Ryokan Kiritani Hakoneso in Hakone

This place needs renovation. I was surprised with the amount of rust not only in hot spring area, but in the room too. And just the overall experience. I'm soory, but I don't recommend this place

I went on a two-day, one-night hot springs trip from Tokyo to Hakone!

My boyfriend and I were looking for a casual, two-day trip, and we decided on Hakone, a tourist destination with great hot springs and fresh air.

First of all, there's a train from Shinjuku to Hakone, so it was very accessible. And once we arrived in Hakone, we could take the opposite train to Goura Station, the station closest to our accommodation, which was incredibly convenient!

We decided to spend the first day of our two-day, one-night stay entirely in the hotel's hot springs and spend the second day sightseeing. The accommodation is located deep in the mountains, so there's nothing nearby, and the slopes are incredibly steep, making walking around the area difficult. I highly recommend buying snacks and drinks at Hakone Station or a convenience store before departure. If you contact the accommodation upon arrival at Goura Station, they'll come pick you up at Goura Station by car. Be sure to take advantage of their free pick-up service!

The accommodation offers an open-air bath and a private bath, both of which can be rented for one hour. I highly recommend it, but if it's fully booked and you can't make it, you can always use the indoor family bath! Please be mindful of the opening times, as all hotel guests use it. :) I used the open-air bath after dinner and then enjoyed the hot springs in the family bath around noon, when there were no other guests. The hotel room doesn't have a separate shower, aside from a sink and toilet, so you'll need to bring a towel, a change of clothes, and shower supplies before entering the hot springs!

If you're visiting, be sure to include meal service! As I mentioned earlier, the surrounding mountains mean there aren't any amenities. If you pay extra for meals when making your reservation, you'll receive a clean Japanese menu for dinner and breakfast. The staff were very friendly, and the meals were very satisfying. They even laid out bedding in the room for you during meals.

The hotel will also provide a car to nearby Goura Station upon check-out, so just let them know! Afterwards, I took a cable car from Goura Station and traveled around Hakone. I had a great time taking a hot spring bath to relieve my fatigue from the previous day, breathing in the fresh air, and touring to the top of the mountain. :) I definitely recommend Kiritaniso Hotel for your trip to Hakone.

This is one of the best places I stayed! Thank you very much!
The hotel is located a little bit far from the train station and I think this is the only downside (and I didn't suffer from it).
The price is expensive, but it is worth it because 2 meals are included, and they have great service.
The staff is from Nepal so if someone comes here and expects Japanese, they may be disappointed by that. But in fact, this is way better as they don't have those strict Japanese traditions and are more flexible for guests. The atmosphere and hospitality make you feel like you are at home. There are 2 buildings and I was in the second building that has a big onsen. The names of guests are written on a board, so you get a feeling they were waiting for you.
I was checking in a few minutes after check-in hours (18:06 or so), so I was nervous. Fortunately, I didn't have any problems with that. Also, I didn't expect any meal for dinner because of my previous bad experience with the Japanese staff. And then I was surprised when the owner said that the dinner time starts at 6 PM! So I had the meal after 30 minutes. This is really convenient for tourists because you can see Hakone and come to the hotel on the last train from Gora station (that's what I did) and then you will have a great dinner! After I finished the meal, they gave me a dessert! Overall, it felt like a regal banquet. I really like it!
After that it was already dark, so I walked around the hotel and took pictures. It looks nice and comfortable. Then I needed a rest before the public bath.
The owner said I can use onsen any time I want, it is 24 hours open. I didn't check that though I used it 10-11 PM. There are 2 pools with serum and some minerals from the volcano. The pool inside is hotter and more comfortable. The pool outside is almost body temperature. Actually the water from the spring is hotter, but the water temperature in the pool decreased. There were private baths, but I was tired and didn't go to check them. After you finish bathing, you can drink cool water from the cooler near the entrance.
The breakfast that was included in my plan and the staff again pleased me with that. I like the variety and quality of the food.
After checking-out I had a free transfer to the train station.

