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Reviews of Hakone Kowakien Mikawaya Ryokan This rating is a reflection of how the property compares to the industry standard when it comes to price, facilities and services available. It's based on a self-evaluation by the property. Use this rating to help choose your stay!

250-0406 Kanagawa, Hakone, Kowakudani 503, Japan

#57 of 157 hotels in Hakone

Guests' Choice

Review Score

Based on 818 hotel reviews

8.8

Score breakdown

  • Cleanliness

    9.1

  • Comfort

    9.2

  • Location

    8.8

  • Facilities

    8.9

  • Staff

    9.3

  • Value for money

    8.3

  • Free Wifi

    9.2

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Showing 451 - 475

  • Reviewed: October 12, 2024

    5.0
    below expectations. Not worth the price
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Japanese room twin, Annex (No bathroom)(Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    The hotel has only 2 ♨️. Both small and outdoor ♨️ has no views. The beds in the room are small, pillow quite stiff. Disappointing

    Historical building. Fairly good maintained

    Stayed in October 2024

  • Reviewed: October 8, 2024

    4.0
    It was ok. We would not repeat the location.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Open-air bath room - Annex (Futons are provided from 3rd guests) 
    • Stayed 1 night

    The room we were assigned had the pumps all the time, the noise was terrible, the room smelled like mildew. The meals were not as expected.

    The size of the room, the terrace with the natural water. The museum was outstanding, well organized and a delight to stay in a place with so much history.

    Stayed in October 2024

  • Reviewed: October 3, 2024

    7.0
    Good
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Japanese room twin, Annex (No bathroom)(Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    Out of the way location. Slightly 'tired' in some areas.

    Traditional Ryokan type accommodation. Spacious rooms. Private onsen. Most of staff were exceptionally pleasant

    Stayed in October 2024

  • Reviewed: September 15, 2024

    6.0
    Pleasant
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Open-air bath room - Annex (Futons are provided from 3rd guests) 
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    The pillows were really hard.

    Beautiful location, great fresh food. Bright size room.

    Stayed in September 2024

  • Reviewed: September 12, 2024

    5.0
    Beautiful building but old facilities, old rooms with mold and bugs. The garden across the street is
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Private Villa with Open-air bath room (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    The rooms are run down moldy and had a bad smell. The Onsens need to be cleaned and they need better bug control

    I loved the history

    Stayed in September 2024

  • Reviewed: September 7, 2024

    6.0
    Pleasant
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Open-air bath room - Annex (Futons are provided from 3rd guests) 
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    We needed to see a doctor for a sick child while we were here, and it was recommended to go to Odawara for closest hospital. The location of the ryokan was beautiful but it felt very isolated in a medical situation.

    We booked a room with private onsen. The onsen was lovely and warm, although smaller than expected. The only shower in the room was on the verandah outside, this was a lot of fun. The room itself was large and beds comfortable. You get yukata (robes) and slippers for wearing in the room and walking around (no shoes allowed in the ryokan, you check them in when you enter). A very short walk to the Yunessen hot springs area which was very convenient, plus a family mart and bus stop. The fixed menu dinner was very extravagant, and huge portions. It was a bit wasted on my fussy child, but we enjoyed the experience. The breakfast menu provided options for western or traditional menu, which was appreciated as we prefer Western.

    Stayed in September 2024

  • Reviewed: August 17, 2024

    5.0
    Not worth the money
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Suite room with indoor bath - Annex (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    I was under the impression that each room had a private onsen - in our case it was just a bathtub!! May have had natural spring water but not the setting you would expect. The staff were not very friendly or helpful. They did have complimentary drinks in the foyer and room but if you asked for water or another cup of tea during dinner/breakfast, you were charged for these. Doesn’t make sense!! We felt that they were price gauging. There are so many nice places to stay at in Hakone with your own onsen, which were more reasonably priced.

    Set in a beautiful area, the building was very much old traditional style. The breakfast and dinner provided in the room stay was either western or Japanese - you could choose. We had a suite for 3 people which was comfortable and roomy.

    Stayed in August 2024

  • Reviewed: August 14, 2024

    7.0
    Overall very good, completely different to anything we have experienced
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Japanese room twin, Annex (No bathroom)(Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    Pillow

    Peaceful, relaxing, public and private onsen, food, experience

    Stayed in August 2024

  • Reviewed: August 7, 2024

    3.0
    Would not recommend for the price
    • Leisure trip
    • Solo traveler
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Japanese room twin, Annex (No bathroom)(Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 3 nights
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    No one informed me there is a shuttle bus from the station to the hotel. So I had to hike up a very steep hill for 20 minutes to reach the hotel. It was hot and I had been travelling for almost 24 hours by that point. I had to keep taking breaks from exhaustion, so I messaged the hotel for help. They told me to take a bus which was not helpful as there were no bus stops on that hill. When I got there at noon, I was drenched in sweat but couldn’t use the bath or shower facilities until 3pm. My room didn’t have a shower so I had to wait uncomfortably for those facilities. It was bad start to my stay. My room was beautiful however the toilet room smelt terrible. It smelt worse than a public toilet. I had to hold my breath every time I used it as the smell was so bad. I also didn’t think the sheets on the bed smelt fresh. I know it’s an old building but the stale smell of sheets and the toilet room was overwhelming. The private bath was a lovely experience, however I did feel the size of it was too small (and I’m only 5ft 3) and the water was too hot to sit in for long. For the luxury price I paid, I don’t think any of these issues are acceptable. My other stays in Japan cost much less and were far more comfortable and accommodating.

