The Prince Hakone Lake Ashinoko
by the TopOfHotel team
The Prince Hakone is a resort with genuinely lovely surroundings and a very high score — on Lake Ashi, run by the Prince Hotels group, scoring 9.5.
The Prince Hakone is a resort with genuinely lovely surroundings and a very high score — on Lake Ashi, run by the Prince Hotels group, scoring 9.5.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Rooms at The Prince Hakone run 35 to 55 sq m with a polished, resort-style finish. The Prince Hotels group is predictable in the best way — you get Simmons beds, crisp linens, a TOTO bathroom and a free Nespresso kettle in the room. The rooms scored 9.5 and cleanliness 9.6, numbers that tell you the team keeps a property this size genuinely spotless. We'd ask for a Lake View room in the Main building for the easiest access and the best outlook.
Food and amenities
There's a communal onsen fed by Hakone hot-spring water trucked in from a nearby source, plus four restaurants on site — teppanyaki, a French restaurant, a buffet hall and a lakeside teahouse. The grounds are the draw, though. The resort holds roughly 73,000 sq m by the lake, with a wide lawn to wander, the resort's own wooden boat pier, a hilltop Japanese garden and a short forest trail out to the June hydrangeas. Kids ride the rental bikes for free while adults sip coffee and watch the geese fly past. Atmosphere scored 9.6.
Location and getting there
The resort sits on a peninsula in the middle of the lake, which puts every Hakone sight within about 20 minutes. It's a 5-minute drive to the pirate-ship pier, 9 minutes to Hakone Shrine, 12 minutes to the Hakone Ropeway at Togendai, and 15 minutes to Owakudani. A free resort shuttle runs to Hakone-en station and the pier every hour, and you can pick the Hakone Free Pass network back up from there.
Things to know before booking
The resort is large, so the walk between your room and the restaurants or onsen can be a haul — leave extra time and check where your room sits when you book. Rates start around $143 a night and run up to about $314, landing in the mid-to-upper part of this list, and high season fills fast, so book well ahead for the fall foliage. Meals also lean on buffet service, which feels less special than the multi-course kaiseki you'd get at a traditional ryokan.
Our take
The Prince Hakone Lake Ashinoko is the resort we'd name the moment someone asks for a Lake Ashi family stay that won't let them down. It suits families with young kids, couples after some quiet, and overseas travelers who want a big-brand standard and staff who handle English with ease. Book a Lake View room in the Main building — this is the best-value pick in Hakone's family-resort tier, with a 9.5 score (Agoda 9.4, Booking 9.3, Trip 9.5) to back it up.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- A lakeside resort on Lake Ashi surrounded by nature, with roughly 73,000 sq m of grounds — a wide lawn, the resort's own wooden boat pier, a hilltop Japanese garden and a short forest trail to the June hydrangeas.
- The dependable Prince Hotels standard you can predict branch to branch — Simmons beds, crisp linens, a TOTO bathroom and a free Nespresso kettle in the room.
- Spotless, neatly kept rooms running 35 to 55 sq m with a polished resort-style finish; cleanliness scored 9.6.
- A communal onsen fed by Hakone hot-spring water, plus four restaurants on site — teppanyaki, a French restaurant, a buffet hall and a lakeside teahouse.
- A very high guest score (9.5) that holds up across every category, with atmosphere and cleanliness both at 9.6 — a resort with no obvious weak spot.
- The resort is large, so the walk between your room and the restaurants or onsen can be a long one. Leave extra time and check where your room sits before you book.
- Rates land in the mid-to-upper part of this list, and high season fills up fast — book well ahead, especially for the fall foliage.
- Meals lean on buffet service, which feels less special than the multi-course kaiseki you'd get at a traditional ryokan.
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
- The property is big — leave time to walk between buildings and check your room's location when you book.
- Ask for a Lake View room in the Main building for the best atmosphere and the easiest access.
- There are outdoor activities by the lake, including free bike rental that's great for kids.