Livemax Resort Hakone Sengokuhara

The hotel interior is worn out and dated, with a style that felt like the 70s or 80s. Our room had a strange smell when we entered. I later realized it was like cigarette smoke embedded in the walls or gaps. If you don’t smoke, it’s uncomfortable. The room, duvet, and flooring all felt oddly old and worn. The sashimi looked like it came from a supermarket, though the rest of the food was fine. The public bath was so small that I’d rather have stayed in the room for a slightly better bath. Getting there by car was difficult. The road is narrow and uneven, some parts have no street lights, and there were no signs pointing the way. It’s especially hard to find in heavy rain. Families with elderly people, disabled people, strollers, or heavy luggage may find the 79 stone steps to the hotel lobby uncomfortable. There are around 6-7 parking spaces. If you arrive late and the lot is full, you’ll have to walk up the 79 steps to ask staff where else you can park. We paid roughly ¥68000 for two nights over a long weekend, which felt overpriced. The service, facilities, and overall experience were well below standard. I don’t recommend this hotel. It’s nowhere near onsen hotel standards in Japan, and booking at the last minute can leave you feeling ripped off.

The food wasn’t bad, and the second night’s dinner and breakfast were very good for the price. Some staff may come across as rude, but we thought that could be due to their limited Japanese skills as foreigners, so don’t take it personally. I stayed two nights with my husband and baby in a 66m^2 room. The hotel is outdated, but that isn’t why I’m giving it 3 stars. The room had a strong mildew smell. After ten minutes my head was spinning, so I opened the windows to let fresh air in. Within an hour it was breathable. Please air out rooms before guests arrive. Cleaning also needs attention. Better dusting around window and door frames, and cleaning the toilet and sink, would make guests feel more cared for. I noticed lots of families with babies and small kids staying here, so it would be nice if the hotel were more understanding and accommodating toward families.

The whole hotel had insects around, and the basement “onsen” smelled moldy. Our room’s toilet especially didn’t seem properly cleaned. The bath is just a regular tub styled to look like an onsen, despite what the photos suggest, and the faucet is ordinary too. Don’t be taken in by the pictures. Dinner ordering wasn’t explained clearly. If you hadn’t ordered dinner, there was nothing available from the hotel diner, just some cheap snacks that felt insulting. There aren’t restaurants nearby, though we found a very delicious place about a 30 minute walk away. I wouldn’t stay here. There are better hotels in the area.

The room was so bad that we left after dinner and drove two hours home, ending what was meant to be a romantic anniversary getaway. We’d booked one night for our fourth wedding anniversary, and initially the amenities looked nice. After relaxing for an hour, my wife and I both developed itchy eyes, sore throats, and a mild cough. Looking around, we found a dog urine smell, mold on the walls and window frames, and dust on the headboard, blinds, under the sink, and elsewhere. There was grime on the shower wall, and the shower smelled moldy and mildewed. The bathroom window had no screen, so there was no ventilation. The sink was damaged, with water damage on the floor below it, and the bed and linens smelled dirty. It looked like the room hadn’t been cleaned in six months. We lost all confidence in the kitchen, public bath, and other rooms too. When I told staff we were leaving, they seemed focused on figuring out what to charge for the few hours we’d stayed, rather than offering a remedy. There was nothing they could have done about the room, but we didn’t even get an apology. Neither of us had ever left a hotel without staying before. We won’t return to this hotel, and after this experience we won’t try another livemax hotel either.