    The view from the bedroom was beautiful. I liked the traditional feel of the hotel and felt like I was getting an authentic Japanese guest house experience. I also enjoyed the food and eating authentic Japanese cuisine

    Stayed in July 2024

  • Reviewed: July 22, 2024

    7.0
    Had a good experience but would be open to trying a different ryokan in Hakone.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Open-air bath room - Annex (Futons are provided from 3rd guests) 
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    The room/facility wasn’t quite up to the standard I expected. It wasn’t unclean but it did feel a little old/worn. The meals were interesting though a little underwhelming.

    The in-room open-air bath is stunning. It’s a beautiful space.the meals were very substantial and traditional. We had a free cocktail hour every evening. The hotel was situated right at a bus stop, making it very easy to travel around Hakone.

    Stayed in July 2024

  • Reviewed: July 10, 2024

    7.0
    peaceful and relaxing after a day of exploring Hakone
    • Leisure trip
    • Travelers with friends
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Japanese room twin, Annex (No bathroom)(Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    dinner was very nice and excellent western breakfast with a Japanese twist.

    Stayed in July 2024

  • Reviewed: June 28, 2024

    3.0
    Poor
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Private Villa with Open-air bath room (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night

    I feel the rooms are overrated would like to point out some points for management: 1. Hygiene of bathing areas in the room - we stayed in room 704. - There was a lot of mould growing in all internal bathing areas: wooden floor, bath, ceiling, walls, even shower head. I don’t know when it was last cleaned, but it seems the mould has been left to grow for some time. - The external bath had a slimy feeling when sitting down and the lantern, exterior walls etc obviously hadn’t been cleaning in some time as well. Overall, I couldn’t feel clean after taking a bath. Many people choose this type of room for the private onsen bath, so the hotel will really need to do better in this regard. 2. The toilet smelt of urine likely due to improper cleaning over time. 3. There was a strong smell of garbage when walking between villas and main building.

    Very beautiful old façade. Staff were kind and efficient. We also enjoyed a fantastic massage.

    Stayed in June 2024

  • Reviewed: June 27, 2024

    7.0
    Good
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Private Villa with Open-air bath room (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    Although it is a historic property, it was very overpriced. We had booked my 11-year-old son as a child, not realizing that their designated age for a child was much younger. When we arrived, they charged us an extra $180 for him to stay in the room, even though no changes were made to the room.

    Location was beautiful. Staff was friendly and helpful. Dinner was expertly presented.

    Stayed in June 2024

  • Reviewed: June 21, 2024

    1.0
    Very Poor
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Buddhist Vegetarian Meal - Breakfast and Dinner included Japanese room twin, Annex (No bathroom) (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    Bed not comfortable, room facilities are very old, food not good, only welcome coffee starting from 2pm, lounge closes at 5 but dinner starts at 5:30, so between 5-5:30, you can’t get a drink.

    This hotel the only good thing is the hot spring having Fuji Mountain View.

    Stayed in June 2024

  • Reviewed: June 20, 2024

    7.0
    Good
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Open-air bath room - Annex (Futons are provided from 3rd guests) 
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    Some mosquitoes bugged us for a while in the middle of the night..

    The heritage is really beautiful.

    Stayed in June 2024

  • Reviewed: June 20, 2024

    6.0
    overall a pleasure stay
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Buddhist Vegetarian Meal - Breakfast and Dinner included Suite room with indoor bath - Annex (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night

    Bath tub was a bit dirty

    Room was clean and tidy

    Stayed in June 2024

  • Reviewed: June 19, 2024

    4.0
    We paid a lot for a musty room with a nice balcony but there were bugs flying in.
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Buddhist Vegetarian Meal - Breakfast and Dinner included Japanese room twin, Annex (No bathroom) (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    It smelled like mold and was overpriced. They were nice enough to switch us from "vegetarian" because that meal was an odd replica of the traditional meal (instead of a meatless meal). Dinners took a very long time (but some people like that). I also thought all the rooms had private onsen but ours didn't. They claim checked our shoes on the way in. I think the staff didn't like us.

    The beds are comfortable and sheets are clean . The public onsen was not crowded. Breakfast was good.

    Stayed in June 2024

  • Reviewed: June 17, 2024

    5.0
    Everything was great except for the mold in the villa.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Private Villa with Open-air bath room (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    We stayed in one of the open air villas but the smell of mold was too much. The bathing area and bathroom were not nearly as clean as I would expect them to be. Our floor towel had a large yellow stain on it. The rest of the villa was relatively clean but the bathing area and bathroom were really bad. This was the dirtiest place we stayed during our whole trip in Japan.

