Hoshino Resorts KAI Sengokuhara

Sharing our experience in the hope others will find the information useful. We spent two nights here. Three key observations. SERVICE Bluntly the service was nowhere near good enough. Throughout the stay. A number of staff were clearly trying their best but it felt like we were being looked after by trainees. Three examples: on arrival we waited for 25 minutes in reception, with no one else waiting, no check outs or other check ins, with almost zero information or updates. The only contact with the sole member of staff was when she came over to us and said 'you have booked dinner for 7.30, it will be very busy, we advise you to re-book at 5.30pm'. We said no thanks, not least as it didn't suit us but also as we'd booked 7.30 many weeks before (as it turned out it was almost eerily quiet at 7.30 ... one wonders whether they were trying to get all guests seated in that single early sitting). She then returned 10 minutes later to ask if we were sure whether we wanted fresh towels every day (bear in mind we hadn't even checked in at this point). We asked to book a cab to the local (Odawara) station on departure. We were told it was 'very hard'. We were subsequently told it was taken care of, but then - over the following 6 hours, including twice at dinner that evening by two different hotel employees - we were asked, 'do you need a cab, today? tomorrow?'. These are the simple things, the small things that should be automatically removed from guests' list of worries. But they were elevated into enormous concerns, because we ended up having zero faith in their ability to do these basics. It's fascinating to read other comments of previous guests and see *exactly the same* conversations were had at check in - 'dinner will be very busy, we advise you to eat much earlier'; this wasn't a one off issue, it's a strange and unsettling *policy* that the hotel clearly embraces. FOOD Again, to speak plainly, the food was not nearly good enough. The fixed menu provided zero flexibility, and while it purported to be 'gourmet' it was in fact largely inedible. We're not saying this as 'westerners, with delicate palates'. We're used to eating local food, wherever we go. We love that experience of the unknown. But here simple things were not right - rice that was totally dried out, fish that didn't taste fresh, soggy tempura. The food was over fussy and under flavoured. Fancy looking but not tasty. On top of that we requested no beef or pork for one of our party but were told changes to the menu needed to be made at least 5 days in advance. This is not good enough. It's the basics, not the hard stuff. The breakfast on day one was so bleak (and inflexible) that we opted to forego it on day two (whilst paying for it, which seemed fair). The seated experience in the restaurant was somewhat ghoulish and unsettling, positioned in single tables in semi-isolation, served by hesitant staff who one felt were not huge fans of the food they were serving either. The wine list was beyond primitive, one local undrinkable white and red by the glass - you have more choice in a Travelodge in the UK. VIBE Overall the feel of the place was odd. The rooms were fantastic, beautifully done, serenely quiet. The views were wonderful. The private onsen was excellent. But that aside there was a sense of welcome and a spirit of warmth missing. The only communal area was the lobby. No bar. No coffee or tea shop. Only Nespresso-style coffee on offer in reception. Plenty of expensive looking marble, but a distinct lack of hospitality or genuine customer service. Three final points. One, to stress, many of the staff seemed to be doing their best, acting as they were instructed. But the overall experience was poor, and nowhere near befitting a £600+ per night property. Two, this review might seem like a whinge, it's not - it is both our right as guests paying thousands of pounds to stay somewhere, and our duty to our fellow travelers. Three, Hakone is stunning and we will be back. Just not at KAI Sengokuhara.

I recently stayed at Hoshino Resorts KAI Sengokuhara and had a genuinely relaxing and enjoyable experience. The Japanese-style onsen room was spacious and thoughtfully designed, offering plenty of room to unwind and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. The food and hospitality stood out as exceptional. Every meal was beautifully prepared and full of flavor, and the staff were warm, attentive, and welcoming throughout my stay. However, there were a few areas that could benefit from better maintenance. The only available drinking water seemed to be from the tap. While it may be safe to drink, there was no clear signage confirming this, which left some uncertainty. In the bathroom, I noticed that the wooden wall panels were beginning to show signs of water damage. There were visible discoloration marks and what looked like the early stages of mold. It seems the wood used is not fully water-resistant, and it would be a good idea to have it refinished and treated with a waterproof coating to prevent further deterioration. I also noticed that the private onsen bath had a bit more algae buildup than expected. While this may occur naturally, more frequent cleaning and inspection would enhance the overall experience. Despite these small issues, I truly enjoyed my stay. The overall atmosphere, the food, and the service were all outstanding. With a bit more attention to the condition of the physical facilities, the experience would be even more in line with the high standards that Hoshino Resorts is known for.

