Laforet Hakone Gora Yunosumika

Excellent food, very clean and new decor, specious rooms.

Location of this hotel was excellent, only a few minutes walk to the closet cable car station and only one stop away from the Open Air Museum. Note: use the directions listed on the hotel's own website and not Google Maps, as Google lists the wrong station and will have you walk longer. Our booking included included both breakfast and dinner (called half board) and was definitely worth it. Nice not to have to worry about finding a place to eat, and they provide traditional yukatas to wear inside the hotel (recommended to wear to dining as well). The breakfast buffet was amazing, with a combination of traditional Japanese breakfast (my favourite), as well as Western options. The kaiseki (traditional multi-course Japanese dinner) was also delicious. We did not book a room with a private onsen, but the public onsen was empty when I used it. However, if you are travelling as a couple and would like to use the public onsen together, note that this will not be possible as the onsen are separted by sex, so you would need to book a room with a private onsen if you want to use the onsen together. All the hotel staff were very friendly (translation apps will be necessary unless you can speak Japanese).

The onsen facilities are wonderful. The water is hot. Staff is very friendly. Breakfast is great. The bed is very comfortable and the temperature was perfect the entire time.

The shuttle service was very convenient. The woman at the tourist information desk at Gora station called the hotel on our behalf as we didn't have a Japanese phone number. The room was very spacious and comfortable. There is a slight smell of sulfur, but that actually made us happy as we had previously worried that the balcony onsen may not be authentic. The bath itself is nice, you can control the temperature. It is a bit green in some spots, but it did not seem that anything was unhygienic. It's simply the effects of being located in a humid climate. Breakfast and dinner were great. The dinner menu changed each night (we stayed 3 nights); we were always extremely full after eating everything. The staff were also very kind and attentive. The hotel is located close to the cable car, though the walk is a bit hilly so it may not be accessible for everyone.

We had an amazing stay at Laforet Hakone Gora. We were warmly greeted at check-in and as soon as we entered the hotel and left our shoes at the lobby, we also left all the stress of our travels. The hotel was heavenly! Greeted by a grand lobby with a warm fireplace, we continued to our room on tatami mat flooring. The room itself was beautifully designed, spacious and comfortable. Our private onsen really made our stay unforgettable! Dinner and the buffet breakfast was amazing, top quality and everything was perfectly balanced. The staff were very professional and elegant. Thanks again to the staff there for our amazing stay.