7 Best Ryokans in Hakone, Kanagawa with Rooms Featuring Open-Air Baths

source:Contribution of Abiko Daisuki

Hakone is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Kanto region. It is a place where all five senses are satisfied, such as being soothed by hot onsen while surrounded by magnificent nature, eating delicious food while walking, and coming into contact with art. There are many sightseeing spots such as Lake Ashinoko and Owakudani, making it a perfect area for a short holiday trip. Whether you come with your lover, friends, or even by yourself, you will be warmly welcomed.

Hakone is a onsen area that boasts one of the highest volumes of hot spring water in Japan. There are 17 onsen areas, both large and small, that are called ``Hakone 17 Hot Springs'', each with different spring quality. Part of the fun is finding your favorite spring quality. There are many sightseeing spots, and you can enjoy onsen in different locations, so it's a place you'll want to visit over and over again.

By the way, what do you place importance on when choosing an inn? Since it's a trip to Hakone, you can't miss not only the wonderful rooms and delicious meal, but also the rooms with open-air baths where you can fully enjoy onsen. However, even if you say "guest room with an open-air bath", you need to be careful because there are many cases where the water is boiled unexpectedly. This time, we will introduce an inn that focuses on free-flowing hot spring water.

A free-flowing hot spring means that onsen is poured into the bathtub as it gushes out. In other words, the bathtub is always filled with new hot water, so you can enjoy the hot water in a fresh state ♡ It's a luxury to enjoy it in a private space. Would you like to refresh your body and mind in hot onsen?

About 5 minutes by taxi from "Hakone Yumoto Station". After crossing a large suspension bridge, you will see Kinnotake Tonosawa. A stylish appearance that makes you feel as if you are surrounded by rich nature. A quiet flow of time and a healing space... It is truly an adult retreat where you can enjoy the luxury of doing nothing.

There are 23 guest rooms in total. All rooms have open-air baths with free-flowing natural hot springs. The spacious room, where the scent of wood catches your nose, is a relaxing space in harmony with the nature outside. No TV so you can escape from the mundane. Turn off your smartphone and just enjoy the scenery in front of you, the sounds you hear, and the gentle breeze. That one minute and one second may be the time you need right now.

The in-house hot spring "Konjiki-no-Yu" is highly effective for beautiful skin and is said to make your skin glowing. The scenery that blends into the forest enhances the healing effect. Each room has a different bathtub, such as cedar or granite, so be sure to check the bath when choosing a room ◎ Please enjoy the luxury of being one with the rustling of the bamboo forest, the chirping of birds, the sound of the flowing wind and onsen. .

For dinner, let's have a kaiseki meal filled with the chef's commitment. The dishes that use plenty of seasonal ingredients are not only delicious, but they are also beautiful to look at and delicious to the eye. It seems that the body healed in onsen will become more healthy. This is the inn you want to visit when you want to spend a special day with your lover or when you just want to relax by yourself.

Hakone Suishoen is located about 5 minutes by shuttle bus from Kowakudani Station. The name comes from the fact that the cultural property Mitsui Suishoen, which was once used as a vacation home for the Mitsui Zaibatsu, was left intact on the premises. The atmosphere is a fusion of retro and modern that is unique to this place. Would you like to spend some time rejuvenating your mind and body in an elegant Taisho era setting?

There are a total of 23 guest rooms, all of which are suites with a simple and sophisticated design. The atmosphere differs depending on the room. This is the Precious Suite Twin "To", which is perfect for traveling alone. Relaxing on the sofa, sitting on a chair on the terrace and drinking coffee, everything is a comfortable time just for you. There are also rooms with hammocks, so you can enjoy it no matter how many times you visit.

The guest room open-air bath is spacious and you can enjoy onsen that are gentle on the skin. The best part of an open-air bath is that you can enjoy the view of the forest from season to season. You will feel your fatigue and stress melt away in the hot water.

