Hakone Gora Karaku

Japan , Kanagawa
Hakone, 1300-8 Gora, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun
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75 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

14 Mar 2026

Jaimie

Perfect relaxing stay. Staff were exceptionally kind and accommodating. Naia at Mitsuki was very knowledgeable and made each meal a wonderful experience. The clothing and environment was immaculate but welcoming. We would definitely come back.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Mar 2026

Neil

Wonderful hotel! Probably the best at Hakone all they gave four stars for amenities because we would’ve liked to have a gym in the hotel. Otherwise we couldn’t have picked a better place.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

11 Mar 2026

KATSURA

Clean room, friendly staff, great foods and lounge experience. Unfortunately our room clock and the facial steamer weren’t working properly.
Also the kettle was difficult to use it.
However very great experience with them! Definitely worth to visit again!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2026

Tina

Room was gorgeous with the open air bath on a balcony overlooking Mount Fuji. The staff was extremely hospitable and professional.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Feb 2026

priscilla

Everything was thoroughly intentional

4/10

Poor

09 Jan 2026

Fianna

At check in,there was confusion about the room type booked.We chose the hotel specifically for its Japanese esthetics& was excited to stay in a Japanese style room.We booked 2rooms as we are a family of5 &requested in advance for sidebyside rooms.We received an email back confirming our request.However it was never disclosed that they decided to change our room type to western.Front desk initially apologized but said nothing could be done& blamed the mistake on our request for sidebyside. We stood firm,showed our booking confirmation&emails,telling them this was unacceptable. After spending20mins at check-in,
they assigned us the room types that we booked to rectify THEIR mistake.Dinner was another major letdown.
We booked Japanese grill which was highly anticipated as the property received Michelin ratings.To our surprise the staff service was subpar.Our teppanyaki chef was clearly sick(although wearing a face mask was consistently coughing,clearing his throat w/phlegm&sniffled throughout our entire 2hr course meal while preparing,cooking&serving our food.Which as anyone can imagine was extremely inappropriate&unprofessional (video proof available).Also, a server accidentally dropped a piece of food from the plate to table&used his bare fingers to place it back on dish.We stayed here 2yrs ago&loved it,which is why we returned with our family.We raised our concerns after dinner but noone followed up even at checkout.Very disappointing experience for a hotel of this caliber.

4/10

Poor

08 Jan 2026

Jessica

Overall, the hotel did not meet 5 star standards.
The nicest part of the hotel was the private onsen on our balcony and the view. The rooms were dated and a bit unkept.

The hotel staff were cold (bordering rude) and incredibly unhelpful when it came to helping us find places for dinner nearby.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

23 Dec 2025

Daniel

When we attempted to check in at noon, the front desk said check in was at 3. That wasn’t a problem. The problem is that they were not welcoming and did not encourage us to walk around hotel. We were encouraged to leave the hotel. When we checked in, they didn’t explain the hotel concept, it’s amenities and sent us on a wild goose chase to our room. By the time we could figure out the hotel and the traditional concept, it was time to check out. We did not make a dinner reservation and was coldly told they were sold out. I would not go back. We stayed in a similar hotel in kyoto and only then realized how bad our experience here was. They missed the mark with us. Bumner

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Dec 2025

Timothy

very nice room. great baths. great food

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Dec 2025

Grant

Amazing staff and beautiful rooms, outstanding food as well.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Dec 2025

Jose

Everything. This is truly a 5-star hotel resort. The room was spotless, beautiful, organized, and cozy. The hotel offered excellent amenities through their lounges and in the rooms. The baths were so inviting!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Nov 2025

Andrew

Excellent service. Outstanding food. Elegant hotel in a beautiful location.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2025

Mari

Spacious, clean rooms. Loved the outdoor bath and view from the balcony. Staff was very attentive and greeted us with a delicious mochi treat and tea while they readied our room. Also personally showed us the facility and took us to our room.

The dinner and breakfast was also outstanding and delicious! The dinner meal was served in courses rather than all at once and the attention to detail was outstanding.

Loved the resort and would definitely consider visiting again!

