Hakone Hotel
by the TopOfHotel team
Hakone Hotel is the lakeside pick where the Fuji view over Lake Ashi does the talking — Motohakone shore, mineral onsen, score 9.3.
Hakone Hotel is the lakeside pick where the Fuji view over Lake Ashi does the talking — Motohakone shore, mineral onsen, score 9.3.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
The reason to book Hakone Hotel is the Fuji view, and the room that delivers it is the Lakeside class — 30 sq m with a big picture window facing Lake Ashi. On a very clear winter dawn around 6 AM in February, plenty of guests report watching the snow-capped peak rise over the lake straight from the bed, no getting up required. The property opened in 1948 and faces northwest — the direction that puts Fuji's summit over the water with no buildings or trees in the way. That's why the view category scored 9.5 and location hit 9.6.
Food and amenities
There's a shared onsen with indoor and outdoor baths, separated by gender, fed from the Gora source — clear water without a strong smell, and easy to slip back to your room in a yukata afterward. Breakfast is a Japanese-Western buffet served in a room that looks out over the lake. Free parking and free Wi-Fi round it out. This isn't a luxury ryokan, and it doesn't pretend to be — it's a comfortable lakeside hotel with the one view everyone wants.
Location and getting there
The hotel sits on the Motohakone shore of Lake Ashi, just 1.3 km from Hakone Shrine and its famous red torii standing in the water — close enough to walk over for early photos before the queues form. It's a 4-minute drive to the pirate-ship cruise pier, and 8 km (about 20 minutes by car) to Owakudani, so you can cover the whole lake side of Hakone and the ropeway routes from here.
Things to know before booking
The catch is simple: rooms that don't face the lake have a much weaker view, so specify a lakeside room when you book. Pricing sits in the mid-to-upper part of this list, from around $157 a night, and in high season the lake-view rooms fill up fast. Against the luxury ryokan on this list that start around $257, you save roughly $86 to $114 a night here in exchange for hotel-style service rather than ryokan ceremony.
Our take
Hakone Hotel is the best fit for couples, families, and beginner photographers who want a lakeside Fuji view near the shrine and the cruise pier on a middle budget, without stepping up to a luxury ryokan. Real guest scores back it up at 9.3 (Agoda 9.2, Booking 9.1, Trip 9.3). Book a Lakeside room on the 4th floor or higher for the widest angle — it's the best value for location and view in Hakone's $143 to $200 bracket.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Many rooms look straight out at Mount Fuji over Lake Ashi — the single best reason to book here. The 30 sq m Lakeside class has a big picture window facing the water.
- On the Motohakone shore of the lake, 1.3 km from Hakone Shrine and a 4-minute drive to the cruise pier, so it works as a base for the whole lake side of Hakone.
- There's a mineral onsen to soak in — indoor and outdoor baths, separated by gender, fed from the Gora source, clear and without a strong smell.
- Location and view are the standout categories, scoring 9.6 and 9.5 — both ratings the rooms more than earn on a clear morning.
- Real guest scores are high at 9.3 (Agoda 9.2, Booking 9.1, Trip 9.3), backing up clean, comfortable rooms and good service.
- Rooms that don't face the lake have a noticeably weaker view, so it's worth asking for a lakeside room when you book.
- Pricing sits in the mid-to-upper part of this list, from around $157 a night.
- In high season the lake-view rooms fill up fast, so the best rooms book out early.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Hakone
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Hakone — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a lakeside room when you book — the view is dramatically different from the inland rooms.
- Early morning is the clearest, so your best odds of catching Fuji over the lake are at dawn.
- Hakone Shrine is close — walk or drive over to photograph the red torii standing in the water.