So, I had a wonderful experience with this hotel, and it is one of the reasons I want to visit Hakone again. Thank you very much!!!

This is one of the best places I stayed! Thank you very much!
The hotel is located a little bit far from the train station and I think this is the only downside (and I didn't suffer from it).
The price is expensive, but it is worth it because 2 meals are included, and they have great service.
The staff is from Nepal so if someone comes here and expects Japanese, they may be disappointed by that. But in fact, this is way better as they don't have those strict Japanese traditions and are more flexible for guests. The atmosphere and hospitality make you feel like you are at home. There are 2 buildings and I was in the second building that has a big onsen. The names of guests are written on a board, so you get a feeling they were waiting for you.
I was checking in a few minutes after check-in hours (18:06 or so), so I was nervous. Fortunately, I didn't have any problems with that. Also, I didn't expect any meal for dinner because of my previous bad experience with the Japanese staff. And then I was surprised when the owner said that the dinner time starts at 6 PM! So I had the meal after 30 minutes. This is really convenient for tourists because you can see Hakone and come to the hotel on the last train from Gora station (that's what I did) and then you will have a great dinner! After I finished the meal, they gave me a dessert! Overall, it felt like a regal banquet. I really like it!
After that it was already dark, so I walked around the hotel and took pictures. It looks nice and comfortable. Then I needed a rest before the public bath.
The owner said I can use onsen any time I want, it is 24 hours open. I didn't check that though I used it 10-11 PM. There are 2 pools with serum and some minerals from the volcano. The pool inside is hotter and more comfortable. The pool outside is almost body temperature. Actually the water from the spring is hotter, but the water temperature in the pool decreased. There were private baths, but I was tired and didn't go to check them. After you finish bathing, you can drink cool water from the cooler near the entrance.
The breakfast that was included in my plan and the staff again pleased me with that. I like the variety and quality of the food.
After checking-out I had a free transfer to the train station.

So, I had a wonderful experience with this hotel, and it is one of the reasons I want to visit Hakone again. Thank you very much!!!

The ryokan is conveniently located. The parking lot offers a picturesque view of the mountains. The ryokan itself is certainly old and tired, but it still has the atmosphere of that anime-inspired place. The baths are good, though the public ones were a bit crowded. There are private ones for couples!
The kaiseki dinner and breakfast are delicious! The service is top-notch.
It would be a very pleasant weekend getaway.

Overall, the impression is positive, and we thank the staff for their care.

However, the ryokan is quite old, and inside all the rooms there is a smell of age, which makes it not very pleasant to stay there.

The Japanese food is very specific — it’s just my personal taste, but I couldn’t have breakfast or lunch there.

Considering that this was the most expensive “hotel” during our 14-day trip around Japan, our expectations were a bit higher.

In any case, we thank the staff for this unique experience.

This is a great place to relax and recharge. The common area with onsen, Japanese style room and local food, everything I wanted, the ryokan exceeded my expectations. The only thing missing is a transfer and the ability to leave luggage for a while.

Take the Shinkansen from Osaka to Odawara, then transfer to the tram to Hakone Yumoto, and then take a bus to Gora. Two people dragged their suitcases and walked uphill for 15 minutes. They were exhausted. When they arrived at the hotel, they found that they could wait for the train in Gora, and it only took 5 minutes to walk. The hotel facilities are not new, and there are not many guests, mostly Japanese tourists. The hot spring is relatively small, and the water temperature is very high. You have to come out to breathe after soaking for a while. I experienced the private bath and open-air hot spring, and there were a lot of mosquitoes. The food is OK, worthy of the price.

Very good hotel

It’s up in Gora, so I have to be non biased on this one.

The location is not fantastic, but there are shuttle services ferrying you to the train station.

The buildings kinda old, and there are 2 separate ones where you have to go over for onsen and/ or dining.

Onsen is small compared to other ryokan.
Overall, it was a memorable experience for me, if not the best one yet.