Open-air bath/11 mins walk from Hakone Yumoto Sta.

Everything was great

The bed sheets and futon covers didn’t feel very fresh so we had some concern there.

We liked the bathtub, clear instructions, the quiet location, overall look of the place and the host was lovely to communicate and he did allow us to check in early and check out late which we appreciate him for, however, there were a lot of things missing to make this place homely. I do feel bad as the host was accommodating but I think future visitors should know more.

A few things to consider: This place up on a steep hill, not so far from the station but still a good 15 minute walking up. - We found the apartment a bit creepy, not cozy and homely. - There is no sofa to actually sit down and enjoy the projector. The projector lens needs changing. - Host should provide basic drinks like tea water and coffee, these were not available. - Bed sheets were worn off and rough, bed wasn’t so comfortable either.

Beautifully designed, spacious and the right mix of modern comforts and traditional architecture (two of the bedrooms are fairly modern and simple, with the master bedroom a traditional Japanese style room yet with comfy modern beds, and the open kitchen and lounge huge and with impressive wooden ceilings. Whilst the house can get quite cold there is more than enough heating to keep comfortable (2 air con systems in the lounge room and one in each bedroom). The jacuzzi was the icing on the cake and appreciate by the entire family :)

Be aware that it is a little bit of a walk from the main train station (around 15 minutes) with a fairly steep (albeit only lasting around 100m) slope, so I would definitely recommend either a taxi or a bus ride when you first arrive (if you get a local sightseeing pass, the local bus is included for free and stops only 1 minute walk from the house. Ask for the bus stop Soun Koen Mae on the line K bus (which also conveniently goes straight to the Ashi Lake avoiding the need to double back to the Hakone Yumato train station, definitely would have liked to have know that in advance!)

Spacious home suitable for groups, personal jacuzzi, proper kitchen

As it’s a pepper home, you can’t get the ryokan experience many want in Hakone