What kind of resort hotel is Hakone Hisui Hotel?
My grandmother, who is in a wheelchair, wanted to visit Pola Museum of Art in Hakone, so we visited Hakone in mid-May, when the area is beautiful with fresh greenery. Since my grandmother was with us this time, we decided to travel by car from Tokyo. We left Tokyo around 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, but due to heavy traffic on the expressway, we did not arrive in Hakone until after 12:00 noon. It was a wonderful May weekend in the season, and as usual, everywhere was crowded. We had lunch at a soba noodle restaurant near Hakone Hisui, where we would be staying tonight, and checked in around 2:30pm.
As we parked our car in the parking lot and got out, we heard the sound of running water coming from nowhere, and in front of us was a garden with wonderful fresh greenery. The approach from the parking lot to the main entrance had columns and walls made of stylish black stone, with water cascading from above like a small waterfall. Entering through the automatic door, one found an open-air lobby with a vaulted ceiling. It was furnished with sophisticated furniture, an auto-playing piano, and a stylish fireplace with a fire lit. This is a members-only resort hotel, but only eight of the 70 rooms are available for non-members to stay.
When we arrived at the atrium lobby, our eyes were first drawn to the beautiful fresh green garden spread out before us. The season of autumn leaves was wonderful, but the season of fresh green leaves in May and June was also impressive. Here, we completed check-in procedures while looking at the fresh greenery, and were escorted to our rooms by the staff. This time, we booked an accessible standard room facing the courtyard for my grandmother who is in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, there were no accessible rooms with a private hot spring bath. However, my grandmother was happy to have a view of the courtyard from the bathroom as well. This room had a capacity of three people and was comfortable for my husband and I and my wheelchair-bound grandmother without any steps in between. The living room and bedroom were on the right as we entered the room, and the bathroom was on the left. The bathroom is spacious, but unfortunately it is not a hot spring bath. Then, in the living room, there was a big daybed, a sofa, and a TV. In front of the living room was a spacious balcony. For a while, we enjoyed coffee here with our grandmother while listening to the sound of the flowing waterfall.
After that, my grandmother took a nap because she was tired, and we headed to the communal hot spring baths. We left the hotel building and strolled through the gardens to the hot spring building on the grounds. After entering the building, we took off our slippers and walked down the corridor, where the uneven wooden floor felt good on our feet. The communal hot spring baths had a wonderful outdoor baths and an indoor baths. The milky-white outodor baths with the murmuring of the stream were especially wonderful.
There was also a lounge in front of the entrance to the communal baths where one could relax and enjoy the view of the garden, and a library next to it. Between the lounge and the library, there was a door leading out into the garden. We opened that door, went out into the courtyard, and walked down the slope to the footbath. By this time, the sun had set and the garden was dark, but it was faintly lit up and had a relaxing atmosphere. We enjoyed the footbath for a while. Soaking in the footbath and looking out over the garden, the air was cold, but it slowly warmed our feet and felt good.
Back in our room, we were getting hungry so we headed to the restaurant called Ichiyu on the first floor of the front building. Whenever we stay in this area, we usually go to the Japanese restaurant called Hanasai near the resort hotel, which is reasonably priced and delicious, but this time, we chose the restaurant on the grounds for convenience. We had the teppanyaki course. The main dish of Yamagata beef was especially special. After dinner we went to the lobby with a nice view, but no one was there. We were told that it would be a bar at night, but to our disappointment it was empty. We wanted to have a drink next to the fireplace while listening to the automatic piano, but we went back to our room and ordered a bottle of champagne from room service.
The next day, we woke up before 7:00 a.m. and took a walk in the gardens with our grandmother. From the garden, we could see the majestic Hakone mountains. The fresh greenery glistened in the morning sun, and the colors were different from those of the daytime. We could hear the chirping of a Japanese bush warbler in the distance. The morning in Hakone was colder than expected compared to Tokyo, so we warmed our feet for a while in the footbath in the garden.
After this, we had breakfast at the restaurant where we had dinner yesterday. For breakfast, you can choose between Japanese and Western breakfast. All the breakfasts we had while looking at the garden were delicious, but none of the dishes left a special impression on me. The portions were also average. Then there do not seem to be any private rooms, but the tables are spaced far enough apart so that diners can dine in a relaxed setting.
We took another dip in the communal hot spring baths before checking out and headed to Pola Museum of Art before 11:00. The architecture of the museum was very unique, and the huge space created by the glass and the beautiful fresh green forest reflected in the glass were in perfect harmony.
If I were to dare to raise a drawback, it is that this is a resort hotel like a condominium, so it is not suitable for those who want to experience Japanese style in a ryokan, but it is a very convenient accommodation for people with disabilities like my grandmother, wheelchair users, and families with small children. Also, the lobby has a lovely view on a nice day, but was empty except at check-in time. It would have been great if the lobby had a place to relax and take advantage of the complimentary beverages.
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TOP5 Best Hotels and Ryokans for Families in Hakone
Is the location easy to access?
There are several ways to get to the resort hotel, but I will write about the easiest way.
If you are going from Tokyo Station, take the Shinkansen bullet train to JR Odawara Station. From there, there is a hotel shuttle service from the west exit of Odawara Station. When you exit the west exit, you will see Hōjō Sōun Statue. From there, a shuttle bus will depart at 14:00. It takes one hour and costs 1,000 JPY for adults and 500 JPY for children. Reservations are required in advance. When you get on the bus, tell the driver that you are staying at Hakone Hisui.