At "Ryotei Momiji", you can enjoy dishes made with ingredients carefully selected by the executive chef himself under the theme of Sen no Rikyu's "Wabi and Sabi". Even being able to meal in a building that has been registered as a national tangible cultural property gives a special feeling. At the table seats overlooking the garden, you can enjoy the scenery of the four seasons. A moment to soothe your soul while being embraced by the silence of the mountains.

"Madoka no Mori" is about 6 minutes by shuttle bus from "Gora Station". This is a warm inn filled with the idea that the encounters here create a circle (bond) and become a place to rest your heart. The guest rooms are a modern Japanese space filled with the warmth of wood, where traditional Japanese beauty resides everywhere. Just by being there, my breathing deepens and my heart becomes calm like ripples.

There are 20 guest rooms in total. The rooms located along the corridor are equipped with open-air baths that flow directly from the source next to the forest. The hot spring onsen is expected to have heat-retaining and moisturizing effects, so you won't feel cold after bathing, so your body will stay warm all the time. You can hear the breath of the mountains from the forest, and it seems that nature is speaking to you from deep inside. Face nature, face yourself, and spend a special time that can't be replaced by anything.

The hot water in the large public bath is drawn from a source different from that in the rooms, so you can enjoy a tour of the hot springs in the hotel. The large public bath is closer to nature than the open-air bath in your room, and you will feel as if you are one with nature in a deep forest. Surrounded by openness and beautiful nature, let's take a leisurely forest bath while soaking in the hot water. The tatami-floored corridor leading from the room to onsen is also one of the highlights.

meal are served in a space decorated with wooden furniture. For dinner, start with colorful appetizers, and enjoy kaiseki cuisine that uses plenty of seasonal ingredients, such as soup, sashimi, grilled food, and steamed food. For breakfast, start your day with a rich combination of seafood and mountain delicacies. How about a luxurious onsen trip where you can enjoy different hot spring sources at your inn?

Hakone Gora Hakone Byakudan is about a 5-minute drive from Kowakidani Station. When you step into the lobby, a large panorama overlooking the Hakone mountain range spreads out in front of you. We also recommend relaxing in the lobby while gazing at the scenery that changes with the seasons. As the name of the hotel suggests, the faint scent of Hakone Byakudan, which has captured the hearts of people around the world since ancient times, wafts through the hotel. You should be able to feel that your mind is gradually calming down.

Each of the 16 guest rooms has a different layout and atmosphere. All rooms have a deck, so you can sit on a chair and let yourself be surrounded by the great nature of Hakone. You should feel your breathing getting deeper and deeper and your mind calming like a gentle wave.

The open-air bath in the guest room is adjacent to nature, so you can enjoy bathing with the beauty of the four seasons. The source is hot and abundant and golden in color. The view from the open-air bath also differs depending on the room, so you can look forward to it on the day, or you can thoroughly research and choose a room to enjoy your trip.

At the meal, you can enjoy kaiseki cuisine that brings out the flavors of the ingredients. With a focus on seafood from Sagami Bay and ingredients from the mountains of Izu, Hakone, the menu is filled with Japanese seasonal ingredients. There is a wide selection of sake and wine that complements Japanese food, so alcohol lovers will be happy. In addition to dinner, one of the pleasures is breakfast with fluffy dashi rolled eggs and small bowls. The scorched white rice cooked in an earthenware pot is delicious, and you won't be able to stop using your chopsticks in the morning.

Gora Hanaougi is a three-minute walk from Sounzan Station. From the lobby filled with the scent of natural wood, to the corridor with tatami mats, to the Japanese chandelier with a motif of 1000 lattices, this is a luxury ryokan for adults with a modern Japanese atmosphere. Even if you do nothing, your heart will be filled. Don't miss the hearth in the lobby made of Jindai zelkova.

The guest rooms are spacious with the warmth of wood. The "special room" on the 2nd floor has a high-class appearance that is full of Japanese luxury. The rooms designed by Hida craftsmen are truly extraordinary spaces. This is a room you'll want to spend on an important day with your lover, or as a reward for yourself who works hard every day.

