Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

I would like to update my review, as everything I requested was fulfilled in the best possible way. A special thanks to Mr. Manoj Shrestha for his understanding and assistance — here they respond instantly to guests’ requests. We will definitely return next year to our beloved Ten-Yu! This is the best hotel with a waterfall and a breathtaking sunrise in the onsens — absolute beauty and pure zen. The rooms are spacious, with the option to sleep on tatami, which for me is pure happiness and delight. The restaurant deserves special praise! The quality of the ingredients and the taste of the dishes are simply outstanding. Every day, fresh tuna was expertly prepared right in front of us, and we were immediately served. Sushi, sashimi, wagyu steaks, lobsters, caviar, and much more — the buffet tables were literally overflowing with delicacies. The hotel is conveniently located, surrounded by a beautiful forest and a river. We will be coming back for the third time — after Ten-Yu, it’s hard to imagine anything better or more comfortable. Thank you so much for your warm hospitality!

Arrived a bit before check in available but no problem waiting as in the lounge/reception area as they have free wine, tea, coffee, and ice creams from the vending machines.|Our room was very impressive - the size of the room, the tonings, furniture - all extremely well thought out. We had a balcony where i enjoyed time in the tub filled with hot mineral water. All the essentials are supplied, you want for nothing! We had booked in including breakfast and dinner. The first night dinner was a japanese style fine dining gustation in a lovely private area - our first proper taste of the food and we loved it. The breakfast was buffet style with plenty of choices - the only item we found missing was cheese??|We had two wonderful nights here and would recommend this to anyone - a very enjoyable stay in a great surrounding area with plenty to check out ( use their shuttle bus to get around ).

We enjoyed our one night stay at this hotel. We didn’t have good weather to enjoy our time in Hakone (dense fog and high winds). But our time in the onsen here made up for that! We were checked in quickly and the room was pretty large- loved the outside swing seat. Family of 4 (parents and young adult children) all enjoyed wearing our yukatas throughout the building. We had dinner the first night and enjoyed the many courses- food was delicious! Daughter enjoyed the free ice cream in the lobby. Then we tried the onsen- our first time experiencing one. Very relaxing to soak in the hot waters. There were large inside pools as well as outdoor ones. Really nice that the men’s + women’s are rotated. Both offer a sauna and a cold water plunge pool. Breakfast was very large with many food choices. It is a large hotel style but the onsen were not crowded. Glad we were able to have such a nice experience for the onsen! Would stay here again!

We had booked this place as it was one of the top 100 onsen in Japan. As my partner wanted a private hot spring in the room, after visiting Mount Fuji we decided to come here. The staff were helpful and we were welcome by like 5 staff at the entrance, we drove ourself here so transport wise was convenient for us. We had a wonderful view in our room, as they are celebrating their 8th anniversary. There is free water park / hot spring just next to the building, food wise was convenient as there is a few restaurants that serve lunch and dinner. On the 1st night, we had booked for their dinner buffet. Price is on the pricey side, 3YO you need to pay for buffet too. But it was a good spread of sashimi and other food. Experience was quite good. But will not go again for the buffet. We are lucky to see live music 1st & 2nd May We came as 2 adults & 2 kids (3 & 6), they love best is the private onsen tub in the room & water park/hotspring. Overall the experience was good and staff are helpful. If we were to come Hakone in future, we will definitely stay here again.

Stayed for 2 nights in February and it was the best stop on our trip. The hotel lobby is beautiful (you can catch the sunrise there), the rooms are large and comfortable, there are 2 onsens which are each charming in their own way. The buffet breakfast and dinner were both excellent and kept us full for a whole day of activities. It was a very memorable experience for us and this was capped off by the jazz performances every evening at the lobby which we enjoyed thoroughly.

Honestly, we booked one night and wished we booked for more. From the moment of walking into the hotel, we were treated with the true traditional Ryokan feel but with a modern touch to the building and rooms itself. Our room was on the 9th floor, and contained a massage chair which is only available in 9th floor rooms. Our room was stunning, with tatami flooring, and full sized beds. The room was also equipped with a Onsen bath which weade full use of in the afternoon and evening. It is big enough to fit two small-medium sized individuals. We went for our honeymoon, which was known by those serving us as we were given complimentary bar & lounge access for some free drinks and snacks, and at the end of dinner we were surprised with a lovely desert. All the staff were incredible and made us feel very comfortable. Our dinner itself was also incredible and made us try new food sorts that we wouldn't have if it wasn't placed in front of us, we really enjoyed the experience. Especially being able to go down in our Yukatas. We were also shocked to see that all guests got complimentary all you can have ice cream and some other drinks too which was really nice. Due to the high winds, we were unable to do what we wanted in Hakone, but the hotel made up for that. We plan on booking another stay in the future.

Despite some reviews, I was initially hesitant to book this hotel, worrying it might affect our trip. However, everything turned out to be wonderful from the moment we arrived. We were warmly welcomed, the room was comfortable, and the buffet meals exceeded our expectations. I chose this hotel because of its relaxing amenities—an outdoor onsen, a small garden, and a foot-bath area—all of which added to the experience. Considering it includes both breakfast and dinner, I’d say the price is reasonable. It’s not cheap, but for a hot spring resort near Tokyo, it’s fair. If you’re looking for true 5-star luxury, you’d likely need to spend over $1000 per night. My parents and I had a lovely time here. We enjoyed local activities like taking the scenic railway and going on a river cruise—all went smoothly. The only slight inconvenience was the shuttle schedule, which didn’t always align with our plans, so we ended up taking taxis ($10–15) to nearby stations and to the Pola Museum. All in all, we had a great stay. Have a fun trip

This is the best ryokan so far for my family. The best point of this place is dinner and breakfast. We came here twice while 1st time we had kaiseki set dinner and 2nd we tried buffet which both of them were superb. It feel fund to have buffet while feel luxury when had fine dining set menu. The strongest point of all meal in this hotel are material quality and varieties.Public open air bath is great because location of this place is on the mountain and fresh air is the thing to remember and appreciate. Service and hospitality in hotel was so impressive. Averagely this place is about double of other ryokan in the same area but I feel cheap when compare to other place that price is only half but feel expensive when compare with Hakone kowakien tenyu.I would suggest to book fine dining set menu for your first time. When you choose this hotel please try the month that weather is cold since it will increase the satisfaction of enjoying open air bath.

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!

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.

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.

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!