Merveille Hakone Gora

Positives 1. Large spacious and clean room. Certainly an upgrade from the smaller Tokyo city rooms we were in. 2. The medicinal tea bar was a hit with our group and an interesting touch to the hotel. 3. The public baths (onsen) were well maintained and clean. 4. The hotel provides yukata robes that you can change into. 5. Breakfast and dinner were decent and necessary judging by the limited number of eateries in the area. There is Gora Brewery just behind the hotel and a Daily Yamazaki convenience store just 1 min walk. 6. You can get to Gora Park in 1 min. Tips to get from Gora station to hotel and vice versa 1. Walking. The steep slope is really not for the faint hearted. 2. When you get off at Gora, hop onto the Tozan line from Gora and get off at Koen Shimo (1 stop). It is covered if you buy the Hakone Free Pass. From Koen Shimo, it is a straight walk to the hotel. Much easier than climbing the slope. 3. Hotel shuttle. From Gora station exit, turn right and you will see an underpass. Go through it and this is where the shuttle picks / drops. We didn’t manage to find out how to get the shuttle from Gora station, but from the hotel - you should book the shuttle in advance as it can get full especially during check out time.

Great location. Love the outdoor onsen in our room as well as the one in the hotel. Enjoyed the kaiseki dinners and the tea sachets that we can make ourselves.

A nice hotel that falls short in a few key areas. As a foreigner, be warned — you may feel somewhat alienated, with staff treating you noticeably differently to Japanese guests. The onsen is pleasant but on the smaller side, and the sauna fits only two people at a time. Dinner was good, though the set menu leaves little room for flexibility. If you have dietary requirements and aren’t fluent in Japanese, don’t expect much accommodation. Room quality and beds were excellent. However, the staff attempted to charge us ¥3,300 for checking out just 15 minutes late — worth being very aware of the 10am checkout time. Overall a mixed experience, and one I’d hesitate to repeat