Hakone Shichifukuso

The lake and Mt Fuji views from the beautiful rooms and onsen made this an authentic stay at a great price. They picked us up at the bus station and then drove us down for dinner, which was very helpful. It’s a relaxing town with enough to do. One or two nights here works nicely between busier areas, and you can really get away from the crowds. I’d recommend walking to the Tori gate shrine in the lake to get some steps in during your holiday.

The rooms are very old and badly need updating, and ours smelled unpleasant. There wasn’t a private shower in the room either. It’s hard to get here without a car. The one bright spot was the helpful hotel staff, who assisted us with transport.

The staff were incredibly helpful, and the setting is beautiful. Getting around the property is the problem: there are long stretches of uneven stone steps, so it wouldn’t work for anyone with mobility issues.

Watching Mount Fuji as the sun sets from the onsen was a highlight. The staff were warm and the service was excellent, and for the price it felt like great value. Highly recommend.