Hotel Hakone Terrace

Terrible, I strongly recommend avoiding this hotel. The rooms smelled like damp cat, and the futon-style sleeping setup wasn't mentioned on wotif where we booked, only on the hotel's own website. At six months pregnant, that arrangement wasn't suitable for me. We politely asked if we could pay the difference to upgrade. Even though rooms were available and we'd explained the situation, they basically told us tough luck because we'd already paid. We were willing to cover the difference, but they said there would be no refund or credit and that we'd have to pay the full price for another room with a bed.

Getting to the place is easy, and it's quiet. It's about 150m from the second cable-car stop from Gora railway station. Don't walk up from Gora station with heavy luggage. Google Maps suggested that route, but locals advised us to take the cable-car, which was a much better choice. The rooms are huge by Japanese hotel standards, more like small apartments with a separate kitchen. The bathroom is larger than usual too, and the room is well equipped. We got a very welcoming reception and the wifi speed was quite good. Each room has a private balcony to enjoy, though we couldn't use ours because it rained during our stay. I recommend this place.

The rooms were roomy, and the staff were great and really friendly. One thing I wish I’d known: you’re supposed to take the ropeway up to Kōen-Kami Station to reach the front desk. We hauled our luggage all the way up instead 😂.

The rooms feel modern, and the place seems new. I liked the push-button controls, and the cableway is close by. There are only small supermarkets within walking distance, though. No shops around here.