Hanaori

Located just three minutes’ walk from Togendai Station via its private passage, the hotel’s location is genuinely unbeatable. From the moment you step into the lobby, you’re enveloped by a tranquil, artfully designed space—and the restaurant carries that same calm, elegant vibe. Every member of the team greets you with genuine warmth and a smile, setting a positive tone for your entire stay. We stayed in one of the rooms with a private open-air bath, which was an absolute highlight. The room itself was spotless and generously proportioned, with a plush bed and a full range of amenities that made us feel completely at home. We also booked the private onsen experience—well worth the extra fee—especially since we preferred to skip the more crowded public baths. A couple of minor drawbacks: the buffet menus for breakfast and dinner changed very little from day to day, and our room was in the last block, making for a roughly five-minute walk back to the lobby. Neither issue overshadowed the overall excellence of our stay, but they’re worth keeping in mind if you’re planning a multi-night visit. Overall, this hotel strikes an ideal balance between premium amenities, thoughtful design, and top-notch service. Whether you’re here for the views, the onsen, or simply easy access to Togendai Station, it’s hard to beat.

We stayed at Hanaori for 2 nights as the start of a 2 week trip to Japan and it was fantastic. There is a free shuttle that you can pre-book after reserving your room that will pick and drop you off at Odawara station. The hotel's location is fantastic for sightseeing as it is just minutes walk away from the Hakone ropeway at Togendai, which is also where the pirate cruise to the other end of Lake Ashi departs from. The staff are very polite, friendly, and helpful (quick to assist with directions, requests for hot water in the lobby, saw them helping a group with taking pictures). There is a footbath just outside the lobby which is a nice spot for a quick rest to your feet after a long travel day. The meals at the hotel are buffet style - breakfast doesn't require reservations but dinner does. You get a QR code at check-in to book your times. The food was pretty good - though I do wish there were different options night to night for dinner as we stayed 2 nights and the choices were identical. Breakfast options did change slightly from day 1 to 2. The drinks including wine/sake is also free flow at dinner. We booked a room with a private balcony bath which was lovely - there is a trade off of no lake view. But it was nice to soak whenever we wanted. They offer yukata and samue (pajamas) available that you can wear around the hotel and to the public baths. It was fun choosing from the selection. The overall feel of the hotel is very relaxing and serene.

Weekend pricing is predatory, charging 2x extra for just a normal weekend. Service is low-end for the price point, and even basics like proper beds are lacking. They charge 50% extra for a third person but don’t provide an extra bed, instead turning the sofa into one, which feels cheap when the mattress cover shifts away. Buffet doesn’t offer much for mains unless you’re a big drinker, though sashimi and desserts are okay. The selection overall is limited and feels like an attempt to cater to international guests. The public onsen leaks when it rains, with big drops falling into the bath, and the view is poor. Rooms barely resemble a Japanese onsen hotel, with only one small tatami section, making them feel cost-cutting. Beds slide freely and we nearly fell off multiple times while asleep. We had to carry our luggage ourselves through two buildings and elevators, unlike other hotels at similar prices where staff assist. Internet is bad, often cutting off or showing weak signal. The only appeal was the location and the dinner + breakfast buffets, but they were not amazing. Choose other hotels if you are looking for a mid-high end hotel experience. We will not be coming back again.

Some quick tips in advance, if your coming straight here from the Odawara and not plan to sight see during the day, or plan to leave immediately the next day, the hotel offers a bus shuttle service that takes you from and to Odawara so book in advance it's first come first serve. As for other tips try to get here early if you want to book massages or earlier dinner reservations those get filled fast. Also if you plan to take the cruise or ropeway there's an entrance towards the back of the hotel that was a lot faster getting there instead of the main entrance you would come from. Back to the review. A bit out of the way to get there but get there early if you want to be able to book massages or want to have an earlier slot for dinner because it gets booked up fast. I booked the deluxe room where I had access to a open air hot bath on the balcony, and that itself was such a great experience and would come back for that alone again. The view of the lake was unfortunately blocked by trees from the room I was in, but was still serviceable. Food was great had a selection between Western / Eastern cuisine, and if your lucky in the morning you might be treated to a phenomenal view of the lake as your enjoying breakfast.

Really enjoyed our stay at this hotel, no fake service and really practical service that we needed as a family. The front desk were very helpful and was able to answer questions we asked without much language barrier. The outdoor onsen bath were also up to our standards. All recreation areas and rooms were clean which was crucial to us. The views facing the lake aishi was also amazingly beautiful. We didn’t have much expectation for the buffet but it was a lot better than we anticipated for both dinner and breakfast, compared to usual buffets offered at other hotels in the area. Hope the hotel keeps up with this quality and we shall comeback should we visit Hakone again!

A beautiful hotel in a wonderful setting, with incredible views over Lake Ashi. The food was delicious. We loved having a bath on the balcony to relax and unwind after a busy trip around Japan. We also enjoyed wearing traditional yukatas during our stay (these were located on the yukata shelf on the 2nd floor near the lifts and amenity bar) the samue loungewear (medium size provided in the bedrooms, with a size small or large stored in the drawer below if needed or these can be requested at the Reception desk). The hotel is perfectly located next to the Hakone Ropeway cable car station (Togendai station) to visit Owakudani for spectacular views of Mt Fuji and see the volcanic valley and sulphurous vents. We would have liked to have stayed longer. Thank you to the hotel staff team for making our stay so memorable and for their support ahead of our visit over email to confirm arrangements for the shuttle bus between the hotel and Odawara Station, dinner reservations and reserving the private bath.

Hanaori is a long way up the mountain - be prepared for a journey. The resort is massive, so you may have a long walk to get to the amenities Buffet is outstanding and some of the best food I had during my two weeks in Japan. The public baths were outstanding and facilities were kept extremely clean. What could have been improved: staff did not have many English speaking, and even with my broken Japanese, I had some problems communicating. During portions of my stay, I could not find staff and rang bell for service. Grabbing drinks in the lounge took a long time because of this. Lounge would benefit from more seating, more umbrellas and seats at foot bath. For such a large hotel, these accommodations were not enough for the amount of guests.

Given the location, this hotel seems decent — but beyond that, there is nothing worth recommending. First, for a 1-night stay with two meals at what is supposed to be a hot spring hotel, the experience is extremely disappointing. The “onsen” is not real hot spring water at all — just regular heated water. The meals are also very poor; any proper ryokan offering dinner and breakfast will serve food far superior to this. The only thing some people might find appealing is the all-you-can-drink hard liquor offered during meals. If you are here mainly to drink, perhaps this hotel would suit you. Now regarding the service: the beds slide freely on the floor, and if you are not careful, you may end up sitting on the ground. When I reported this to the front desk manager, the response I received was, “Then just be careful when you sit.” That alone tells you everything you need to know — the level of service here is essentially nonexistent.