The 8 Best Hotels
in Hakone
Hakone is Japan's most celebrated hot-spring escape, a mountainous patchwork of volcanic valleys, cedar forests, and lakeside vistas that has drawn weary travellers from Tokyo — just 85 minutes by Romancecar express — for centuries. The accommodation scene here is dominated by ryokan, the traditional Japanese inn where guests change into yukata robes, soak in mineral-rich onsen baths, and receive elaborate kaiseki multi-course dinners served in their rooms. Hakone sits at a different price register to most Japanese destinations: even a modest ryokan will run €150–250 per person per night with dinner and breakfast included, while top-tier properties rival European palace hotels in cost. Neighborhoods matter enormously — Gora and Miyanoshita sit mid-mountain with forest surrounds, while Hakone-Yumoto is the valley-floor gateway town.
We've narrowed this guide to 8 real, distinct properties covering the full range: 3 splurge ryokan for the quintessential immersive experience, 3 mid-range inns and a hybrid boutique for travellers who want onsen culture without the four-figure bill, and 2 budget options for those sleeping simply and spending the day on the outdoor museum circuit and ropeway. Note that ryokan rates typically include dinner and breakfast — factor that in when comparing to a bare-room rate elsewhere.
| Hotel | Neighborhood | From €/night | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gora Kadan | Gora | €650–1400 | Splurge |
| Hakone Ginyu | Miyanoshita | €550–1100 | Splurge |
| Fujiya Hotel | Miyanoshita | €300–750 | Splurge |
| Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort and Spa | Gora | €200–480 | Mid-range |
| Hakone Tent | Sengokuhara | €180–380 | Mid-range |
| Hakone Kowakien Tenyu | Kowakidani | €220–520 | Mid-range |
| Hakone Guest House Rinn | Hakone-Yumoto | €55–130 | Budget |
| Emblem Flow Hakone | Hakone-Yumoto | €70–160 | Budget |
Where to stay in Hakone
Hakone is not a single town but a network of small settlements strung across a volcanic mountain range, connected by a switchback railway, cable car, ropeway, and lake ferry. Where you stay determines what you can easily walk to — and how long the ride back to Tokyo feels.
The lowest and most accessible point, where the Odakyu express deposits most visitors from Tokyo. It's the most commercial area — souvenir shops, public sento bathhouses, budget guesthouses, and mid-range ryokan line the valley floor. Prices run roughly 30–40% lower than Gora or Miyanoshita for comparable rooms. Best for budget travellers and those who want easy access to transport without committing to the full mountain experience.
The oldest resort area in Hakone, where the grand Fujiya Hotel has anchored upscale tourism since the Meiji era. The Hakone-Tozan railway stops here amid cedar and maple trees, and the streets retain a Victorian-spa-town quality unique in Japan. Hotels here skew expensive and heritage-focused. Quieter than Yumoto, more atmospheric than Gora, and a short train ride from the ropeway connections.
The terminus of the rack railway and the departure point for the Hakone Ropeway, Gora is the most practically central neighborhood for covering the national park. It hosts some of Hakone's best ryokan, the Hakone Open-Air Museum, and Gora Park. Accommodation here is predominantly luxury and upper-mid-range. The forested setting is genuinely beautiful and the altitude keeps it cooler than Yumoto in summer.
A flatter highland plateau north of Gora, Sengokuhara is less visited than the railway corridor but rewards those who make the effort — particularly in October when the vast pampas grass meadows turn silver. Accommodation here is sparse: a few owner-run guesthouses and mid-range inns catering to travellers who want Hakone without the crowds. Bus connections to Gora and Yumoto run regularly.
Gora Kadan
Built on the grounds of an Imperial family villa from the 1930s, Gora Kadan is the benchmark luxury ryokan in Hakone. The gardens retain their original landscaped bones — stone lanterns, manicured pines, moss-covered paths — while interiors have been refined into something spare and deeply elegant. Private rotenburo (outdoor stone baths) are attached to selected rooms; the kaiseki meals here are genuinely among the best in the region, built around seasonal Kanagawa produce. Staff anticipate needs without intruding, a skill that takes decades to cultivate.
- Former Imperial villa with original garden intact
- Private rotenburo attached to premium rooms
- Exceptional multi-course kaiseki dinner service
- Indoor and outdoor communal onsen pools
- Gora ropeway and Hakone Open-Air Museum walkable
Hakone Ginyu
With only 10 rooms carved into a cedar-forested hillside above Miyanoshita, Hakone Ginyu feels more like a private mountain retreat than a hotel. Each room is a self-contained suite with a private outdoor hot-spring bath fed directly from the property's own source, and floor-to-ceiling shoji screens open onto uninterrupted forest. The kaiseki here leans heavily on local river fish, mountain vegetables, and Sagami beef. The sense of seclusion is real: even in peak foliage season, you hear nothing but wind and water.
- All 10 rooms have private outdoor onsen baths
- Forest hillside setting, genuine seclusion
- Own natural hot-spring source on site
- Dinner and breakfast included in rate
- Small scale means very attentive service
Fujiya Hotel
Japan's oldest Western-style resort hotel, open continuously since 1878, the Fujiya is a national landmark of painted wooden gables, garden promenades, and a dining room that looks unchanged since the 1930s — because it largely is. Charlie Chaplin stayed here; so did Eleanor Roosevelt. The interiors blend Meiji-era craftsmanship with later Art Deco additions in a way that no new-build could replicate. Onsen baths are communal and historic rather than private and modern, but the Flower Palace wing rooms have direct garden outlooks that are quietly magnificent.