Everything about our stay, including the rooms, the private onsen, the location, and the food, was excellent. However, I have to take a star off for the quality of the service at dinner, which was meant to be the highlight of our stay. Everything felt rather rushed, and the waiter sometimes tried to take our food away even before we were finished with it. I do not believe we took longer than normal to finish our dishes, so it was a little jarring. I understand that there is a time limit on how long the dinner can last, but some flexibility would have been nice. Despite the rather fast pace of changing dishes, we also did not feel that the staff was paying enough attention to our requests, such as ordering more water or other drinks. It really felt like the staff was only there to get us through the dinner as quickly as possible, not allowing for any interruptions or pauses. I understand that this may be how a kaiseki dinner works, but I have had similar dinners before in ryokans of similar status, and never felt this rushed. If this is the result of having the dinners in the dining room instead of the guest rooms, it might be a good idea to review the dinner timeline to allow for more space for both the guests and the staff.

A truly memorable short stay n Hakone. A great location for jumping on a bus on the Hakone loop… 15 / 20 mins (inc the walk from the hotel) and you are at the terminus for the Rope way and the Pirate boat trip across the lake.||The accommodation (with just 16 rooms) just oozes quality and tranquility with every room having its own private balcony with hot bath to soak in. Beds, whilst traditional, are so comfy!||Now… for the main event! The food…. OMG what a truly amazing experience… breakfast and dinner… and whilst super quality and beautifully (and privately) served in your own booth have a total quantity to blow even the biggest eaters! ||Wonderful service and to close… I’m not sure where a couple of the ridiculous reviews have come from but they are obviously either an error or are trying it on…. Try for yourself - you won’t be disappointed. ||Huge thank you to the staff for such a wonderful experience this week.

Second time experience in KAI resort. It was inevitable to compare this resort to another one in Kirishima. Both places have a great quality of food. But I enjoyed various food and sake selections from Kirishima. It was disappointing to see the drink menu. Overall experience at Kai resort was great. I definitely recommend this place for family trip!

Stayed two nights, seemed like just the right amount of time. We stayed in the annex building, room 109. Very quiet, very private and the personal onsen was fantastic as we used it multiple times each day. In fact, we never had a need to try the larger, public onsen on site. It was a real treat to change into the sumae for the duration and just relax around the facility. For our arrival afternoon we spent some time doing art on a themed towel. This was super relaxing and very enjoyable, even for someone with little artistic talent like myself. Dinner we upgraded one of the nights and I would recommend as we got to enjoy a memorable hot rock cooking experience. Each dinner meal was eight courses with tons of items to try. Breakfast was also a large platter of various items. The staff was very, very accommodating. They would talk into ear pieces with each other to coordinate our arrival, they did research on our home city and chatted about it at dinner with us too! They even noted that we visited near a birthday and made a special gesture without even requesting. The location is not really around anything, but that's the point of a hotel like this. We did take one afternoon to ride the Hakone Ropeway, which was only a 15 minute bus ride to Togendai Station. You could also ride the lake cruise if you wish but we didn't want to take too much time away from our hotel and onsen. Overall, this place was a fantastic respite between our time in Tokyo and Kyoto and I would gladly return.

one of the best hotels i’ve stayed in. its quite some ways away from the train station but that’s a plus as the relatively remote location means its quiet, serene and out of this world beautiful. we arrived late late fall so got to see some lovely colours around the hotel. we booked a room with an outdoor bath on the balcony, that was amazing. hotel staff were very helpful. hotel grounds were gorgeous this time of the year. there isn’t necessarily that much to do around town, aside from the known tourist attractions so its a nice hotel to really relax and kick back in. already planning my next trip back.

Beautiful room and facilities, the mealtimes are made very special by the attentive staff and the food is good. The meals are incredibly generous in size!||We found staff to be friendly and most spoke a good level of conversational English which was really helpful. The room and onsen was spotless and the beds really comfortable.||We found it easy to get around Hakone via the local bus and other modes of transport. The staff provided us with a timetable and directions to the correct stop If you have mobility issues the short walk to the bus stop is steep. My only criticism is that we were offered a taxi but then told there are no taxis and to get the bus to the station - fine by us but if we had a lot of luggage I think that would have been pretty stressful. Overall a great stay and I would definitely stay again!