Hakone Airu

“The most relaxing and comfortable experience”

The place is amazing, calm and comfortable with every step. The employees are really kind and helpful and they gather to receive you on your arrival with a hot drink to explain you about the place. We had the private onsen in our room which was fantastic, Japanese breakfast and dinner are a must ha… more

The place is amazing, calm and comfortable with every step. The employees are really kind and helpful and they gather to receive you on your arrival with a hot drink to explain you about the place. We had the private onsen in our room which was fantastic, Japanese breakfast and dinner are a must have, they plenty of flavours and is a really balanced meal. Bus stop is basically outside, so you can move around easily to enjoy the place, Hakone day pass recommended. Loved this place, will come again in next visit to Japan for sure.

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“Lovely hotel, good food but could use some maintenance.”

We booked this hotel for an anniversary and it was a lovely experience for the most part. I wish I knew the hotel was at the top of a steep hill, it was a hard trek up with luggage. The “shuttle” they offered was I think a town bus that only came once an hour and the schedule they had posted in the… more

We booked this hotel for an anniversary and it was a lovely experience for the most part. I wish I knew the hotel was at the top of a steep hill, it was a hard trek up with luggage. The “shuttle” they offered was I think a town bus that only came once an hour and the schedule they had posted in the lobby was different than the one posted at the stop. Check in was a nice process and the staff was attentive bringing a welcome drinks and making sure we were set for dinner/breakfast. The private dining was a treat and the food was all fantastic, I wish they would have asked us a bit more about the food because they brought a lot of seafood (the menu was large) which we don’t really eat and it felt wasteful. The room was nice in theory but the traditional table that is low to the ground was hard to sit in. The glass shower and the onsen are not fully private and what I mean by that is the balcony is exposed (the shower is on the balcony and glass) and if people in neighboring hotels and houses really wanted to watch you shower they could. It was a little uncomfortable but after a few minutes I didn’t care and enjoyed the onsen. They said they could provide a privacy shield but it would block your entire fee and actually not cover the whole space so we opted just to go for it. They said in the book you can call to adjust the temp of the onsen but when we asked for it to be turned down (it got extremely hot) they said it was automatic. I would have enjoyed the onsen A LOT more if I could get them to turn the temp down a bit, when it’s 90 out you don’t really want to sent in extremely hot water. I had the best nights sleep on the beds they set up at dinner, although my husband said he was uncomfortable LOL. I also felt like there were elements of the hotel that I couldn’t get past, there were stains on the tatami mats and nicks all over the wooden walls. When I’m paying close to $700 a night I expected the rooms to be pristine so that was a disappointment. The staff was really nice, no one we came across spoke English that well so language was a bit of an issue at times.

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“Nice Ryokan in Hakone”

This was a really authentic ryokan and onsen experiencxe. Our room was nice. Very traditionally Japanese and had its own private outdoor onsen. It was very clean and very pleasant with views over the mountains. Some attention is needed to rooms as some are showing signs of age. Staff were generally… more

This was a really authentic ryokan and onsen experiencxe. Our room was nice. Very traditionally Japanese and had its own private outdoor onsen. It was very clean and very pleasant with views over the mountains. Some attention is needed to rooms as some are showing signs of age. Staff were generally very helpful and pleasant. Language differences caused some difficulties, but mostly OK. Set menu food supply was huge and the private dining areas were very pleasant. We couldn't finish some meals because of the amount of food. The ryokan is within walking distance of Hakone town and is worth the effort. We would recommend this place.

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“Private Onsen is great but the value is lacking and this hotel needs improvement”

We recently stayed at the Balinese Onsen Ryokan, and while the overall experience was enjoyable, there were several areas that could use improvement. To start with the positives: the location was serene, and the staff were exceptionally warm and welcoming. I appreciated how friendly everyone was t… more

We recently stayed at the Balinese Onsen Ryokan, and while the overall experience was enjoyable, there were several areas that could use improvement. To start with the positives: the location was serene, and the staff were exceptionally warm and welcoming. I appreciated how friendly everyone was throughout our stay. The futon and linens were soft and very comfortable. I also really liked the quality of the skincare products Improvement Needed: Room Comfort Upon Arrival: When we were shown to our room, the air conditioning had not been turned on. The space felt hot and humid, which was uncomfortable after traveling. The room should have been pre-cooled to a comfortable temperature. Onsen Water Temperature: The onsen water was set to 40°C (104°F), which felt far too hot, especially during spring. Unfortunately, adjusting the temperature required calling the front desk, which was inconvenient. A slightly cooler setting would have made the experience more enjoyable. Dinner Service: While the dinner itself was tasty, a few things could have been better. There should be a basic drink included, such as tea or soda. I ordered a soda and asked for a refill, which resulted in two separate charges—this felt petty for a luxury ryokan. Also, while I appreciated that there was a printed menu, the font size was extremely small—some sections were nearly impossible to read without a magnifying glass. Lack of Dining Instructions: When the meat and vegetables were served, we were left unsure of what to do. Were we supposed to remove the paper underneath? Use the tongs to flip the food? Some simple guidance would have gone a long way in making the meal feel more relaxed. Sensor Light in the Room: At night, the motion-sensor light kept turning on with the slightest movement—even just shifting in bed. This continued throughout the night and disrupted our sleep. Sliding Door: It would be a nice touch if the hotel installed a screen door for the sliding glass door. This would allow guests to enjoy the sound of the onsen water without worrying about bugs. Breakfast Service: During breakfast, the call button at our table wasn’t working. I needed a water refill but no one checked in on us after delivering the food. Also, the soup came without any explanation, and I had to ask the server for instructions. Based on this experience, I would give the stay 3 out of 5 stars.

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