Shiki Resort Hakone Style

We liked the tatami room and traditional futons, and everything was very clean. The dinner was a real highlight for us, an authentic Japanese set meal that we loved, though it might not suit fussy eaters. The onsens were lovely too, but you can’t use them whenever you want. The place is spacious, but it’s very rural, with little around it. Getting to a shop or going out to eat takes effort. There are a lot of rules, which felt overwhelming and put us off a bit at first. During our stay there was only one staff member. She was very nice, but the situation felt sad, and with just a few guests the building was so quiet that it sometimes had an eerie feel. If you don’t like the dinner, there’s nothing else available. A vending machine with instant noodles and snacks would have helped. We stayed two nights, and unfortunately I don’t think we could have stayed longer.

We’ve been here for two days, and getting here after 5 pm by public transport just isn’t possible. Even if you manage to take a bus, there’s still about a kilometre through the forest with no street lights. The whole place smells like volcanic eggs, and some rooms don’t have a shower, so you’d have to wash in the smelly Onsen water. This is the first time we’ve posted a disrecommendation, but this has easily been the most disappointing place we’ve stayed in Japan.

A peaceful, fairly remote hot spring with the basic things you need. Come here to unwind and get a feel for how Japanese hot springs work.

The rooms and the view are wonderful, but the service was very poor. We arrived a little early and asked if we could leave our bags, but they wouldn’t let us and we had to wait until 4 pm. We didn’t book breakfast or dinner through Booking, and there’s nowhere close to get food, so plan ahead.