Wisterian Life Club Verde no Mori

The dinner and breakfast buffet were delicious, and the rooms were very spacious in this large, quiet complex. But getting around by public transport wasn’t convenient. We arrived late because of our travel schedule, at 17:20, and had to walk along the road for over 15 minutes. It didn’t feel very safe. The front desk staff don’t speak English. If I visit this area again, I’d stay somewhere else.

The room was easily the biggest hotel room I’ve ever stayed in, and it was clean. The staff were helpful, and the beds were comfortable enough, though the pillows were very lumpy. The free Wi-Fi was slow, so videos kept buffering. Hallway signs weren’t in English. There’s also a key fob holder by the entrance that you need to use to activate the toilet, and the shower temperature controls are beside it. The door doesn’t lock automatically, so when you leave you have to put in the physical key and lock it yourself. The hotel is quite far from restaurants and tourist sights. A free bus starts at 9:28 am but stops running at 4:40 pm. There’s one restaurant on site, but you have to reserve a day ahead. For more places to eat, it’s a short walk down a pleasant trail to the nearby Yunnesen Spa.

The place had a strange, almost creepy feel, and I was glad to check out. I got the impression they might not really like westerners, though I can’t be sure. Staff don’t speak English, and the restaurant is booked up three days ahead, so you have to trek somewhere else to eat. That’s manageable unless it’s pouring rain. I couldn’t use the onsen because it isn’t tattoo friendly, but still had to pay a “spa tax” at checkout. It could be a really cool retro hotel if someone put some care into it.

Walking to Gora station was fairly quick, and from there we could catch buses to other parts of Hakone. Our stay was fine, but I wouldn’t choose this place again. The room had a gorgeous mountain view, though it felt dated and could have been cleaner. There were lots of leaves on the balcony and years of buildup around some door jambs. We only found out after arriving that there were indoor onsens, so that could be advertised better. At checkout we had to pay 600 yen in cash for the Onsen, even though we hadn’t used it. It wasn’t a huge issue, but it would have been good to know in advance.