하코네 리트리트 빌라 1/f

The core things this hotel gets right: The rooms are wonderful, the staff supremely helpful, and the breakfast good. The private onsens are lovely. And yet I can't fully fully recommend it. The on site restaurants are good but expensive and inflexible, both on timing and menu (there are two fixed sitting times, at 5.30pm and 8pm). There are not really any alternatives within walking distance. In fact, though it looks like there's a lot on Google maps, the area around the hotel turns out to be almost a ghost town. The compound is spread out and you will spend a lot of time just walking between your room and the restaurants, reception, etc. That or being driven in electric golf carts, which is weird. Basically, if you want luxurious isolation, go for it. But if you want flexibility, I'm not so sure If very private, very luxurious and slow are your

The villa we stayed in was spacious and beautiful with a private onsen (no view though). The property is beautiful and quiet and you feel immersed in nature. The concierge was thoughtful and provided an anniversary welcome with champagne which we greatly appreciated. However, we found the service lacklustre and not comparable with a 5 star resort. There was no welcome drink, and the kaiseki and breakfast meals were ok, we have had better experiences. We were rushed to check out with someone knocking at our door to pay for our dinner tab before 11am checkout time (stay was prepaid), which I have never experienced before. So I'd say the stayed ended on a sour note. I wouldn't recommend it or return in the future unless the food and service quality improve greatly, given that this is rated as a 5 star resort.