on the balcony. The Amenities are of modern design and included a good size safe to keep valuables. keiseki dinners were artistic & exquisite, however it may not be for western palates. Make sure you notify them of food allergies at the start. For dinner we had to pay extra for drinks even for juices, odd. Breakfast buffet was fanatastic and included drinks. i usually drain a few glasses of champaigne first before browsing. The variety & array of items were impressive, there lays the advantage of a large hotel chain. I esp love the creamy corn potage soup & the ultra spongy french toast. On the flip side it can be crowded & bubbly during peak BF hour esp if guests over endulged on champaigne, wink. Lobby was huge & inviting with mix of couches, lounge chairs & even cute bean bag chairs. They serve cold juices for guests looking to rehydrate post onsen. The coffee machine is avail 24/7 for jetlaggers. On the outside balcony there are wicker chairs and more bean bag chairs facing the mountain. Staff were friendly & spoke adequate English. Hotel minivans provided rides to & from Gora station. From there you take the local train to Hakone main station. We took the H bus to Motohakone (lake ashi, tori gate, pirate ship), the bus stop is at the kowakien Yunessen resort below us. On the return trip however we were instructed to take bus #2. Overall very satisfied stay & worth the splurge esp with the weak JPY.

Oh my gosh! I love this hotel. I am probably a little biased because we got REALLY lucky and had a snow day, so it was exceptionally beautiful when we were there. Hakone is my go-to onsen town because of its easy access from Tokyo, especially when we are on a short trip! I have stayed at a couple different ryokans, but Ten-yu is my favorite so far. The facility was clean and the service was exceptional. We were even able to check in early which is very uncommon for ryokan. Beds were very comfortable and the private onsen was really nice. The food was good. Breakfast was more impressive than dinner imo but I am always partial to a good ryokan breakfast buffet. Everything was fresh and the selection was huge! The make your own chirashi bowl definitely puts it over the top. Will stay here again!

Stayed at the Hakone Kowakien TENYU hotel for the second time and it was just as specular as last time. The natural hot spring baths are amazing and beautiful. One is in a natural setting with lush foliage and waterfalls, and the other is modern and sleek with an infinity pool. The water is great if you have achy joints. The rooms are beautiful and have a bathtub with mi real water pumped in on the balcony. Traditional robes are provided that you wear throughout the hotel, even to dinner. The keiseki dinner is amazing. So unique, delicious and visually like a work of art. See pictures for proof! This is the best priced onsen Resort in the area. Highly recommend!

Based on a friend's recommendation, I stayed at this hotel in Hakone last month. There was free shuttle service from and to Gora station every half hour. Once the shuttle bus got to the hotel, the front desk quickly welcomed me and checked me in. One of the staff members accompanied me to my room and showed me around. The room was very spacious and had an outdoor balcony with a little hot tub to soak in. The room had two twin beds, a sofa bed, and bathroom amenities such as combs, cotton swabs, cloth bags to bring with you to the onsen, etc. The toilet, shower and sink were all in separate areas. The TV had mostly Japanese channels and BBC. The drawers underneath the TV also had yukata and jinbei of different sizes for you to wear to the onsen as well as to the restaurant. You can control the hot tub/onsen in the balcony of the room by pressing the button to fill the tub. It takes about 15 minutes to fill it up and I recommend you to wait a few more minutes before dipping in because it was scorching hot! The water is definitely from the hot springs because you can smell the sulfur from it. It was so relaxing dipping into the hot tub during the cool breeze at night. Awesome! In the lobby, they also are offer complimentary hot tea and coffee and iced herbal teas during the afternoon and evening. There's also a little gift shop next to the concierge and a library area across from it. The rotenboro was awesome, especially the infinity Ukigumo onsen on the 6th floor. It was breathtaking viewing the mountains and relaxing while soaking in the hot spring. Since they rotate the 5th and 6th floor onsen for men and women everyday, it's best to stay more than a night to fully enjoy both onsens. Both breakfast and dinner was included during my stay. Dinner was different both nights. The first night, the attractions were the wagyu beef and the sashimi in the mist. Both were superb. The second night, dinner was not as good as the first night but still of good quality. Breakfast was a buffet and had a lot of choices from Western options such as omelettes, sausage, bacon, waffles to Japanese options such as grilled hamachi/salmon, sashimi donburi, and curry. It was very delicious. Everyone in the hotel was really friendly and helpful. Although expensive, I had a wonderful stay. Highly recommended!

This hotel was a dream. The shared onsens are the best in the area and the whole experience was pure magic. Getting a private onsen on the deck of your room with a mountain view was the icing on the cake. The hospitality was also world class. They even upgraded us when they found out we got off on the wrong bus stop and had to walk. Me and my wife can't wait to come back!

