The food was a little hit or miss. Dinner was better than breakfast. It's not a deal breaker, but it was a little below expectations.

The ryokan itself was nice and I liked having the choice between three different onsens. The staff was accommodating too!

Stayed in April 2024

The ryokan itself is beautiful and the private onsen were a highlight. The reservation system was easy and the staff was very helpful.

Stayed in May 2024

At first we found the walk from Gora station very steep, but we found an easier walk via the Koen-Kami underpass, and we also took the cable car to Koen-Kami station for an easier walk. There were not many places for dinner close by.

We really loved being able to book the onsen (twice each evening and once in the morning) and we loved the beautifully designed room ( though I prefer sleeping in a bed). The setting was lovely too - we looked out onto total greenery which meant we heard nothing but birdsong. We booked dinner and breakfast for two of our four nights and the meals were beautifully presented. We also really loved the museums in the area - the Hakone Museum has an outstanding ceramics collection and magnificent garden, and the open air and Pola museums have superb painting and sculpture collections and exhibitions.

Stayed in May 2024

There was no shower in the room only open group showers in the onsen.

The Onsens were lovely. Staff were very helpful and beds were comfy.

Stayed in April 2024

Food was amazing. Loved the private Onsen that the family could enjoy together.

Stayed in April 2024

Breakfast was awesome!

Stayed in April 2024

They do not have a bunch of staff so be patient at checkin and meal times. As mentioned they forgot the vegan meals as messaged but didn’t follow up to remind them either.

Beautiful, small property up a hill from the train station (Gora). Great staff, able to communicate effectively, efficient and helpful. We dropped our bags off (left them inside with a note, no staff for early arrival) and checked out Gora. They did forget that some of our party was requesting vegan meals but they tried best to accommodate us on the fly. Private onsens that you reserve by the hour. Great onsen facilities- use the indoor/outdoor one for the best experience in our opinion! We are a family of four that was comfortable in our birthday suits, you may want to reserve separately for male/female family members as bathing suits are not appropriate in onsens.

Stayed in April 2024

Our room was located on top of the entrance/dining all, so we could hear the ambient music that was played throughout the day. It was not very intrusive or loud, but could be heard especially at night while laying down, before they closed down at around 23:00. Not a big annoyance, but it would have been nice not having to hear it during the evenings and nights, especially considering how mindful the staff was regarding noises. Other rooms probably don't have this issue.

The location was wonderful, very quiet and peaceful. The room was spacious and well equipped, with comfortable futons and blankets. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and they spoke a good english that made the interaction even less complicated. We did not have breakfast at the ryokan, but it is available upon request. The onsens were wonderful, and the private use made it possible for us to use them as a family, which was nice. They have three onsens available, which make it really easy to find a suitable time spot for their use. The ryokan is at walking distance from several restaurants and both the train station and a cable-car stop, making it very convenient for connecting to the rest of the Hakone area.

Stayed in March 2024

Nothing specific

The room and facilities are great, the booking system for the 3 Onsen is simple and able to accommodate all guests. The breakfast was wonderful, a great local experience

Stayed in March 2024

It was rare to find a place in Hakone to accommodate 11 people, and we had a delightful stay. The staff were very helpful, including adjusting our reservation to add another guest on short notice. The onsens were lovely and offered a nice range of indoor and outdoor options. The breakfast in the morning was really nice, and the staff were able to accommodate the vegetarians in our group.

Stayed in March 2024

While it was suggested on the final confirmation that we take a cab to the location, there was no explanation given as to why. Since there were 4 of us traveling together, it is more challenging to get a cab, and we decided (since it was noted that the cab ride would only be 3 minutes) that we would walk. Unfortunately, we realized about 2 minutes in that it was straight uphill on a very busy, curvy road, without clear directions for walking (which would have saved us about 5 minutes). Van after van emblazoned with the names of various hotels, onsens and ryokans blew past us on the road, adding insult to injury. Upon arrival, we weren't sure we were in the lobby, or just where one would enter for onsen use, as the entrance area is very plain, and there were just plastic slippers in a basket to the side. I had stayed at an onsen ryokan once before, and yukata were presented in the room, with an explanation of how/when to wear, and in this case, the person at the front desk just told us we could take yukata from the shelf. Perhaps they were slightly understaffed, or perhaps this was just a little less fancy than the other onsen ryokan, but another thing that seemed a little yucky was that when we left, and asked where we should put our used slippers, we were told to just put them back in the basket (in other words, no idea if they were cleaned between guests). Also, I requested a private bathroom, not realizing that it wouldn't include a shower, but rather just a toilet and sink. If we wanted to take a shower, it could only be done in the one hour slot that we were able to reserve for onsen use.