- Operating continuously since 1878, Meiji-era architecture
- Iconic dining room with original timber detailing
- Multiple historic onsen bath halls on site
- Landscaped gardens with koi ponds and stone paths
- Lower rates than comparable ryokan — meals not always included
Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort and Spa
The Hyatt Regency sits directly adjacent to Gora Kadan but operates on a completely different model: contemporary resort hotel rather than traditional ryokan, with Western beds, an international restaurant, and a spa drawing on onsen water. For travellers uncertain about futon sleeping arrangements or multi-course Japanese dining, this is the easiest entry point to Hakone's mountain area at a manageable price. The indoor hot-spring baths are properly mineral-rich, and the Gora Park botanical garden is a five-minute walk. Mount Fuji is occasionally visible from upper floors on clear mornings.
- Natural onsen baths with proper mineral content
- Western-style rooms with mountain or garden views
- Gora Park botanical garden five minutes on foot
- International and Japanese dining on site
- Shuttle links to Gora station and ropeway
Hakone Tent
A small, owner-run guesthouse on the quieter Sengokuhara plateau — famous for its pampas grass meadows in autumn — Hakone Tent is one of the few properties in this guide where the host, a passionate local, personally prepares breakfast, gives hiking advice, and maps out the day for you. The eight rooms are clean and simply furnished; some have futon, some Western beds. An in-house onsen bath is available for guests to book privately. It reads more like a sophisticated hostel than a ryokan, and the atmosphere is correspondingly relaxed and international.
- Owner-run, genuinely personal hospitality
- Private onsen booking for guests
- Sengokuhara pampas grass meadows nearby
- Excellent breakfast included in rate
- Strong solo-traveller community feel
Hakone Kowakien Tenyu
Tenyu is the refined sibling within the Kowakien group, a proper Japanese ryokan with both Japanese-style rooms (futon on tatami) and a handful of Western-bed options. The hot-spring complex is extensive — multiple indoor and outdoor pools at different temperatures including a large open-air bath that fills with steam on cold evenings. Dinner is a serious kaiseki affair, and the property sits within walking distance of Yunessan, the adjacent water-park onsen complex, which makes it appealing for families while retaining adult calm in the main building.
- Extensive multi-pool onsen complex indoors and out
- Kaiseki dinner and Japanese breakfast included
- Both tatami and Western-bed room configurations
- Proximity to Yunessan water-park onsen for families
- Mid-mountain location, quiet forested setting
Hakone Guest House Rinn
A small, well-run guesthouse in the valley-floor town of Hakone-Yumoto, Rinn offers private Japanese-style rooms at prices that feel almost implausible by Hakone standards. There's no in-house onsen bath — guests instead use the nearby public sento bathhouses, of which Yumoto has several excellent ones within walking distance. The shared kitchen and lounge create an easy social atmosphere, and the Odakyu Yumoto station is minutes away, making day-trips to Gora and the lake straightforward.
- Private rooms at guesthouse prices
- Hakone-Yumoto station and public onsen nearby
- Shared kitchen reduces meal costs significantly
- Friendly multilingual owner, strong local tips
- Easy Romancecar and bus connections from here
Emblem Flow Hakone
A contemporary design hostel-hotel hybrid that opened in the valley-floor district, Emblem Flow manages to feel considered and stylish rather than simply cheap. Private rooms come with good beds and clean minimalist decor; dormitory options are available for solo travellers wanting to cut costs further. The communal onsen foot bath in the lounge area is a small but genuine touch. Staff are young, English-speaking, and genuinely enthusiastic about helping guests navigate Hakone's transport network, which can confuse first-timers significantly.
- Design-led interiors at budget price points
- Both dorm and private room options available
- Communal foot onsen bath in lounge area
- Multilingual staff expert on Hakone transport
- Valley-floor location, all bus lines accessible
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book a ryokan with dinner and breakfast included, or can I book room-only?
Are public onsen bathhouses accessible for non-Japanese travellers, and do tattoos cause problems?
When should I book Hakone hotels, especially for autumn foliage season?
Is the Hakone Free Pass worth buying for getting around the area?
Are hotels in Hakone expensive compared to the rest of Japan?
Can I see Mount Fuji from Hakone, and which area offers the best views?
Is Hakone better as a day trip from Tokyo or an overnight stay?
How we chose these hotels
Our editorial team reviewed Hakone's hotel landscape and selected 8 across budgets, prioritising properties that capture local character — heritage architecture, owner-run boutiques, surf-town informality — over generic resort-chain accommodations. Where two hotels are comparable, we pick the smaller, owner-run option.
None of these hotels paid to be included, and we have no commercial relationship with any of them. Use the "View on Google Maps" links above to find each property's official website, current rates and availability. Prices are estimated nightly ranges in EUR for a double room and will vary by season and availability. Recommendations are reviewed every six months; this guide was last updated April 2026.
When to visit Hakone
For everything you need to plan a Hakone trip — neighbourhoods, food, things to do, day trips, transport — see our complete Hakone travel guide.