Name: Yojokan Haru no Hikari
Address: Yumoto 554, Hakone, Hakone, Hakone, 250-0311, Japan
Rating: 6

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Yojokan Haru no Hikari

Hakone

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We stayed 1 night in Haru no hikari. It seems the hotel was recently renovated - all rooms look nice and clean and the onsen are very nice as well. The hotel is very close to the train station and can be easily reached by bus or taxi. The lake is also good to reach by a bus that stops right in front of the hotel. Dinner and breakfast were good. Please note that it is not served in the room.

We didn't like that the hotel is located next to a busy road. 
5 mins after check-out time we were called to leave the room and we got the feeling we had to leave the hotel immediately, no questions were asked about storing bags etc.
I wouldn't return if price stays this high (29160JPY / 242eur per night).

Very nice onsen

The ryokan is pretty old but it was spacious. I appreciate the in-house onsen. There weren't many users so I got to enjoy it all to myself! Love it. 

The breakfast spread includes both traditional and continental meals. It was OK. 

For the price I paid, I think this is of decent value. Do not expect luxuries.

Simple and traditional ryokan

First of all, I had to scour the internet to find clear walking directions to the hotel, since we were arriving after the buses stop running (ie. after 18:35). I finally found a set, which I’ve included here.

Directions on foot from Hakone Yumoto Station:
About 12-20 minutes on foot from Hakone Yumoto Station, depending on how fast you walk. After getting out the exit of the station, cross Tokaido Street (Route 1), and walk straight forward until you cross the river. You'll see the Yumoto Fujiya Hotel in front of you. Then turn left and follow the road until it hits the old Tokaido Street (Kyu-Tokaido, Route 732). Be careful as the path is rather dark and cars do drive down that road. Take a right turn and walk on Kyu-Tokaido. This path is also not well-lit, and cars drive pretty fast, so you should walk single-file if you want to avoid getting clipped by a car. You'll pass a 7-11 on the left (across from the Japanese sweets place, Manjyuyananohana). After about 10 mins, you will see the hotel on left side of the road. The sign is a white, rectangular lantern with its name in kanji in black ink. The entrance is on side left, up the driveway.

The hotel itself is dated, like some people before me have said. It was built in the 1950s, but reminded me of 1970s motels (“resorts”) that I’ve been to in upstate New York. There are spiderwebs on some of the décor and lighting in the common areas and hallways, and wallpaper peeling off in one area that I saw. There were massive stains on the hallway carpet, especially in front of the dining hall, and mold on some parts of the tatami mat in the hot spring’s changing room. It was kind of surprising for me, since I’ve been living in Japan for 2.5 years now, and most places are very clean, if not immaculate. 

The layout of the hotel is kind of interesting, almost like a maze, with so many passageways that lead this way and that. The floors are kind of creaky.
Our Japanese-style room (named “Kiri”) was fairly spacious, but it was a little strange to arrive at it with the futons already made up in the first room (which was small enough that once the futons were there, there was perhaps 6” of space at the top and bottom to walk around. The sitting area seemed to be a little larger, and was nice in that it had the rice-paper screen windows, low table with a lacquer box containing a tea set, and a tray of Japanese sweets—one for each of us. Unfortunately, we saw a huge cockroach in the room later on that we managed to kill, but going to sleep wasn’t easy after that. (What if there were more?)

The room has two closets: one for the futons and another for clothes, so it has some hangers and my favorite part about this hotel—the most comfortable yukata (Japanese robes) that I’ve ever worn. I also liked the designs, so I wanted to steal them or at least buy them if they were available in a hotel gift shop. But there was not gift shop.

The room had a fridge that looked almost like the inside of a vending machine (canned or bottled drinks for purchase, and a tiny freezer), so don’t bank on putting much in it. The toiletries provided were face cloths that were wrapped in plastic so we know it’s clean, but unfortunately, felt like sandpaper, and toothbrush-and-toothpaste sets that I can’t comment on because we brought our own.

