TAOYA Hakone

A lovely place to unwind, with peaceful weather and scenery around Mt fuji. Dinner runs from 630pm to 7:30 pm and features local Japanese cuisine. The outdoor onzen faces the mountain, and the views were excellent. It’s a high price, but felt well worth paying.

I stayed in early March for my first TAOYA hotel visit. The service was pleasant throughout, including a kind shuttle driver. Our room was ready before 3:00 PM, so we checked in early. We chose the 6:30 PM dinner slot even though we’d been told it was the busiest. There were no excessive waits or food shortages, and it felt comfortable. Our standard room on the 4th floor wasn’t especially large, but it was enough for me. I’d read comments that it was small, but that didn’t bother me. The view from the 4th floor was great, and I think it may be better than from other floors. The main drawback was the small changing room at the large bath. Even on a weekday, around 4:00 PM before dinner, there were waits for the hair dryers and at the washing area. I also couldn’t find cleansing products at the large public bath washing area, which was inconvenient. There didn’t seem to be lotion in the room or anything near the front desk to take back. The food was average. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly delicious, and the sashimi and sushi weren’t very tasty. The service was good, though. Thank you.

This was my first Oedo Onsen hotel, and it turned into my worst trip ever. I’d found the place on Instagram, checked other reviews, and booked it. For two people, the price was 64,000 yen, which felt steep, especially since the only room left was a large four-bed room and we added crab. The price and food didn’t seem to match. I’ve stayed at more than 70 places, and I’m left wondering if this is just the Oedo style. Are they all like this? I don’t understand the good reviews. Was it staged? We arrived half an hour before the 3 PM check-in and asked if we could wait in the parking lot. They said lounge drinks and desserts start at 2 PM, which is why it gets busy from around 1 PM. I wish that had been mentioned online when I booked. The lounge was full by 2:30 PM. After sightseeing, our car navigation couldn’t find the hotel, as other reviews had said, so use your smartphone navigation. The large public bath was too small for its capacity, crowded and noisy. Dinner was the biggest disappointment. We chose the earliest time, 5:00 PM, since the middle of the day was expected to be busy. At 4:57 PM several groups were already there. We waited to be seated, with more groups lining up behind us. A little after 5:00 PM, around 70% of the seats were occupied and some people were already eating. We finally found our seats at 5:16 PM. The crab they brought was smaller than I expected, and with the 90-minute time limit, I felt rushed while drinking and eating it. I didn’t feel like I’d eaten at all. They warned us when 15 minutes remained. If they offer crab as an add-on, they should allow another 10 or 15 minutes. It didn’t feel worth the price, and I wish they were more flexible. People in the 6:30 PM second session seemed to be seated and eating by 6:20 PM, while the previous session was still eating. That’s 100 minutes, not 90. For this price, you could get abalone and spiny lobster with an open-air bath elsewhere. I didn’t want seconds. Breakfast and dinner both came with a 15-minute warning before the end. Maybe they could put the end time on a table sign and call out to people who are running late. The meal I’d looked forward to most was the worst. The room was clean, but the heater made noise without blowing any air, even set to 30 degrees. I was freezing and complained at the front desk. They offered a tiny handheld heater and a blanket. I couldn’t relax or sleep in that cold, and ended up taking a bath to warm up even though I’d been drinking. I’m especially sensitive to cold, and it was that bad. I considered leaving, but I’d been drinking and couldn’t drive, so I had to stay. I’m sorry this is only my personal opinion, especially with so many positive reviews, but I couldn’t relax at all.

[Room] Standard Twin Room, 3 Guests (Sliding Bed, Shower Only) [Price] ¥51,600 →¥44,000 (Coupon Discount) [Date of Stay] November 17-18, 2025 [Access] ★★★☆☆ [Room] ★★☆☆☆ [Beauty] ★★★★☆ [Meals] ★★★★☆ [Bath] ★★★★★ [Price] ★★★☆☆ [Overall Value] ★★★☆☆ [Impressions] The place advertises itself as all-inclusive, with food and drinks available in the lounge at different times: (7:00-11:00) Bread, yogurt, fruit, and drinks (14:00-17:00) Sweets and drinks, including alcohol (17:00-23:00) Snacks and alcoholic drinks (21:00-23:00) Night Crying Tororo Soba I arrived around 18:00 for work, so I missed the afternoon sweets. The large public bath had relaxing indirect lighting, which I liked. Men’s and women’s baths switch every other day. There’s an indoor bath and an open-air bath, with a cold bath outside too. The sauna fits about four people. Both baths were spacious. I would have liked a reclining chair. The food was high quality and tasty, and I preferred breakfast. Dinner had Häagen-Dazs ice cream, while breakfast included a seafood bowl and medium-fatty tuna, which were better than I expected from a buffet. There was also a good range of alcoholic drinks at dinner. Staff were attentive and seemed well trained in greetings and other basics. Their hospitality made the whole stay pleasant. [Disappointments] The room was small and different from the one I’d reserved. It would be nice if the lounge sweets were available later, so late-night arrivals could enjoy more of TAOYA Hakone. The morning bath closes at 10:00. Opening until 11:00 would let people bathe after a 9:00 breakfast. Many dishes, especially the glasses, looked water-stained. The popular horse mackerel fries weren’t available at breakfast, and there was no fresh juice, just a drink bar. A 4cm bug appeared in my room, though I suppose that can happen in natural surroundings. [Delicious Food Ranking] 1st: Okonomiyaki Kaisendon (Breakfast) 2nd: Onsen Manju (Breakfast) 3rd: Mango "Caspian Sea Yogurt & Mango" (Breakfast) 4th: Tempura (Dinner) 5th: Raspberry Mousse (Breakfast) Bonus: Night Crying Soba [Summary] This facility opened November 1, 2025. It used to be a company recreation facility and has since been renovated, which may explain the unusual room layouts. The most common room type is also the smallest. It has stairs by the entrance and barely any free floor space. It’s fine if you only need somewhere to sleep, but there’s not much room to relax, so you’ll probably lounge on the bed. The lounge is spacious and a good place to unwind. With food and drinks generally available there, meals weren’t an inconvenience. I liked the open-air bath, sauna, and cold bath. Reclining chairs outside would have been a nice addition. Both meals were good, but breakfast stood out to me, especially the seafood bowl. Dinner had a good drink selection, but no standout main dish, so all the food felt about equally good. Thanks to the discount, I was glad to pay 22,000 yen per person. Without it, the stay might have felt a bit pricey. Staff hospitality was excellent, and I had a pleasant visit.