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

23 Nov 2025

OVED

The breakfast was fixed menu no selection and very cheep portions, If you don't reserve mounts in advance don't expect to to have massage in SPA or diner in the hotel. overall one of the most expansive hotels in Japan and no value for money.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Nov 2025

James

Staff were amazing! Always went above and beyond

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Nov 2025

Jonathan

Services

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2025

Ernie

We had a room with mountain view and a private onsen in the west building. It was amazing The hotel was lovely, the service was impeccable and the meals were outstanding. There is a guest lounge with free drinks and snacks open for most of the day, too. Well worth the extra money.

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

17 Oct 2025

Yael

I was really excited to stay here, but it didn’t live up to the price. Breakfast isn’t a buffet but a fixed menu at a restaurant, and you have to book a time in advance so when we checked in late, only 7:30 or 10:30 were left. I asked for a vegetarian meal, but it wasn’t respected, so I had to skip breakfast. Later I found my terrace hadn’t been cleaned and there were dead bugs in the onsen. Beautiful place, but the service and attention to detail were disappointing.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Oct 2025

Christopher

If I can sum it up in one word…. ‘Wow!’ This hotel was amazing. I booked a Japanese style room on the upper floor of the west wing with a private onsen. The room was spacious, clean and really comfortable beds. Sitting in the onsen and having a ‘cold drink’ with the views was amazing. The hotel staff was excellent on check- in and check-out. Dinner and breakfast service was also excellent.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Oct 2025

ofir

Amazing!!!!

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Aug 2025

Amy

Foid was excellent. Great location. Staff was very helpful.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Aug 2025

Eng Kiat William

This was our third time staying at Hakone Gora KARAKU, and it’s still one of our favorite places in Hakone. The location is super convenient—just a short walk from Gora Station.

We booked a room with a semi-open private onsen tub, which my wife really enjoyed. I spent more time in the public baths with sauna and steam (they switch each night). It was never crowded, so it felt peaceful and relaxing.

The lounge was fine—coffee was delicious, but snacks were pretty limited.

Our stay included Japanese-style breakfast and kaiseki dinner both nights. The food was absolutely delicious, beautifully plated, and served at a nice, relaxed pace.

The staff were friendly, professional, and helpful—exactly what you’d expect from great Japanese hospitality.

We keep coming back because the mix of comfort, great food, relaxing baths, and welcoming service is hard to beat. Already looking forward to the next trip!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Aug 2025

MIRCEA

the most amazing experience starting from check in, it surpassed any expectations , much nicer than a 5 star western corporate hotel !

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

29 Jun 2025

Stephen

We are still on our family 5 star trip through Japan.
We just stayed at Gora Karaku. I chose this hotel because of the rave reviews it got on Expedia.
Here are my comments.
1) The hotel is conveniently located just 300 ft from the main Gora railroad station. This is a PLUS!
2) when we checked in (early afternoon), we asked if we could book 4 massages. At first, the answer was they could accommodate just one.
Note: our stay was for 2 nights
They finally were able to accommodate 3 massages , after a lot of discussion and follow-up.
3) I thought we booked western style breakfast and dinner. They had us booked with Japanese style breakfast and dinner.
We requested to have us moved to western style dinner.
They were able to move us to western style breakfast, but only western style dinner on the 2nd night.
3 of us don’t eat raw fish. We were not able to eat a thing for dinner on night 1.
The second night was teppanyaki style. It was good.
We were not told that there was an upcharge for this.
Upon checkout, the hotel charged us 11000x2=22000 yen (almost $200) for the one western style meal.
When I questioned it, they claimed that I booked Japanese style dinners. That is not true.The difference in price for dinners through Expedia was not different.
4) The rooms were both nice, with private onsens.
However the bathrooms are teeny tiny. If you want spacious bathrooms, this property is not for you.
The breakfast was not edible.
This hotel is NOT reccommended! Very disappointed!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2025

Amir

Could not be happier with our stay. Definitely the highlight of our trip

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2025

Zachary

Amazing property and experience. Dinner was wonderful too.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 May 2025

Michele

Excellent property. Loved the en suite onsen.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 May 2025

Jose

Dinner and breakfast were excellent

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

06 May 2025

Jose

Serene and relaxing setting. Facilities were very clean and well maintained. Staff was super attentive and friendly.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 May 2025

Mamaesa

Great time at this property would definitely go again

10/10

Exceptional

30 Apr 2025

Karen

The Orix hotel is farther away from the main Hakone shopping area, however it's walking distance to/from the Gora station so it's easy to get to. The property is perfect for quiet get away and to enjoy a private onsen. Absolutely love the experience and staffs are all very friendly, helpful and polite.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2025

