Masutomi Ryokan

I’m very shy and covered in tattoos, so I booked the sakura room with its own hot spring. Ando was so kind and accommodating. I felt like royalty, and I can’t thank the staff enough for such a highlight of my trip.

We really got the traditional onsen experience here, and it was easily the best place my family stayed on our Japan trip. The hotel was easy to reach from the train station, and the rooms were clean and comfortable. The food was incredible, with every meal leaving us satisfied. Every staff member greeted us so warmly and helped us feel at home throughout the stay. I’d recommend it 10/10 to anyone visiting Hakone.

The meal portions were generous and the food was excellent, especially the tempura and sashimi. A huge meal with fish at 8am was hard for me, though that’s just my preference. Staff were welcoming and kind, and the stay left us feeling good. A few things didn’t work for me. Breakfast and dinner were fixed at 8am and 6pm, with no flexibility, which seems tough for people heading out trekking. There’s a 10pm curfew. The men’s onsen wasn’t that nice, while the women’s one was really cute. On checkout morning, they started undoing the bed at 8:30 even though checkout was at 10. I enjoyed the stay, but I’m unsure about coming back.

The Hakone gold loop is a must do in Japan! We even booked the rooftop private onsen at night and ran into the two monkeys that roam around Hakone. They were beautiful and adorable, but a little scary too. This was the most wonderful place we stayed on our trip, a beautiful authentic ryokan with a stunning, clean tatami mat room and lovely onsens. The host was the kindest, happiest person we’d met. She went out of her way to make us feel special, and whenever we tried a word of Japanese she lit up and praised us. The other host was a lovely man who speaks amazing English. We’ll definitely return when we’re back in Japan.