Kinnotake Tōnosawa

This ryokan was the perfect resting place between Tokyo and Kyoto. The room was much larger than we were expecting with a very clean outdoor patio and private onsen. The staff was accommodating and professional. We especially appreciated Moria’s consistent attentiveness and warmth throughout our stay. It was also very much worth reserving the pool, sauna, and cold plunge for an hour (3,000 yen per person). Would definitely come back!

I cannot say enough good things about our stay at Kinnotake Tonosawa. It was the perfect way to celebrate and two days was not enough. Our room was gorgeous and our onsen overlooking a bamboo forest was so serene and an unforgettable experience. All of our meals looked like works of art and everything was delicious. All of the staff were so kind and thoughtful and really just made our stay so special. We also have to shout out Moriya who served us breakfast during the duration of our stay. He was so sweet and we loved learning about the different foods from him. Would love to return and recommend this ryokan to anyone who goes to Hakone.

What a disappointing end to a phenomenal trip to Japan. We stayed at this hotel for one night, and chose it based on the fact that they have great reviews, serve Wagyu, have a gym, and have a private onsen in each room. For almost $1k USD per night, we leave feeling ripped off. First: the food. The food was just not good. We paid an extra 33k yen to upgrade to a Wagyu lovers menu. 70% of the menu was seafood, with a few small beef dishes sprinkled in. The main course was only 40g (!) Wagyu each that we had to cook ourselves. The meat was chewy and you could find a better quality from a street vendor. Second: the service. The staff are junior, not helpful, and not welcoming. The service at both dinner and breakfast was deplorable. At dinner, they dropped off dishes like they were from a sushi conveyor belt without any description of the food. They looked at our empty glasses without asking if we wanted any refills. During breakfast, they served the first course before our drinks arrived. They never asked if we wanted coffee and seemed inconvenienced when we asked. They served the egg course at the same time as the prior course and so our eggs were cold by the time we started eating them. It felt like a tasting menu setup with airplane food (and actually worse than airplane service). Third: the tacky upcharges. As other reviews mentioned, they miss no opportunity to try to upsell you. There were laminated cards on dinner tables advertising ice cream and water for extra charge. You received free Peroni and cheap Prosecco, but then the cheapest glass of wine at dinner was $30 USD (and not good wine at that). I struggle writing a negative review but do so in hopes to save others from making the same mistake we did. The two positives I would highlight is that the private onsen is great and the location is beautiful. But you can find the same at another hotel that is likely cheaper and with level of luxury that is matching the price.

We decided to take an overnight trip to Hakone midway through our Tokyo stay. While researching, we wanted to avoid properties near Hakone Station, and since this was a last minute decision, many places were already fully booked. We ultimately chose Kinnotake Tōnosawa because the rooms appealed to us, and we selected the Hikari room in particular due to its warm wood themed design. For logistics, we arranged to drop off our luggage at Hakone Station and have it delivered directly to the hotel. We arrived around 4:00 pm, got off the bus, and walked across the bridge to the property. As we approached, a staff member came out to greet us and escorted us inside. She helped us get settled while another staff member handled the check in process. We were offered two dinner times, 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Since it was already close to 5:30, we chose the later option so we could enjoy the room first. We were also asked to select a breakfast time for the following morning, with options between 7:00 am and 9:00 am. I preferred 8:30 or 9:00, but the staff member assisting us repeatedly encouraged us to choose 8:00 or earlier, which felt somewhat unnecessary. The staff explained the yukata to my wife, asked for her size, and brought it shortly after along with welcome drinks and snacks. The room itself was enormous, especially compared to the smaller rooms typically found in Tokyo. The bed appeared to be two queen beds placed side by side, and it was easily the best night of sleep I have had in a long time. Dinner was one of the best meals we experienced during our trip. As others have mentioned, outside drinks are not allowed in the dining room, and everything is charged separately except for water and tea. The meal was a wonderful two hour experience, and our server, whose name I believe was Yobu, explained each course clearly and thoughtfully. The food itself was exceptional. The only issue during our stay occurred after dinner. When asked whether we wanted dessert in the dining room or the lobby, we chose the lobby. We then waited about fifteen minutes while our server was engaged in a conversation with another table about Australia. During that time, we saw guests who had arrived later than us and receive their dessert first. While I understand that friendly conversation is part of the experience, the delay and lack of awareness left a poor impression. Aside from this single misstep, our stay was exceptional, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time at the property.

