Hakone Miyanoshita Myojokan

The owner is really lovely, charming, and helpful, and took time at check-in to show us key sights on a couple of maps and suggest restaurants and activities. We appreciated that. The hotel is modest and good value, especially since Hakone can be very expensive. A 7/11 is nearby for coffee, and there's a good pastry shop across the street, though its coffee is dreadful. We bought food there and brought it back to the dining room in the lobby, where the owner gave us plates and silverware. The rooms are a good size, with space for luggage and hanging clothes, and the futons and pillows were very comfortable. But the booking sites don't give complete information, so here's what we wish we'd known. You can't leave luggage inside before check-in, but there are large lockers right outside the front door. We fit two carry-on roller bags, two duffle bags, and a backpack easily. There are no bathrooms, showers, or sinks in the rooms. The communal sink and counter are in the hall, with the toilet around the corner. Showering happens in the small, one-person onsen downstairs by the lobby. It has a traditional onsen shower, and men and women are separate, with only one person allowed in at a time. The hall is a bit noisy, and you can hear what's going on, though the room itself is quiet. Street noise carries too, with a few fast, noisy drivers late at night. There are no curtains, only Japanese-style paper sliding window shades, so early dawn light comes in. Bring a sleep mask. There's a 9 or 9:30 curfew. It didn't affect us, but might matter to you. The bathroom setup wasn't disclosed anywhere we'd looked. Had we known, we'd have picked somewhere else. There was never a wait, so it worked out, but communal baths, toilets, and sinks are generally a hard no for me.

The inn is gorgeous, and the stay was far better than the price would suggest. The onsen bath is small and only fits one person at a time, but since the inn itself is small, that wasn't really a problem. The owner is kind, professional, and very helpful. He's not accommodating about early or late check-in, but he runs the inn by himself and it is also his home. Some one-star reviews make me think people are on drugs. He runs a tight ship, and guests should be mindful of when they'll arrive. Don't trash the man because he wants to stop working at some point in the day; this isn't a hotel with a huge staff. If you're ready to be kind and follow his rules, it's a great option. If you're going to be nasty and mean to service workers, go somewhere else. Safe for women. Five stars.

Our anniversary trip hit a wall before we even checked in. We’d booked in April for November, received confirmation, and paid, but at about 2 p.m., just two hours before check-in, an email said the stay was cancelled. We were already travelling from Osaka to Hakone. The owner gave no explanation, alternatives, or way to reach them, so we ended up stranded outside Odawara Castle booking somewhere else at the last minute. It was the only bad part of our two weeks in Japan, and the worst part of the trip. I wouldn’t risk booking here. We stayed at Blisstia instead, which also looked much nicer in the photos.

The lodging was spotless, and I found the onsen really relaxing. The owner also seemed genuinely invested in helping guests get the most from their stay. This was one of the highlights of my trip to Japan.