Karaku, Gora

Even before our arrival, communications through email were prompt and courteous, explaining the meal plans we had reserved (Japanese dinner and breakfast, Teppanyaki dinner, western breakfast), meal times, and their shuttle to and from Odawara train station. They also gave us the name of a car transport company, which we used to take us to Haneda Airport after check out. It was more costly than taking the train, but its comfort and convenience made it worthwhile.||Our stay was exceptional. The rooms are comfortable, the food is outstanding (and plentiful), the facilities are beautiful, and the service is kind and courteous. Of course having a private onsen on your balcony is a treat, as is their lounge with complimentary snacks and beverages. We also reserved massages at their spa and they were wonderful.||Finally, Gora Karaku is a convenient two minute walk to the Gora station to begin the cable car—ropeway—Lake Ashi boat cruise.||Highly recommend staying at Gora Karaku when visiting the Hakone area.

I'm not quite sure how to begin my review. From the moment I stepped into the hotel, I felt like royalty; the hotel staff were incredibly professional and the check-in process was seamless. The room and the view left me speechless and was like a heaven. There’s a lounge that mainly offers drinks, coffee, and tea. While the selection of finger foods is limited, it’s definitely worth the wait for dinner. The restaurant staff were very knowledgeable about the food and drinks, and they were absolutely wonderful. The presentation of the dishes was stunning. I am truly grateful for all the services and meals, and I feel very proud to have chosen Hotel Karaku. I can't wait to return!

We travel to Japan several times a year and have stayed at more than ten different onsen hotels—in places like Kyoto, Izu, Kawaguchiko, Kanazawa, and Takayama. Almost every hotel has left us with wonderful memories in terms of service and cuisine. However, this onsen hotel was by far the worst we’ve ever stayed at, in every aspect. 1. The room was extremely small. The cups were plastic, the traditional Japanese wooden bath bucket was replaced with a plastic one, and even the slippers were plastic—more like what you’d expect from a 3-star business hotel. 2. The staff all wore expressionless “poker faces” and delivered their explanations like they were reading from a pre-recorded script. Not to mention they have mixed up our dinner time several times although it was pre-confirmed by email communications. 3. The meals, which are usually the highlight of any Japanese onsen stay, were extremely disappointing—small portions and very mediocre taste, and use cheap ingredients. Plus, the ceiling light in the dining room was so bright like a spot light which makes the whole dinner experience very uncomfortable. And plates and bowls they use are very cheap too. All in all, this hotel was a disaster. It felt like we paid to suffer. P.S. furthermore, many bugs in the rooms

We were looking for onsen with private bath on the balcony and probably hit the sweet spot.Unfortunately we had only 1 night stay, but it was fantastic.Onsen is located at the top station Gora, where you can get from Odawara. That’s around 2 hours from Tokyo all together, around 3 hours from Kyoto. Last 2 sections of the way are going through a picturesque steep railway. Views are great! Be sure to rush to the front or back seats (doesn’t matter which) to secure a spot for nice photographs.Private bath is fantastic, rooms are clean and spacious with a touch of ryokan style (tatami etc). That’s a perfect place to sit and relax doesn’t matter it’s sunshine or pooring rain outside.The food was fantastic (according to my wife), however the options are limited if you’re not eating fish or sea products due to allergy or other reasons. For Karaku team - I would suggest adding a signature wagyu set for those who would like something else. Selection of wine and alcohol drinks is superb. Free snacks and coffee are available till 8 p.m. as well with a view terrace. For those who like some regular conbini stuff - Lawson is around 10 mins walk with Miyazaki style trains passing by👌🏻All in all, we wish we had stayed at least 2 nights as there are lots of activities around. Thanks to Karaku staff for a warm welcome and tailored experience!

Loved the location, 3 minutes from the station and city park. The views were gorgeous. Private hot spring bath in the balcony definitely the highlight of the room. The front desk and spa service was incredible. Miss Fuji gave me the best spa experience of my life, and I feel like it will be worth to travel back to Japan just to see her again. The restaurant was my least favourite part. I felt like the price was not worth it, so if I to come back in Gora I would not chose the food package and just dine in the city. The service there was also way too slow.

This was a beautiful ryokan tucked away yet still super accessible to Gora Station, which made access to many sightseeing places very easy, including the Sounzan cable car to head toward Okuwadani, and the Hakone Open Air Museum was simply a stop away. Gora Park is only a 5 minute walk. We stayed for 2 nights, and the service I received from the staff was at the sterling standard that one can come to expect at high-end stays in Japan. The food is phenomenal; our dinner for both nights was in the Tomura Grill Restaurant, which served us a 5-course meal, complete with an appetizer, a pork dish, a fish dish, a beef dish, and dessert, with a refreshing palate cleanser in between the pork and fish. Local ingredients were used, and each course was masterfully prepared by the chef. Although we stayed for two nights, the dishes still varied enough, and of course, we weren't mad about eating that amazing wagyu two nights in a row. And the desserts at the end were-- *chef's kiss*-- incredible and fit right into what you can expect from a place with $$$$ on Yelp, if ya know what I mean. Breakfast was definitely a lighter affair, but don't get me wrong; we still waddled out of the dining area. We had requested to have the western breakfast one morning and the Japanese breakfast the next, and they were kind enough to accommodate. Which was great, because I would be remiss to skip out on the Japanese breakfast and not get a beautiful pair of chopsticks to take home as a gift! In between breakfast and dinner, we never found ourselves at a loss for anything to eat or drink as there is a lounge that all guests can access, with tea, soda, alcohol, and light bites. While not 24/7, the hours for which it was open worked well with our schedule, and we'd oftentimes pop in for a can of Coke Zero or two. Of course, if you're going to a ryokan, you're gonna be soaking in some hot springs, and one of my favorite things about Karaku is getting my own private open-air bath on the balcony. We had gotten the Karaku Western-style room on the top-most floor of the annex building, and being able to soak, relax, and simply vibe with the beauty of Hakone's landscape was exactly what I needed after trekking through a few cities. As for the larger public open-air onsen, they are separated by gender, so as a couple, what we did was rent out the Silk no Yu bath and the Hinoki bath. And while the Hinoki bath was beautiful with its wood accents, we would have been happy with our balcony bath. The views were simply unbeatable. Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at Karaku and felt like I got what I wanted for the premium price tag. It is less traditional and a little more western than some other ryokans, but the luxury is not understated. I especially commend our chef, Ikuhiro Akazaki-- not only is he skilled, he is great dinner company, and we didn't even need to remind him how we liked our beef cooked on our second night. He truly made our stay at Karaku a memorable one and prepared us incredibly delicious Kanazawa and Kyushu beef tenderloin. Thank you so much Chef Ikuhiro!!

An outstanding hotel experience. What truly sets this place apart is the exceptional staff — incredibly attentive, genuinely kind, and consistently willing to go the extra mile to ensure a pleasant stay. Their professionalism and warmth made a lasting impression. The overall service, facilities, cleanliness, and food were all excellent, but it was the remarkable hospitality of the team that made the experience truly memorable

The best hotel of our entire Japan honeymoon! Thank you to every single staff member, especially chef Ikuhiro Akazaki who cooked the best dinner for us! It was so excellent, we wish we had stayed longer than 2 nights. One day we will come back!