My wife and I stayed at Kinnotake Tonosawa for our honeymoon. Our room was beautiful and the food was great. But what really stood out was the stand-out service from all of the wait staff, especially Hue and all the other staff that worked with us. Sharing this to encourage other visitors but also in sincere hope that our appreciation reaches them.

Honeymoon trip, it was a crazy experience. Honestly almost everything was perfect. We were just disappointed by the state of the toilet itself. It wasn't super clean, the spray was not working half of the time, we had to stand up and sit down to fix it. For an place that expensive it shouldn't be the case. Staff was extremely nice, food was great, watching the sunrise in a private onsen in really something.

The hotel is great, the service is amazing and very attentive. I would say there are things they can improve and imement to very easily become an even better option: 1. They have a system which is kind of confusing where you decide not to have room service for a 2000, 1000 or 500 yen coupon, depending on what you "skip" on room service. I didn't want any of those but felt forced by the person in the check in to take one. We took the 1000 yen coupon and our room was left like we left it, except for some trash taken out and towels changed. Bed wasn't made or service trays taken away. I feel like we're already paying a premium for a luxury hotel and then they have details that save less than 1% of the price. It's just not worth it especially if the system can't be clearly explained because of understandable language barriers. 2. All the food was very good, but you should know that the drinks during dinner time are an extra cost, and I don't mean that there are options that are extra cost. ALL drinks in dinner are charged, except for basic like tea and water. They can't serve the free of charge sparkling wine or beer you can drink in the lounge in the dining room, for example. Overall, would highly recommend & return, but I think it could be so easily improved if those two things are fixed.

Really enjoyed our stay here. We had the Tsuki room and took as much advantage of our private onsen as possible - it was insanely picturesque and tranquil looking out into the bamboo forest and hearing the constant trickle of water. Location is very convenient, just a 7-8 minute ride from Hakone Yumoto station. The bed in our room was HUGE lol, literally two queen beds pushed together into one massive plush area to sleep - it was great! Food - OMG it was fantastic. Both breakfast and dinner far exceeded our expectations, and we actually enjoyed breakfast even more for how much of a feast it was. We're from NYC and have a pretty high bar food-wise and this was absolutely the right ryokan for excellent meals. The only real negative which actually did annoy me quite a bit was how upon arrival they really try to upsell you on different addons, like the teppanyaki dinner option (extra ~$140 USD/pp), pushing you to use their private driver (3500 yen to Hakone Yumoto station, 6500 yen to Odawara - getting your own Uber/taxi is cheaper by half), and the private pool and sauna (~2000 yen pp). Thankfully this only happened on the first day, and by the second day they stopped pushing these options so we were actually able to enjoy the experience. Other small nits - the bathroom door doesn't close all the way? Just be prepared to hear absolutely all the bathroom activity from each person 🙃 The staff felt pretty new and sometimes overly deferential, though not sure if that's the norm or just my crude Western sensibilities speaking.

This review will not adequately do justice to how incredible our entire experience was. If you splurge on just one thing on your trip to Japan, this should be it, 100%, hands down. We were only here one night, but the sweet spot would've been to stay for two nights. From the time you show up to the time you leave, you are blanketed in a peaceful state of relaxation. The rooms are large and comfortable, but of course the hot springs on the balcony was perfection. We grabbed a bottle of sake to enjoy while we sat in silence and overlooked nature. The service here was impeccable and unlike anything I'd ever experienced. And the food... I don't even know where to begin. The food alone is worth what you pay to stay here. So many courses, each one more delicious than the last. It's a great introduction to Japanese cuisine. I would've paid good money to eat this meal at a restaurant. Cannot recommend them enough. Would definitely try and stay during your visit.

amazing, amazing, amazing. We only stayed one night because it was so pricey but it was WORTH IT. I think it is best to stay at least 2 nights. Man... it was soooo relaxing. Everyone was so nice. The dinner was Michelin level. Tasted awesome, service on point. Rooms were spacious, clean, very well kept. The personal hot spring was a good size. Easily fit two people.

Awesome hospitality and food! Minimal design with cozy and relaxing environment. 5 minute ride to yumoto station. Highly recommended!