This is probably the nicest onsen hotel in Hakone, so if you're looking for the best - book it! Beautiful traditional rooms, kimonos, slippers and even socks - all provided by the hotel, you don't need to bring anything. We had our own bath in our private garden which we enjoyed, as well as the Grand Baths. We especially loved the food - it is proper fine dining kaiseki twice a day (breakfast and dinner) served on beautiful plates, in your own room. On our check out day, we got a private drive from the hotel to one of the rural sushi restaurants which we appreciated. The staff at the reception were very kind and helpful, and spoke good English.

Unfortunately our experience was influenced negatively by our host, who was very young (in his early 20s) and hardly spoke any English. We had to explain everything many times and misunderstandings occurred from this. He felt like he's on training rather than a proper host. We would have appreciated to be assigned to an English-speaking staff member. The shower in the bathroom was old and chalky. I pointed it out, to which I got an answer that the room is very old. Well if you can update the prices, surely you can update the bathrooms too. And more about the price - it is extremely expensive, which of course we knew, however did not expect the 10% charge on top of our stay for an extra hour of check out time.

Beautiful hotel grounds, beautiful room! The onsen is stunning! feels like you’re in a movie. Best onsen experience for sure.

Not good value for money. Check out is at 11 - and this is no acceptable for a 5 star hotel. If I was staying at and airbnb or some lower star hotel - I would understand - but this is simply not ok for a hotel with this level and price. We checked out an hour later, and they charged us a steep price for staying an hour longer. This is simply not ok and this is not hospitality! This made me leaving with a bitter taste. Details like this matter.

EVERYTHING!!! Absolutely loved my stay at Gora Kadan! My parent were also very delighted with the facilities and welcoming staff :)

The ryokan is a convenient location close to Gora Station, making it easily accessible by foot or with a complimentary car pick-up service available upon request. Upon arrival, we received a warm welcome from the multiple staff members who greeted us at the entrance of the ryokan. The interior and exterior of the property are stunningly beautiful and well-maintained, featuring a harmonious blend of traditional Japanese and modern design. The highly trained staff, many of whom speak fluent English, were attentive to our every need and provided excellent service throughout our stay. After checking in, our nakai-san, Ayano-san, gave us a brief tour of the ryokan before leading us to our Botan suite on the 4th floor. The suite was equipped with a large spa bath, sauna, and balcony with a breathtaking mountain view. Complimentary drinks from the minibar and a menu of food and drinks were also available to order throughout our stay. The Wagyu beef kaiseki option for dinner (~7,260JPY extra charge) and the Japanese and Western breakfast options were all extremely delicious and surpassed our expectations. In addition to the public onsens, we had the opportunity to reserve a private open-air onsen for 40 minutes. Upon checkout, the ryokan provided us with free transportation in a luxury car to our next destination at Sounzan Station. A special thank you goes to Ayano-san, who was an exceptional nakai-san throughout my stay. She was very attentive, frequently checking if we needed anything, answering any questions we had, and in general, a wonderful person to talk to and learn more about. Her exceptional hospitality and presence made my stay even more enjoyable and comfortable. Overall, my stay at Gora Kadan was a luxurious and memorable experience. The exceptional hospitality, stunning scenery, and relaxing atmosphere exceeded my expectations. I look forward to staying at this ryokan and seeing Ayano-san again during my next visit to Japan!

Only wish I could have stayed longer!

Lovely hotel. Our room was very spacious and we had a lovely patio overlooking a beautiful and peaceful rock garden. The dinner was a great experience and they provided our daughter with a children's meal which she appreciated. The breakfast was also delicious. All meals were served in our room. The service during meals and check in/out was also very smooth and everyone very very kind and helpful. The staff were very responsive. On our day of check out the local trains were not running due to damage along the tracks from a storm overnight. The hotel staff did a great job notifying us about the closures and provided us with transportation to the local bus station since it was a bit further away. We also utilized the indoor pool, which our daughter loved. Overall, we enjoyed our stay at Gora Kadan.