Alternatively, take Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku Station to Hakone-Yumoto Station. From there, transfer to Hakone Tozan Railway and get off at Gora Station. It takes less than 10 minutes by taxi from Gora Station to the resort hotel. Taxi fare is about JPY1,000. Please note that there are almost no cabs waiting at Gora Station after 16:00, so please take a cab from Hakone-Yumoto Station. It takes about 25 minutes to the resort hotel and costs about 5,000 JPY.
Then, if you are taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to JR Odawara Station, you need to pay attention to your luggage. Please check here for details. When boarding the Shinkansen, luggage whose total of three sides exceeds 160 cm requires advance reservation of a seat with an oversized luggage space. Baby strollers, musical instruments, bicycles, surfboards, etc. are excluded. Items may be brought in as long as they are placed in a special bag and can stand up.
Passengers bringing oversized baggage without an advance reservation will be charged a carry-on fee of 1,000 JPY. In such cases, the baggage needs to be placed in an area designated by the crew. Also, large luggage is not allowed in unreserved seats on the Shinkansen. Then, children under 6 years old usually do not need a ticket, but if a preschooler uses the Shinkansen, a reserved seat ticket for preschoolers is required to be purchased.
On Odakyu Romancecars, the size of luggage is limited to a total of no more than 250 centimeters on three sides and no longer than 2 meters in length. The weight is limited to 30 kg, and up to two pieces may be carried on board as long as they do not interfere with the operation of the train or inconvenience other passengers. Exercise equipment such as ski boards, snowboards, bicycles, etc. may be brought in as long as they are placed in a special bag and can stand up. Strollers are folded and placed in front of the seats. Then normally, children under 6 years of age do not need a ticket, but when using a seat on an Odakyu Romancecar, a child’s express ticket and a ticket for children are required. However, if you hold a child on your lap, a limited express ticket and a boarding pass are not required. Please refer to the info.
Rooms I would recommend?
If you are going to stay here, I would recommend a room with a private hot spring bath. Overall, the rooms tend to be functional, spacious, and modern. Facilities tend to be a bit worn out, but the housekeeping was excellent.
How about toiletries & in-room amenities?
The free WiFi reception was excellent in the property. All of the amenities are taken care of including enough toiletries, yukatas, pajamas, bathrobes, samue outfits, welcome drinks, sweets, bottled water, and a Japanese tea set. There were REN amenities in the bathroom. Also, a DVD player, a CD player, and an air cleaner were placed in our room.
Also, this is child-friendly. Bed rails, amenities, and yukatas, etc., for small children, are available if you request in advance. You need to pay JPY2,100 if you use a baby crib.
How about In-house Facilities?
There are indoor and outdoor communal hot spring baths on the grounds. All of them are open from 5:00 to 24:00. Also, there is a private family hot spring bath. You need to book it in advance. It costs JPY3,240 for 60min. It’s open from 13:00-24:00.
*If you have tattoos, use the private family hot spring bath, or book a room with a private hot spring bath.
Then there is a convenience store within 5 min walk. There are vending machines for drinks including beer.
Then Hakone Hisui Hotel is a universal design. Wheelchairs are available for borrowing. If you bring people with weak legs, you may want to request a room near the lift.
TOP5 Best Accessible Hotels and Ryokans in Hakone
How about meals?
You can choose either Teppanyaki, Japanese kaiseki, or buffet-style Japanese cuisine. You need to check in by 19:30 if you have dinner on the property.
Also, dining is available at the sister hotel, Tokyu Harvest Club Hakone Koshien, which is located on the grounds. We sometimes go to the western-Japanese restaurant called SHIKISAI. The restaurant has great value for money.
Alternatively, you can order room service between 18:00 and 21:00, such as sushi, Unaju, salad, corn soup, pizza, steak, homemade cheesecake, French Fries, beer, champagne, wine, Japanese sake, and cocktail, etc.
Alternatively, you can go out for dinner as there are some local restaurants near the property. Local papa-mama shops are closing early. You may want to book a table in advance. Restaurants in Hakone are on the higher end of the price range, but not many of them are good. The Japanese restaurant we sometimes go to called “Hanasai” and the Western restaurant called “Restaurant35 Sango” are reasonably priced and have a cozy ambience. However, they are not fine dining restaurants, so they are more for families and groups.
My impressions
The best time to stay here is May or June or November. We recommend staying when the gardens are most beautiful. I would like to visit again in early summer.
Welcome to receive any questions about Hakone Hisui Hotel from the below space. Check Availability and Pricing for the hotel on agoda
Info about Hakone Hisui Hotel
| Style | Modern Resort Hotel |
|---|---|
| Check-in and out times |
15:00/11:00 |
| Estimated Price | 60,000 JPY for 2 adults per room |
| Contact | |
| Internet Connection | Free WiFi in the hotel |
| Facility Information | Wheelchairs are available Pets are not allowed The free parking lot is available |
| Location | Hakone Hisui Hotel’s MAP |
| Access | Free shuttle service from Gora Station |
| Address and TEL | |
| Official Homepage | Hakone Hisui Hotel’s HP |
*All information above is as of the date that I posted on my blog.
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