Hakone, Japan has many western-style hotels and traditional Japanese ryokans located around the shores of Lake Ashi, and in small towns along the Hakone Tozan Railway between Hakone-Yumoto and Gora. Planning your transport logistics and booking hotels in Hakone are likely to be more challenging than any other place you visit in Japan, but we’ve done it ourselves and it’s not as difficult as it first appears.
In this guide we show you the best hotels in Hakone Japan for all budgets, based on our experiences.
Our Experience In Hakone
We spent 2 nights at a traditional Japanese onsen ryokan hotel on the north side of Lake Ashi at the end of our most recent visit to Japan for the cherry blossom season in April 2023. After taking a bullet train from Osaka to Odawara JR Station, we took another train to Hakone Yumoto, followed by the Hakone Tozan Railway to Gora and then the Hakone Ropeway cable car as far as Togendai Station.
It was less than 5 minutes walk from Togendai Station to reach Hakone Lake Hotel, and we used the hotel as a base to explore both the north and south shores of Lake Ashi. We enjoyed our time in Hakone because it’s a completely different experience to the likes of Tokyo and Kyoto, but it’s a very expensive place to visit once you take hotels, transport and food into account. Read more about us.
Where To Stay In Hakone
Technically, the small mountain hot spring town of Hakone is located on the southern shores of Lake Ashi. But confusingly, the entire region is also called Hakone, which is a large area within Japan’s Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
So when it comes to booking your hotel in the Hakone area, we recommend directing your focus to Gora (last stop on the Tozan Railway), Togendai (north shore of Lake Ashi) and Hakone (south shore of Lake Ashi).
Let’s take a closer look at each place to explain:
1. Gora
You’ll take the Hakone Tozan Railway if you book a hotel in any of the mountain towns between Hakone-Yumoto train station and Gora train station. Gora is the final stop on the line and it’s also the eastern terminal for catching the Hakone Ropeway down to Togendai and Lake Ashi.
There’s a very good selection of hotels in Gora (as well as Kowakidani and Chokokunomori which are nearby). If you look at a map of hotels in the area, you’ll notice that Gora has by far the highest volume of hotel options. It also has a greater selection of places you can eat out.
Gora is a great place to base yourself if you want to day trip down to Lake Ashi, before spending your next day at other attractions to the north of Gora such as the popular Venetian Glass Museum.
2. Togendai
Togendai is a tiny built up area on the north side of Lake Ashi. It can be accessed by bus (from several places including Shinjuku) or by the Hakone Ropeway from Gora. There are very few places to eat out around Togendai Station, so we strongly recommend booking a hotel with breakfast and dinner included.
You can’t see Mount Fuji from the north side of Lake Ashi, but Togendai is a great place to stay if you want a peaceful escape. The pirate ship connects you directly from Togendai to Hakone and the major tourist attractions around Lake Ashi.
We stayed at Hakone Lake Hotel in Togendai for 2 nights with breakfast and dinner included. For a cheaper hotel, we have to say it was a fantastic experience. We booked an authentic Japanese style room and wore our yukata to meals. Plus, the gender separated onsen hot springs were fabulous.
3. Hakone
Hakone is the name for the greater region but it’s also the name for a small built up area to the southeast of Lake Ashi. This built up area has views of Mt Fuji and more things to do when compared to Togendai, so it’s definitely worth considering.
You can access Hakone by bus or car, unless you take the cable car to Togendai and then hop on the pirate ship to Hakone, which adds yet another leg to an already long list of transportation to catch from Hakone-Yumoto.
Hakone (the town) also has more places to eat out for all meal times and it’s busier in general, which makes this area the best place to stay if you want a mountain escape but still be in civilization.
Hakone Hotels Map
Click or touch the map below to activate. Zoom in and out, move around the area to see exactly where each hotel is located.
Map key:
- Green stars – Low budget
- Red stars – Mid range budget
- Blue stars – High budget
Note: We’ve included area outlines to show you Gora, Togendai and Hakone.
How We Order Hotels
We’ve hand picked 8 Hakone hotels for you to consider booking by taking into account previous guest ratings, location, value for money and our own experiences in the area. Read more about our editorial process.
Hotels in this guide are listed in order of average nightly cost. We analyzed nightly prices on three future dates in different seasons so we could order with a degree of accuracy.
You’ll find 3 x cheap hotels, 2 x mid range budget hotels and 3 x luxury hotels. We periodically update our guides to ensure the previous guest ratings from Booking and Google reviews are accurate.
