Hakone Fuga

- Gorgeous, you get what you pay for (luxury price $$$) - Private onsen that was filtered and refilled each day - Free yukata to wear indoors and around the hotel - Espresso coffee and tea amenities - We had takeaway convenience store meals and they helped us microwave them - Drove us to the nearest bus stop during check out

As beautiful as Hakone Fuga was, it was simply too far away from any central bus or train station. Makes it hard to travel around Hakone. Your only option for public transport is the bus, and be prepared for extra difficulty because the bus system isn’t the best for foreigners. If we were to do it again, we’d choose somewhere closer to the central hub (Odawara or Gora) for ease of accessibility.

It was a nice well appointed property with good facilities and quite modern fittings. Room and private Onsen were comfortable and nicely stocked with amenities. Taking a relaxing open air Onsen in the falling snow was also special. They had a drinks area in our building which you could help yourself to every evening which I thought was a very nice touch.

The room was small but fine for the two of us but there was very minimal storage available. A very small half closet which was too small for bags and clothes etc so this in turn made the room feel a bit too cluttered and tight for the two of us to relax comfortably. Also nowhere to hang wet jackets as it both snowed and rained heavily while we were there. We also received a frosty reception when we arrived a little early (and hour and a half before checkin opened) and were not made to feel welcome. We were asked to come back later and were not offered the choice to leave our bags. Considering a snowstorm was on its way this was a bit disconcerting. When we returned at the correct time we received a better reception but this didn’t make up for our first impression of the property.