Verified traveler

Beautiful Hakone

Magnificent hotel and experience in the most beautiful and peaceful setting.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

16 Apr 2025

Monica

The property was nice and clean. The staff for the most part had great service. What I don't know is that there were no buffets or menus. You had to eat whatever they gave you. It was very difficult to eat there. Most of the food we didn't like. We paid a lot money and didn't eat. The Onsens were meh. Nothing special. The absolute worst thing that happened to us there was when we went to the private Insen there,there was two small smoothies in bottles that we were able to drink. Later when we asked for more, they said no. We weren't eating anything and at least wanted a smoothie but would not let us have more and we couldn't even buy more. They had a small lounge where you could drink alcohol for free but we couldn't get a bottled smoothie. That was ridiculous. No room service. No food we could request to eat. So disappointing and definitely not with the money.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Apr 2025

Hungfai

The property is new and tastefully done in every way. Breakfast and dinner both wonderful. The in-room Onsen was great. The outdoor onsens are clean, large and wonderful.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Apr 2025

Carolyn

Beautiful property and wonderful service and food.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2025

Harrison

If you want to treat yourself and stay in one of the best properties and locations in Gora (Hakone), book some time at KARAKU. The rooms, private and guest onsen, amenities, dining, staff, and overall experience was a highlight of our trip. This is a truly special ryokan, and caters perfectly to visitors from all over the globe.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

07 Apr 2025

Chih-Ann

Great service and high end

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

07 Apr 2025

Emily

We spent one night at this lovely property. I was hesitant given the cost, but it was totally worth it and I highly recommend it. The online images don't do it justice. We loved the room, the food and the staff. The place was very quiet and we could not hear guests in the adjoining rooms.

We opted for the traditional kaiseki dinner and Japanese breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed both (the dinner was the best we had in Japan). We also opted for the private onsen on our balcony, which was magnificent. The public onsen was also really nice. If we are lucky enough to get back to Japan, I would spend a minimum of 2 nights here to allow for full-time for relaxation. Don't hesitate! Make a reservation at this awesome place and you will not be disappointed!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Apr 2025

Rachel

This hotel was a highlight for us. Our family loved the hot springs tubs, the japanese style clothing they provide for us to wear, and the traditional kaiseki dinner. The hotel was beautiful and the staff was very lovely (so kind and helpful). Would highly recommend. Lots of stuff to do nearby including hiking, skywalk, cable car, and lake cruise. This was a beautiful stop for us between Tokyo and Kyoto.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2025

Lijun

Best of hotels I have ever stayed. Attention to details is on the next level!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2025

Deana

This hotel is top-notch in every way. The rooms were spacious and luxurious. The decorating was tasteful and demure. They treat every guest with great respect. They have an absolutely lovely customer lounge area which provides snacks and drinks as well as wine & beer for their guests. It is a four minute walk to the train and an eight minute walk to the bus.

The skin care and toiletries that they have for your use are very high-quality. Because this is a Japanese Rioken they provided three or four sets of clothing that you could wear in the hotel during your stay. Oh yes, they had bath slippers slippers for around the hotel room, and slippers to wear on the patio.

Truly, they have thought of everything to make your stay so incredibly comfortable and enjoyable. I would write them a 10 if I could.

I wish we had more time to stay there longer it was so lovely and relaxing.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Apr 2025

Yee Kok

This resort hotel is truly excellent, though the meals included in the room package could be more varied.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Mar 2025

Patricia

This is a top level property! Luxury from check in process to check out. The restaurant and the lounge areas offerings are stellar.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2025

Jamin

Great area! Right next to the train station so easy to get to public transportation. Staff were extremely courteous and attended to my needs. Would come back here again

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Mar 2025

cameron

Amazing! Both inside and out. Views are one of a kind. Rooms are large and spacious. Staff is amazing and so attentive. Well designed. Well cared for.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2025