1. Hakone Lake Hotel
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.1 / 10
- Google – 4.0 / 5
- Price: Cheap $
- Amenities: Free WiFi, on site restaurant, breakfast and dinner options, hot spring bath, lake view
- Location: Togendai
- Transit: Togendai Station
Hakone Lake Hotel is the best cheap hotel on the north side of Lake Ashi. We booked a traditional Japanese room at this hotel and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Our advice is to include the half board breakfast and dinner option because there’s nowhere else to eat in the area. And the food is great!
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness and location the highest at Hakone Lake Hotel. The public hot springs are excellent for a lower budget hotel, and the hotel has easy access to both the ropeway and pirate ship. We hiked to Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu, but there’s not much else to do.
BOOK: Hakone Lake Hotel
2. Hakone Hotel
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.5 / 10
- Google – 4.1 / 5
- Price: Cheap $
- Amenities: Free WiFi, on site restaurant and bar, breakfast available, hot spring bath, lake view, Mt Fuji view
- Location: Hakone
- Transit: Motohakone Port
Hakone Hotel is the best place to stay in Hakone if you want Mt Fuji views at affordable rates. You can pay extra for breakfast but you must find lunch and dinner at restaurants in the area, some of which require reservations a day in advance.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness, facilities and location the highest at Hakone Hotel. Comments and reviews are positive about the service, public baths and stunning views, so make sure you book a room with lake and Fuji views at this hotel!
BOOK: Hakone Hotel
3. Hakone Yutowa
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.7 / 10
- Google – 4.3 / 5
- Price: Cheap $
- Amenities: Free WiFi, on site restaurant, breakfast included, hot spring baths, terrace
- Location: Gora
- Transit: Gora Station
Hakone Yutowa is one of the top rated cheap hotels in Gora, so it’s a great budget option if you’d rather stay at the top of the mountain instead of on the shores of Lake Ashinoko. And you can easily day trip down to the lake via the Hakone Ropeway. Breakfast is served early so be ready for an early start.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness, facilities and location the highest at Hakone Yutowa. There are both public and private onsens, it’s located just 3 minutes from Gora Station and comments are positive about cozy beds.
BOOK: Hakone Yutowa
4. Odakyu Hotel de Yama
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.6 / 10
- Google – 4.3 / 5
- Price: Mid Range $$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, on site restaurant and bar, hot spring bath, spa, breakfast and dinner available (extra), karaoke room, Japanese gardens
- Location: Hakone
- Transit: Motohakone Port
Odakyu Hotel de Yama is a wonderful Hakone hotel set alone in stunning gardens with spectacular views over Lake Ashi and Mt Fuji. It’s a 5 minute drive to Motohakone Port but just a 7 minute walk to Heiwa no Torii, which is one of the most popular photo spots in Hakone.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness and location the highest at Odakyu Hotel de Yama. This is one of the best places to stay for solitude, escapism and peaceful surroundings. Food, drinks and massages are expensive but it’s to be expected in such a popular tourist destination.
BOOK: Odakyu Hotel de Yama
5. Hotel Indigo Hakone
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.4 / 10
- Google – 4.1 / 5
- Price: Mid Range $$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, rooms with private onsen, publiic hot spring bath, river view, fitness center, on site restaurant and bar, breakfast available, sauna
- Location: Gora
- Transit: Gora Station
Hotel Indigo Hakone is a boutique 5 star hotel in Gora offering luxury at affordable price points (if you time it right with dates). It’s a western style hotel, so you’d wear swimsuits to the public onsen and you don’t receive yukata upon arrival. But guest rooms have private onsens on balconies overlooking the river, which sounds awesome!
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness and facilities the highest at Hotel Indigo Hakone. This is one of the best luxury hotels in the region, but it’s a little isolated and meals are expensive so you may have to take the free shuttle into Gora to eat out.
BOOK: Hotel Indigo Hakone
6. Hakone Ashinoko Hanaori
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.8 / 10
- Google – 4.3 / 5
- Price: Luxury $$$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, breakfast and dinner included, terrace with lake views, hot spring bath, spa, rooms with private hot spring baths
- Location: Togendai
- Transit: Togendai Station
Hakone Ashinoko Hanaori is a luxury hotel with classy facilities and amazing Lake Ashi views. It’s one of the best places to stay in Hakone if you want to be next to Togendai Station and the pirate ship. You’ll definitely pay more to stay here, but you get what you pay for.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness, facilities and location the highest at Hakone Ashinoko Hanaori. Comments are most positive about the food, various onsen options and excellent location. We think it’s certainly one to consider in the upper budget range.
