Susukinohara Ichinoyu

I really enjoyed my stay here and would recommend it to anyone wanting to break up the Hakone loop with a night or two. I’d asked my travel consultant to find a ryokan with an onsen, and she came back with two options, one older and traditional, the other more contemporary, which was this one. My twin Japanese-style room was in the annex, probably room 2105, and had an open-air bath. The main area had a fair amount of space, with tatami throughout the part that wasn’t for sleeping. There was some storage, but just a rail on the wall for hanging clothes. The wet area had a sink, a separate toilet, and a shower and washing room leading out to the bath. I’m not usually much of a bath person, but soaking for a long time before dinner after a full day walking around Hakone was a highlight of the trip. The safe was also easy to get to and large enough for an iPad. The main downside was how dark the room was. Natural light had to come through the fixed blind outside before reaching the bath window. The lighting wasn’t especially bright, especially at the sink, which could use a light above the mirror. The overhead light didn’t do much. I’d read other reviews mentioning road noise in the annex, but I don’t remember it being an issue, even in the bath. My rate included Japanese-style dinner and breakfast. Both were delicious and plentiful, with staff giving us the occasional tip on what to do or eat and when, since there was often a lot in front of us. Free drinks were available all day, including beer, though beer was only offered between 1500 and 2000. The ryokan is almost beside the Diagatake bus stop, about ten minutes to Togendai, 25 minutes to Hakone-Yumoto, and 50 minutes to Odawara. There’s also a convenience store beside the stop for snacks and drinks. The staff were friendly enough and spoke enough English if your Japanese isn’t strong. They explained the usual ryokan rules and guidance. For anyone unfamiliar, a ryokan is quite different from a normal Western-style hotel. I mention that because the Americans checking in before me seemed unsure what they’d booked.