The private onsens were lovely and very clean. Front desk staff was very helpful with dinner recommendation, and trying to get us a taxi.

Stayed in February 2024

The provided meals weren't the most delicious in my opinion with the meat served at dinner quite tough and chewy. We still had a wonderful stay regardless.

We had such a fantastic experience during our stay at Ajisai and loved walking around in the supplied Yukatas! We really enjoyed the private onsen which we definitely made use of with our family, and the futon bed was extremely comfortable. Just note that it is a fair walk (especially if you have luggage), so best to take a taxi from Gora Station to get to the Ryokan.

Stayed in January 2024

It's quite the walk up the hill to get there from the station but we were warned beforehand and it certainly doesn't take away from what a great stay we had.

Lovely front desk staff who were very helpful explaining everything we needed to know about our stay. Room was huge and futons were comfortable. Everything very clean. We all enjoyed the outdoor onsen.

Stayed in February 2024

The private ONSENS were amazing and well worth the uphill climb to the property!

Stayed in December 2023

Loved being able to reserve a private onsen for our family of 4 as both my husband and I have tattoos. The kids loved dressing in the Yukatas and the Japanese style breakfasts were delicious.

Stayed in December 2023

Nothing

Staff, food and onsen were awesome

Stayed in December 2023

Very nice Ryokan with inside and outside Onsen. You can book the Onsen so that you can enjoy it privately. The rooms are japan style, which I like very much. I recommend it.

Stayed in November 2023

I don't have any complaints, I would just make sure you know that the walk to this ryokan is STEEP. With luggage it would've been challenging, so we were glad we'd had our luggage shipped directly there from our previous hotel in Tokyo. (If you haven't heard, this is very common in Japan! It's so convenient and quite cheap. You can usually do it through your hotel, but if you want you can do it on your own through your local Lawson convenience store)

We had a lovely stay at this ryokan! It was my birthday and the staff were so sweet, upgrading us and decorating our room. The traditional room was comfy and a really fun experience. We had the traditional breakfast, too, which was hit or miss for us (I had fun trying all the different little options, but my boyfriend isn't the biggest fish fan and most all of the food was either fish or fish-y). It was great for doing the Freepass Loop, since you could get off at the end of the funicular, and then continue on and see the Open Air Museum the next morning on your way back to the train station. The highlight, as many reviewers already mentioned, are the private onsens <3 They're worth every penny for the hour you can reserve in each of them. They have three: an indoor onsen with a sauna, an indoor/outdoor onsen, and an outdoor onsen that looks like a mermaid grotto. The water is perfect, full of the sulfur that's great for your skin. Pro tip: The hotel is FAR (and UPHILL) from the Gora "city center" (if you can call it that, haha) and there is NO food available at the hotel unless you booked in advance with your reservation. But there is a restaurant up near the hotel, quite close (definitely walkable), that has AWESOME food. It's a mom and pop place decorated with vintage Americana and playing old American music. It's a total vibe, and the food is excellent and reasonably priced. The name is in Japanese, but the address is 1320-695 Gora, Hakone :) (see photos)

Stayed in October 2023

I wish guests would be mildly but a bit more actively reminded to stay a bit quiet when in corridors and lobby, not to disturb other guests, same goes for being inside rooms, being mindful there are neighbors in next rooms.

Breakfast was good enough, still very typical Japanese, but maybe not quite what it could be in Japan. Setting was very beautiful and staff was friendly.

Stayed in November 2023

Private indoor / outdoor onsen, traditional ryokan experience and great staff.

Stayed in November 2023

Nice onsen, that you get to enjoy privately. We were a group of 6 people so we could select multiple slots to enjoy the baths. Nice diner and breakfast.

Stayed in October 2023

Perfect

Stayed in October 2023

The only thing that was a hassle to our group was the walk to the ryokan. Although it is close to the train and bus stations the walk to the ryokan is on a very steep hill. The bus schedule stops really early in the night (5 / 6 p.m.) so we had to walk everytime to and from the stations. With luggage I would suggest taking a taxi or matching your activities to the bus schedule so that you don't need to drag it up a hill.

Staff was really helpful and nice! The room was comfortable and spacious enough for the group of 5 we had. The onsens were well maintained and clean. It was easy to book and change our onsen time bookings to fit our schedules. I also enjoyed that they had lotions and toiletries at the onsen rooms. There was neftlix and eng TV options in the rooms. They had snack options to purchase (seeing as many of the stores close as of 5 / 6 pm and no convenience stores nearby it was really helpful).

Stayed in October 2023

Hard to arrive in the evening without car. Better to plan to arrive before 5pm.

We had a wonderful stay! The private onsen was great for teenagers.

Stayed in September 2023