The care and attention of our Room Attendant was amazing. Koki was attentive, fun, helpful and brought the experience of the Japanese style meals and the overall accommodations to the highest level we could have imagined! The food, with it's preparation and delivery (from Koki) was far beyond what we imagined. Would highly recommend the in-room Kaiseki meal - amazing! The location is a four minute walk from the "mountain train" (public transportation in Japan is awesome) and a five minute walk from the Hakone Open Air Museum - which is a world class museum with both the expected outdoor sculptural/experiential art pieces, as well as beautiful indoor exhibits and collections, including a whole museum of Picasso's work.

Not much to dislike here. I think there need to be shades in the coffee/bar area for those who like to have an early morning and watch the sunrise - as there's no way to sit by the windows without being blinded.

What an incredible and memorable experience for our family. The Ryokan is situated on the side of the hill, with lovely views of the surrounding area. The building, especially the hallway to the baths, is stunning. The staff were warm, welcoming and very helpful. Our room was better than we imagined and we loved having our own bath, as well as the sitting area that looked out to the garden and hills. The meals were excellent and we will never forget our 2 hour, 9 course dinner. Our boys are 15 and 17 and ate everything they were served. Our youngest checked the menu and declared he tried 36 things he had never eaten before. We also enjoyed the public baths and the salon, where we all made use of the massage chairs.

That we couldn't stay longer!

We stayed for 2 nights on our honeymoon and it was overall a wonderful experience. The room was beautifully traditional with comfortable tatami floors and furnished with small sofas for those who don't like sitting on the floor. The view in our veranda was breathtaking and the air was crisp and clean. A truly revitalizing experience. Service wise, from the moment we entered the premise to the point when we left the service was flawless. Nene-san who was our personal attendant was so attentive to our needs and made sure we were well taken care off throughout our stay. The meals she served us daily for breakfast and dinner were truly exquisite, particularly our dinner on the second night, a teppanyaki wagyu beef course served right in our room. We were genuinely hesitant about booking Gora Kadan as the price is truly on the high side, but we have to say that the experience surpassed our expectations and we will definitely be back in the future. Thanks again to Nene-san and the chefs who cared for us and fed us so well!

Price is definitely on the high side. Also the futons may not be for everyone as it is not as soft as a bed with a mattress. I believe there are other options in the property with actual beds so you might want to choose those. In line with this the pillows are a bit thin. I would think that you could request for different pillows but it wasn't a big deal for us so we didn't bother asking. Finally it may be a bit hard to find if you're walking over from Gora station. You'll need to look out for a small crossing across the train tracks as you're walking out of the station that leads to a path to the property. Its a short distance, just a few minutes. If you have a Japanese number and can call them, I believe they can pick you up from Gora Station.

Gora Kadan is one of the best places we've ever stayed, everyone we interacted with went above and beyond to make our time there special. There was so much care and attention to detail put into every aspect of the space, food, and hospitality that made it the perfect environment to rest and recharge. We felt truly taken care of the whole time we were there. When our travel plans were disrupted by weather, the staff helped adapt our schedule so we could make the most of our stay. Highly recommend the spa services and upgrading to the Omakase dinner - the chef, his team, and the restaurant are truly one of a kind.

Amazing experience. Extremely well kept and beautifully designed. The hotel is set against a cliff and beautiful. Lovely modernist architecture, with lots of wood, and creative use of glass and open space. Staff was amazing. Dinner and breakfast served in your room. We booked a suite (Fuji) and it was really nice., immaculate, very well maintained, an incredibly restful space. The private onsen with garden was serene and gorgeous. There was also an amazing public bath. Service was thoughtful and kind. On check out, when the staff found out we were headed to the hakone open air museum, they offered a ride there. Then they picked us up after 2 hours from the museum with our bags, and dropped us at gora station!! I hope to go back some day.

Nothing!