The onsen or, hot springs, were on the sad side. The hotel advertises their indoor and open-air hot springs, but they are almost right next to each other, separated by balcony-type sliding doors. At least, that’s how the first floor one was, which was designated as the women’s one that day. (The men’s and women’s onsen switch places every day, but you just have to look at the doorway hanging in front and the sign that says “Ladies” if that’s what you’re looking for.)

The room we got was not supposed to include breakfast, but when we arrived, we were told that we could get breakfast the next day. We expected to pay at the entrance of the dining hall, but we didn’t. I guess I’ll have to check my credit card bill to see if they will charge us for it—it’s been 3 days since check-out, but so far nothing else has shown up on my bill.

The breakfast food is ok if you like Japanese food--lots of sweetened soy sauce braised daikon, grey jelly things called konyaku, carrots, gobo, and of course miso soup and rice. (The Western food looked kind of sad, so we didn't try it.) There was thinly sliced squid that looked like somen noodles, which was disappointing not because I don’t like squid, but I was really expecting noodles! Also, you can get a marinated fish to grill at the little hibachi grill at your table (and no, a real Japanese hibachi grill is nothing like the hibachi grills in the US; the latter are actually called teppanyaki grills).
If you don’t want to get breakfast at the hotel, you could get some simple food—rice balls, sandwiches, etc—at the 7/11, or near HakoneYumoto Station, where there are a few coffee-shop type places.

Overall, the hotel had its charm, and my boyfriend liked it, but I wouldn’t stay there again unless it was cleaned up a bit more. Also, we paid $129 for a Saturday night the weekend before a major holiday weekend, which is, in context, reasonably priced, but for what we got, we would pay something like $60-80 in the US.

Ok, but overpriced for what it is

We stayed there just for one nigh to see how is the japanese life in a ryokan. It's a littje bit surprising with tatami and futon...

The ryokan is located at some distance from Hakone Yumoto Station but a bus (at Yen 100 per people) dropped you just in front of the ryokan.

We have been very satisfied with the onsen and with the excellent japanese evening meal we have had.

The only negative point but as french we still have something to criticize is the humidity in the ryokan and also certainly a lack of clealiness but necertheless it has been a very nice experience.

A japanese stay in ryokan

We got to this ryokan as part of an organised tour of Japan. A disappointing choice is an understatement for this accommodation. The lobby ad waiting area were very unclean with bugs and flies everywhere. They kept our bags with no security just lying in the front room. When we came back to check in to the room it took 15 minutes to find the room as he place was a maze of stairs and corridors. Walking around we seen it all....dust everywhere, cobwebs, flies, moths and the biggest spiders I have ever seen without an exaggeration were waiting around every corner. Finally made it to the room and while it was big it was extremely hot and humid....being cooler outside for September. The air con and fan didn't work which was very uncomfortable. While the room was spacious it felt dirty, the futons were already laid out which we didn't experience before. The bathroom and toilet was filthy having looked like it hadn't been cleaned since the last hurts if not even longer. A giant spider scurried across the room, we couldn't catch it and it disappeared. Imagine lying on the floor with them running around. In the end we couldn't stay and had to wander around to find somewhere else to sleep. Thankfully there was a likely hotel just round the corner which was actually cheaper than the ryokan. For that ryokan to still be in operation is disgraceful, and to be so expensive. Would definitely never recommend but can only warn against it.

Old,damp,unclean and disgusting

This ryokan is really nice at the first look...
Gook looking at the main entrance.
But...
It's not like the entrance,
It's dirty, dusty, old... if you want to go back in the past, you will find every details like old carpet, bathroom and dust...
Only the breakfast is local !
Also really expansive, 150€ in cash for sure...

Except this place, Hakone is really a beautiful area.

Have a good trip...

Yojokan Haru no Hikari

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