Hakone Pax Yoshino

«Location»

«This hotel has a beautiful, quiet setting, over looking the river. It is easily walkable from the train station, however with rolling luggage it was a bit of a challenge as the sidewalks were uneven. We did find out later there is a shuttle that runs between the hotel and the train station. The staff was very helpful and kind and overall we had a pleasant stay, though we were unsure what to expect from it. We stayed in a Japanese-style room. It was very large, but quite a bit different than I expected. I am going to do my best to explain the layout and amenities of the room. You enter into a small foyer. Directly in front of you is a small half-bath with a toilet and sink. To your left is a small hall with closets containing the futons to sleep on and a mini fridge. From there, there is a large main tatami room with a table and cushions. On the other side of the large tatami room is a small sitting area with a chair and windows looking out over the river. Connected to this room is a small vanity room with a sink which leads to the outdoor shower and onsen. The onsen is a wooden tub, big enough for one person, or two small people if crowded. Overall, we were impressed with the rooms size. However we were staying in February and it was too cold to comfortably shower outside. If I had known this was the set-up, I probably would not have booked. We booked one of the private onsens in the evening and I am grateful we did. The private onsens are much larger and include an indoor shower and a vanity area that contains all of the amenities. We used our hour to relax in the onsen and then shower again before returning to our room so we did not need to shower outside. I was very impressed by the amenities provided in the private onsen and its cleanliness. We were in the wood onsen, but there were other options including a stone one that looked really cool but was already booked out for that evening.»

«The Private Onsen was definitely the highlight of the trip, albeit a little pricey.»

«Different options for using onsen: private and public. Japanese-style rooms are a bit old, but still very nice and spacious. Options for karaoke and table tennis. Breakfast buffet is delicious.»