Stacey

We stayed at Karaku for one night and were blown away by how beautiful the hotel was and the exceptional service of the staff, most notably Mr. Lee. I booked a West Wing room with open air onsen that included dinner at 5pm. It felt like a good idea at the time because we planned to do the ropeway and pirate boat ride, but unfortunately when we stayed it decided to snow and those activities were closed. The hotel was so helpful in moving our dinner to 7:30pm so we had time to explore. I kind of regretted that though because the amenities and comfort of the hotel were probably the best we’ve ever experienced. The room was amazing, we didn’t want to leave. Complimentary traditional clothing is provided for comfort around the hotel and the dining room (but not required, as there’s no dress code). They also offer a guest lounge that offered complimentary afternoon and morning snacks and beverages. Highly recommend! The diner was top notch, but recommend if you book the meals, research what you’re getting. We paid for a Japanese style breakfast, but decided to pass on it in the morning. We didn’t do enough research, and wouldn’t have included breakfast or dinner in our reservation if we could do it again (sorry, we’re just not huge seafood lovers, and it was primarily all seafood).

Highly recommend staying here! It was expensive, but you literally felt like you were living in luxury here, and to have our own private outdoor onsen was amazing.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2025

XINDING

Everything is perfect

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2025

Joey

Love !!! They’re have snacks bar 7am- 11am/ 2pm -8pm ( morning and afternoon tea). I can do it all day even though we had breakfast and diner for 3 nights. You can also enjoy for private onsen with 3 different bath 1h just only 5000 yen.👍😍😆

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Feb 2025

Kooper

Highlight of our Japan Trip

Incredible stay. Gorgeous property, beautiful rooms, really nice amenities… I really appreciated nice touches to the room like high end skincare and hair care. I loved the really fancy hair dryers in the room and spa! Spending time on our patio in the onsen was so nice. Renting a bigger onsen for a private hour was also a highlight. The kaiseki dinners and traditional Japanese breakfasts were really delightful. The guest lounge with complimentary snacks and drinks was a nice touch. Proximity to the Gora station, shrine, open air museum and owakudani was also wonderful.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2025

cindy

Love the place!! Will come back for sure next time

10/10

Exceptional

14 Feb 2025

David

The kaiseki was incredible. Staff was extremely professional, helpful and nice. The property itself is beautiful, and the onsen itself was clean, modern, and had an amazing view.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2025

Elizabeth

Perfect place for a retreat, luxury stay that catered to small children even the meals were tailored for them. Loved our room with our private onsen

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

16 Dec 2024

Eric

Everything was perfect! The hotel grounds and facilities were immaculate. The room was gorgeous and the view fantastic. The lounge was quiet and comfortable. But it was the staff that made this the best stay ever. They were professional, courteous, and super attentive to every detail. The highlight of our Japan trip

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

12 Dec 2024

Haofu

Kaiseki dinner was probably one of the worst meals we've had in Japan. I got food poisoning and threw up several times after. If you read reviews carefully, I'm not alone unfortunately.

Hotel is relatively new and centrally located, rooms are nice but a big reason to go to a hotel like this is the food which was very disappointing. There are many better options, especially at this price point.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2024

Rosemarie

Luxe and elegant!! 10/10

My husband and I booked 2 nights here as apart of our Japan honeymoon. Only bad part was we didn’t want to leave!! The property, the amenities, the staff, everything was exceptional. The private onsen on our balcony had a beautiful view of the mountains, yet so much privacy. We were able to dine in a private room for same of our meals, and that made it feel extra special. The food was innovative yet traditional Japanese, it was truly interesting and enjoyable. The guest lounge had amazing selections of beverages ranging from nespresso drinks to Japanese whiskeys, and fun little snacks! It rained the 2nd day we were there but honestly, it didn’t matter at all as we were able to truly enjoy the luxurious property and all it had to offer.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Nov 2024

Leticia

We had a memorable and wonderful time at Gora Karaku. The facilities are beautiful, the staff was kind and helpful, and the food was great. Odetta at the front desk was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. She is great.

There was a mistake with our dinner reservation on the second night, but Keishiro Ishihara fixed it, and some. He moved reservations around and got us the table we were promised, and then he had the perfect table reserved for us the next morning for breakfast. That was very thoughtful. Our most memorable experience was Keishiro Ishihara telling us how to get from the restaurant to the water feature and showing us to the elevator and bowing to us as the door closed. And when the door was open on the other floor, he was there waiting for us. He did the same elevator trick a few more times. He even met us in the lobby as we checked out and walked us to the street. And he waived to us until we got to the train station. This was such a kind gesture, and made our experience better and more memorable.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Nov 2024