The Hakone mountain range can be seen from the guest room open-air bath. The magnificent view will make you want to lose track of time and just stare outside. If you allow your thoughts to rest as if they were dissolved in hot water, you can become one with nature. The spring quality is sodium bicarbonate spring, which is rare in Hakone. The thick hot water envelops your body and warms you from the core.

You can't miss not only the open-air baths in the guest rooms, but also the open-air baths in the large public baths. There are two types of open-air baths, the open-air bath made of rocks and the open-air bath made of Shigaraki ware, so you can tour around the onsen.

For meal, you can enjoy kaiseki cuisine using seasonal ingredients. The menu changes monthly, so you can enjoy it no matter how many times you visit, and you can enjoy the luxury of feeling the four seasons with your tongue. Each restaurant is served in a semi-private room, so you can enjoy meal in a private space. Would you like to spend an extraordinary time at an inn with a luxurious atmosphere, onsen, and meal?

"Hakone Toki no Shizuku" is about 5 minutes by shuttle bus from "Hakone Tokinoshizuku Station". All rooms are suites, and it is like a hidden inn where only 8 groups can stay per day. Check-out is at 12:00, so you can relax after waking up in the morning. Indulge in the luxury of doing nothing on a chair with an ottoman facing the outside. Perfect for those who want to enjoy a quiet stay.

In a tasteful Japanese atmosphere, high-class furniture is placed to create a space where warmth and style coexist. Wrap yourself in a bathrobe after taking a bath, sit on a chair and look at the mountains. The sunlight coming in through the window tells us that the morning is coming... All the time is comfortable, and the fatigue and stress of the body disappears quickly.

The open-air bath in the guest room is made entirely of cypress. The scent of cypress gently touches your nose, and by immersing your body in the hot water, your five senses are filled. Spread your arms out as if you were raising your arms in a V-sign and stretch your body as far as you can. It's sure to soothe both your body and mind.

Both breakfast and meal in-room dining. I am glad that you can enjoy the luxury of being able to relax in a private space without worrying about your surroundings. Enjoy a new and original kaiseki cuisine that is not bound by the traditional onsen genre.

Seikanso is about a 20-minute leisurely walk from Hakone-onsen Station. It takes about 5 minutes by bus, but if you take a walk through the town of Hakone Yumoto, you will be able to enjoy the process of gradually deepening nature. With only 9 guest rooms, this hideaway inn for adults is away from the hustle and bustle. It is a recommended place when you want to take care of yourself while being surrounded by the nature of the four seasons, such as fresh green in spring and colored leaves in autumn.

The nine rooms, named after Japanese colors, feature chic spaces with Ryukyu tatami mats. Just as the colors have names, each room has its own personality and a deep sense of relaxation that welcomes guests. It's a space that makes you want to read your favorite novel, meditate in the silence, or face your inner voice.

The guest room open-air bath is located on the terrace on the Yusaka mountain side, and in the detached room on the old Tokaido side. Both are perfect locations to enjoy the changing seasons. It is rare to find such a calm and quiet open-air bath in the bustling area of Hakone Yumoto. You should be able to relax so much that you can't help but say, "Ah, it feels so good!"

For meal, you can enjoy creative dishes using organic vegetables and fresh seafood unique to Hakone. A variety of dishes that you can enjoy with all five senses, with a beautiful appearance that pays attention to details such as tableware and presentation. The menu changes monthly, so the four seasons of Hakone are reflected in the dishes. Why don't you spend a gentle and calm time returning to your true self while feeling the four seasons of Hakone through the food and scenery?

Once in a while, you need time to get out of your daily life and pamper yourself. Hakone, where you can easily go and be surrounded by nature, is the perfect place. Furthermore, if you choose an inn with a guest room with an open-air bath, you can enjoy yourself during the day and be onsen at night. Would you like to have a relaxing time where all your fatigue and stress melt away in hot water?