Condominium MIRAHAKONE

We spent three nights here in late October. The apartment was clean and nicely presented, with a reasonable amount of space. The fridge was small, and there was a microwave but no washing machine. It had everything else we needed for a comfortable stay, though a dehumidifier would be useful. Hakone-Yumoto Station is about a 15-minute walk away. The final few minutes are quite steep, but we managed with our bags in our 60s. I'd recommend the place.

The room was clean and spacious, with room for up to eight people, but this Airbnb-style place has no elevator and the staircase is tiny and extremely steep. If you have mobility limitations or lots of large suitcases, it won't work well. A helpful man was there when we checked in and carried some luggage upstairs. We checked in advance about checkout and were told nobody would be there, so we had a “fun” time hauling our bags back down ourselves.

The condo-style room was very clean and a good value for the Hakone area. It's noticeably bigger than a typical mid-range Tokyo hotel room. We stayed one night after a night at a ryokan, and it worked well for keeping the budget down while making our ryokan stay shorter.

We spent two nights here in Hakone last week. The room is spacious enough for as many as six people, and the restroom was clean. A few things to know before booking: there is no elevator, and the stairs are very steep. We had a room for three on the third floor, so getting our big suitcases upstairs was hard. The location takes some planning. The bus is infrequent, with the last one around 8:30 PM, so watch the schedule if you're going out at night. From the Shinkansen, take another train to Hakone-Yumoto Station, then a bus; the hotel is about a one-minute walk from the stop. That bus doesn't go back to the station, though, so at checkout you'll need a taxi or Uber, or carry your luggage about ten minutes downhill to a different stop. There aren't sightseeing spots or restaurants close by. Lake Ashi is around 40 minutes by bus and Odawara Station about 35 minutes. Two public onsens are reachable by bus, but again, check the timetable. The only nearby restaurant is right beside the hotel, run by a lovely couple. The food is amazing, but it's a tiny place and only opens at 6:30 PM. If you miss the seating window, you'll want to get food from a kombini.