Terry

Gora is a great place to stay if you don’t have a car. The hotel is Ideally located near public transit. A short walk to the train station and cable car station with buses stopping out front and a taxi stand. The onsen is modern and has a good view. The staff is uniformly helpful and friendly.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2024

Audrone

We had an excellent stay at this luxurious ryoken. Having the onsen in our room was amazing. It was worth the splurge. One consideration is they allow families which is great. However when we were relaxing in the tub we had a young family next to us, and were surprised to hear children’s loud chattering when quiet would have been preferred.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Nov 2024

Craig

A slice of heaven - amazing staff with unbeatable service delivery. Amazing food, fantastic spa.
The only thing I would recommend is a later meal offering in the hotel - either room service or casual dining as it is very hard to get a meal in Gora after 7pm.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

23 Oct 2024

Mathew

Great luxury Japanese style hotel. Convenient location to access Hakone area via ropeway. Easy to get to with hotel shuttle from Odawara. We did half board. Food and breakfast was great and worth the experience. Wine/sake option are very good. Easier for us that eating was in the restaurant.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

22 Oct 2024

Kohlett

Hakone is a unique stay in that you have your private onsen. The modern facilities coupled with the exceptional dinner and breakfast would be the reason I’d return again and again. Thank you!

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2024

Gillian

Incredible experience and service. We were all looking forward to this one night stay before our trip to Japan and it did not disappoint. The highlight was the private onsen on our balcony, we used it several times during our one day stay. Highly recommend this ryokan if you can book it

Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2024

Calvin Yue Hin

Property was extremely clean atmosphere was amazing exactly what we needed to relax paired with the amazing food the only regret we had was not to stay longer.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Oct 2024

Kathy

Hotel staff was amazing. It was so clean and so beautiful. Best part was the private onsen. It was cloudy so we couldn’t see the mountain view. If I rebooked I would just get the cheapest view as the balcony view isn’t guaranteed.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2024

William

Loved the rooms. Loved lounge.
Property was quite complicated to get around.
Food so so. However Teppenyaki was exceptional. Our chef was great. Sorry to have forgotten his name.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Sep 2024

Gregory

This was the best experience I’ve ever had at a resort or hotel. The facilities are in immaculate condition. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The breakfast and dinners were world class. If I had known how wonderful our stay would be I would have booked several more nights. Im very grateful for a wonderful stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Aug 2024

Tan Nee

Really nice hotel, great food and friendly staff. The room is very clean!

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jul 2024

Gil

Perfect. Accommodations, spa, facilities and food were all amazing.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2024

Margaret

A wonderful and relaxing experience!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2024

Carmen

Beautiful property very close to the train station. Incredible service and a fantastic traditional Japanese experience including the outfits

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jun 2024

Samantha

We had such a lovely stay. Thank you so much! 😊

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

10 May 2024

Dave

The architecture and design of the property was very simple and clean and adapted well to its natural surroundings. The room with its bath in the balcony and the attention to details was amazing.

The food at the restaurant was a bit bland and could be better. The service was great but the staff need a bit more experience in telling its story of the food and dishes. The times were also a bit inflexible despite being relatively empty. Nevertheless, it was a good time.

The guest lounge was also very good but closed way too early - especially if you wanted to spend some time after dinner.

The open-air vista bath was absolutely fantastic, especially at night. It had all the necessary amenities and was luxurious. I went for both nights, but found it strange that a lady worker kept visiting the men's bath to clean and refresh.

Overall, a great experience with a luxury feel.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Apr 2024

Adam

Quite simply the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in. The service was impeccable and everything was spotlessly clean.This felt like a holiday within a holiday. My only regret is that we could not stay there longer.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2024

Sabina

Service at the hotel was amazing. Very traditional Japanese hotel. Comfortable beds and bedding great shower. We used taxi to get in and out and spend 1 night only. Our dinner at the Western restaurant ( grill ) was 10 stars. So amazing - expertise , food , service - all
Worth it. We had western breakfast. We used bath on the balcony and it was spectacular. I can't recommend this hotel high enough. We also wore kimono all over and to dinner and that too was fun !

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2024

Mrs Paula D

We had a lovely room with a private onsen. There's nothing quite like waking early and walking from your bed to a warm bath on a terrace with a stunning view. Easy walk to the cable car and ropeway to enjoy views of Mt Fuji, Lake Ashinoko and the steaming caldera.

Leisure Partner