My husband and I recently spent two weeks in Japan, and THIS was our big splurge! We stayed here one night on our way from Tokyo to Hiroshima. We took a JR train from Tokyo to the Odawara Station. There we got our Hakone Free Pass tickets and changed trains for the Gora Station. Once in Gora we used a service that took our luggage to the hotel while we went sightseeing. I'll omit the big loop we made around the area (via funicular / bus / cable car / and boat) in the interest of focusing on the hotel review, but I'll share that info if you message me. The bottom line is that we caught a bus from the lovely town of Hakonemachi-ko (on the shore of Lake Ashinoko) to Ten-Yu. Please note that the bus does not stop at Ten-Yu, but at the resort downhill next door ... Yunessun-mae. Once there we trudged uphill to Ten-Yu and were absolutely blown away. It doesn't look like much from the outside but once you enter it is spectacular. The photos here don't do it justice. It is so much nicer than you can imagine. We had a traditional Japanese style room with a tatami mat floor, a low table with stubby-legged chairs and pillows for seating, and a private balcony overlooking the gardens below and the mountain above, with a huge metal tub connected to the hot springs. It was a private onsen suite! The resort provided slippers / clogs / getas (?) to wear in the room (you do not wear your "outdoor" shoes inside) and either a Yukata robe or a Samue outfit for use in the resort. They also provide the socks with the big toe separation, and completely different set of slippers for use when you go to the toilet. We opted to include a kaiseki meal with our stay and were not disappointed! It started with five appetizers, then there was a soup course, a main dish, then sashimi, a fish dish, a meat dish, a rice course, the two different desserts. We shared a bottle of sake, and I also had a sake cocktail that involved passionfruit juice. We enjoyed all this while wearing our Yukata robes (like most other people there). It was beyond fabulous. We also enjoyed the breakfast buffet before we left the next morning. There was a wide variety of western breakfast items as well as traditionally Japanese options. I have nothing but praise for Ten-Yu. I hope to experience this kind of luxury once again some day!

I LOVED this ryokan at Hakone. Yes, it is very expensive and a splurge, but worth it if you can afford it :) we stayed for one night. Impeccable service, delicious food, clean modern room, and different, well maintained hot springs. The outside bath (roten buro) was AWESOME! I would go again in a heartbeat. (Suggestions to foreign visitors: If you can and feel comfortable, I highly recommend the large communal public hot springs vs. the small bathtub at your room. You will get similar medicinal effects as the large public bath, but the experience is so much better! Just be aware of cultural manners when enjoying the Japanese style hot springs. Go during off peak times (really early/late or mid afternoon) if you are shy about the nudity thing (I am too but can't resist hot springs)

My family and I came here to stay for one night and everyone was blown away at the service and the detail to attention this place has. Service was impeccable, friendly and prompt. The room itself was very open and the garden view we had was amazing! We had the 5-course meal for dinner and breakfast which was authentic, tasteful and the attention to detail of how they displayed the dishes were amazing. The room we got was the one with a private onsen on the deck which was BOMB and the fact that you can have your own personal hot springs while being in the middle of nature in Japan has to a check off on my bucket list of things to do in Hakone, Japan. We spent $1000 a night for the room, but everyone had an amazing time and hopefully we'll get to visit this resort in the near future!

I booked through Japanican and was totally misled. $700 a night for a glorified apartment building with a tiny one person bathtub on the patio. I booked for my honeymoon and thought my husband and I could enjoy the (fake) hot springs together, as it said communal springs were available, as opposed to your typically segregated public baths, but on arrival realized they are all sorted by gender. what a waste of money. Regardless of the hot spring sitch, for a hotel that touts luxury, the service is unbelievably poor. I called to request a glass of milk, and was directed to a vending machine... luxurious my a$$

I'm writing this review strictly from a westerners perspective. We upgraded to a "king" sized room in which we received two twin sized beds pulled apart from one another. We indulged in a deep tissue spa but received more of a back scratch for 60 minutes. The bar charges a $10 cover charge just to enter and the drinks were of no special relevance. The service was dedicated towards those looking for more of a more traditional Japanese experience and for that I cannot complain. We paid for a Japanese meal each night but only partook in 1 of the evenings festivities. Instead we visited the Nobo ITOH style dining down the road and were blown away. This meal was the highlight of our 2 week journey and I would highly recommend this to everyone!!

This place sucks, we paid $700 a night for a basic hotel room with a bathtub on the balcony. Wouldn't even pay $200 for the room. Don't be fooled by the sponsored content on travel websites. Avoid at all cost!