    The property is old but has a very nice charm to it. Love the history of the building and the staff who worked there were very friendly and helpful. We had a Japanese breakfast and dinner and both were great and very interesting.

    Stayed in June 2024

  • Reviewed: May 27, 2024

    7.0
    It was just okay.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Japanese room twin, Annex (No bathroom)(Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night

    The welcome was very ordinary. We booked the ryokan for the Japanese experience. Part of that is the welcome to the Ryokan. It was functional. No welcome tea. They took passport and credit card etc details, They gave us a cursory indication of the facilities. The person pointed in the direction of the public onsen, with no sense of "this is going to be somethng special for you". There is a private onsen that can be booked. They did not tell us about this when we checked in.

    The food - breakfast and dinner - was the highlight of the stay. Memorable and delicious. A true Japanese experience. Nice view from our room. Wearing a yukata when going to dinner.

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: May 12, 2024

    7.0
    An old gem with blemishes
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Open-air bath room - Annex (Futons are provided from 3rd guests) 
    • Stayed 3 nights
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    We did in general feel like the place was overpriced for what we experienced. The facilities in general were not greatly maintained. Our room had a teared and scratched paper door panel, and a very unsafe broken power outlet still in service next to the bedside tables. The public facilities were underwhelming, particularly the onsens, some of them looked decomssionioned and where in an appalling state. Breakfast was japanese style only, no option for anything Western. If you are not up for fish before coffee and before 8am, you will not enjoy this. Also, as it is included/mandatory, if you cancel it, you don't get your money back. Finally, the staff were friendly but a bit useless at times, during dinner they left us waiting for a long time after we called them to bring our next course, were often not at the front desk to welcome/ farewell us at meals or forgot our order.

    The ryokan is one of the oldest in the region and really traditional. The location is surrounded by beautiful gardens. The room was spacious, and the private outdoor onsen in it was great. The dinners were very good, most things were nicely presented and well prepared. Also, the quantity was very generous, we couldn't finish any of the meals. Breakfast was ok, if you like japanese style breakfast.

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: May 4, 2024

    7.0
    Good Japanese hotel experience, but be prepared to limited menu choices
    • Leisure trip
    • Solo traveler
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Japanese room twin, Annex (No bathroom)(Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 3 nights
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    Set menus

    Onsen

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: May 1, 2024

    4.0
    Disappointed considering the price
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Private Villa with Open-air bath room (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    Considering the price, we were quite disappointed by: - the service. Staff is nice but not trained. There are only stairs at the entrance and nobody to propose to carry our heavy luggages, nor on our arrival, nor on our departure. There is a service to transfer luggages from this hotel to the next one that we were told by other clients of the hotel and not the staff. Consequently, when we asked for the service in the morning of our departure, it was apparently too late as they answered that our luggage could be sent only the day after, so that we would receive them only in two days... Not enough explanation on the food and how to eat, especially for the breakfast (presentation of the plates, in which order to eat the different ingredients and how,...) - the food. Considering the price, we were expecting higher quality menu. Ingredients seemed good but not cooked. We had to cook ourselves in a big pot, so it was really minimal cooking for them. Breakfast was not really tasty.

    Outside and inside private onsen. Beautiful environment and staff overall nice. Free shuttle bus to go to the main station.

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: April 20, 2024

    7.0
    Old traditional ryokan with private onsen option, but no food options
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Buddhist Vegetarian Meal - Breakfast and Dinner included Superior Room with Open-Air Onsen Bath - Annex
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    The food was disappointing, especially the breakfast. You don’t have an option to choose between different types of breakfast. Only traditional japanese breakfast (without any explanation what it is). Moreover we couldn’t choose ourselves when we wanted to have breakfast, they gave us an available timeslot. No coffee available at the breakfast either.

    We really wanted a room with a private onsen without breaking our bank. In this aspect, we got exactly what we wanted.

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: April 18, 2024

    5.0
    Okay but wouldn't come back again
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Private Villa with Open-air bath room (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    Facilities seemed really old. The villa was far away from the main building which is where you have to go for all the meals which had to be at specific times. Expensive. No clear signs for shuttle bus.

    Private bath both indoor and outdoor. Traditional Japanese interior. The blossom tree outside the villa. Plenty of food although I didn't enjoy everything.

    Stayed in March 2024

  • Reviewed: April 12, 2024

    7.0
    Sweet, traditional, but location not convenient at all, and low value for money (given the expensive price)
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Kaiseki dinner - Breakfast and Dinner included Private Villa with Open-air bath room (Futons are provided from 3rd guests)
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted from a mobile device

    Frankly the location is not great, and the value for money is not great either. It is not easy to get to (because the bus system is very inefficient, I would say the only inefficient experience in Japan. On the last day we almost missed our train as the bus never came and there were no taxis. Frankly it ruined the whole experience.

    It is a traditional Ryokan experience, with lovely staff, great food, nice villas

    Stayed in April 2024

Showing 451 - 475

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