BOOK: Hakone Ashinoko Hanaori
7. Hakone Kowakien Tenyu
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.9 / 10
- Google – 4.3 / 5
- Price: Luxury $$$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, open air onsen, rooms with private hot spring bath, breakfast and dinner options, gardens, terrace, sauna and spa lounge, on site restaurant and bar
- Location: Gora
- Transit: Kowakidani Station
Hakone Kowakien Tenyu is a luxury onsen hotel in Gora with several stunning hot spring baths. You can bathe in an infinity hot spring as you watch the sun rising, relax in a forest onsen with a waterfall or stay in your own private hot spring bath.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness, facilities and location the highest at Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu. You’ll need to get off the Tozan Railway at Kowakidani Station and walk to the hotel but it’s one of the most luxurious places you can stay in the entire Hakone area.
BOOK: Hakone Kowakien Tenyu
8. Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.7 / 10
- Google – 4.5 / 5
- Price: Luxury $$$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, breakfast available, on site restaurant and bar, spa, hot spring bath, terrace, free shuttles to Gora and Odawara (specific times)
- Location: Gora
- Transit: Kami-Gora Station
Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort is a luxury hotel with a nice blend between western and Japanese styles. It has an enormous onsen and it’s located in a quiet area when compared to other hotels in Gora. Although the hotel is a little isolated, you can take free shuttles to Gora Station and Odawara JR Station.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness and facilities the highest at Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort. This is a great place to stay in Hakone if you’d prefer a trusted luxury hotel brand that gives you the same authentic experience, while remaining close to Hakone ropeway for accessing Lake Ashi.
BOOK: Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort
Best Hotels In Hakone By Reviews
We always look at guest reviews when booking our hotels in new travel destinations. Previous guest reviews are a fantastic resource to use because you can see genuine unbiased pros and cons from a wide range of real people.
But it’s important to use reviews as a guide only because you might not necessarily agree with others. Let’s take a look at the best hotels in Hakone as per genuine user generated reviews from popular online resources.
1. Booking.com
According to previous guest reviews on Booking.com, your top three hotel options are:
2. Hotels.com
According to previous guest reviews on Hotels.com, your top three hotel options are:
3. Google
According to previous guest reviews on Google, your top three hotel options are:
4. Tripadvisor
According to previous guest reviews on Tripadvisor, your top three hotel options are:
Affordability
Hakone’s hotels are similarly priced to Tokyo, which means they’re far more expensive when compared with other popular tourist spots in Japan like Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima. We have to admit we didn’t expect hotel prices in Hakone to be so steep, but it’s important to remember that many hotels offer rooms with breakfast, dinner and onsen included.
Some hotels offer you the choice of whether or not you want either breakfast or dinner included. We encourage you to read recent reviews and look at food options in the area, along with opening times. At first we booked our room with just breakfast included but then we added in dinner later, and even though it was expensive we’re glad we did because there were no other dining options in Togendai.
On weeknights, you should expect to pay around $220 USD per night at the cheapest hotels in Hakone. On the other end of the spectrum you can quite easily spend $800 USD per night if you want a luxury accommodation with private hot spring. And don’t forget to add more for weekends.
Added Tax
Bear in mind when booking your hotel that you’ll pay 10% hotel tax on top of your base rate, as well as JPY 150 hot springs tax per night (which is around $1 USD).
So, let’s say the basic nightly room cost at a cheap hotel is $200.00 USD for one night, your actual total cost is going to be $221.00.
- When booking your hotel using Booking.com look under the price for includes taxes and fees. This means the price you see is final and will not be subject to further add ons.
- Conversely, if you see text reading something like +$30 for taxes and fees, that means you’ll pay the hotel room cost + the additional 10% tax.
Certain hotels may also add on a property service tax which will also show in the included taxes section. These are just things to be aware of so you avoid any nasty surprises when you come to pay.
Our Verdict
Hakone is one of the most difficult places to figure out transportation and hotels on the typical tourist route in Japan. Your first step is to figure out if you want to stay in Gora, Togendai, Hakone or a different town along the Tozan Railway. And then you can find the perfect hotel.
With experience, we would either stay at a hotel with a view of Mt Fuji in the town of Hakone or stay at a luxury hotel in Gora if we were to plan another trip to the Hakone region. The last piece of advice we’ll give you is to book your hotel as far in advance as possible to get the best rates. We booked late and we paid for it!
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We hope this guide to the best hotels in Hakone helps with planning your visit to Japan!
Please let us know if you have any questions by commenting below.
Happy Booking,
Mark and Kristen
Best Hotels Anywhere
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are experts at finding and booking hotels. They’ve been traveling the world for over 6 years, staying at more than 500 hotels across 4 continents.
They only write about places they have personally visited themselves, which means every article you read on Best Hotels Anywhere is created directly from first hand experience. Read more about us.