Hotel Review: Hyatt Regency Hakone | 2 Twin Beds Mountain View
Introduction | Hyatt Regency Hakone
Considered as one of the best hotels in the Hakone region, this hotel mainly caters to tourists looking to escape the bustling cities of Tokyo and enjoy the natural beauty that Japan has to offer. With relaxing hot springs, dense forests and a beautiful lake over a volcanic mountain, it was a direction that I wanted to incorporate into my trip in Japan.
Location | Hyatt Regency Hakone
This hotel is located in Gora, about a 30-45 minute taxi ride from the Odawara train station. However, do note that traffic can easily stretch that ride to an hour, so plan accordingly if you’re traveling here. There is also a complimentary shuttle between the hotel and the train station which runs from 11:15 to 1:15pm. Reservations are recommended.
There aren’t many shops or restaurants within walking distance, so you will need to walk around 20 minutes or grab a cable car/taxi to het to Gora, the town in which most attractions and restaurants are at. We found ourselves forgetting about dinner and ended up eating at Living Room, which has a great menu, although a bit pricey.
Room | Hyatt Regency Hakone
Most rooms at the hotels are two twin beds as the market for this hotel catered more to the Japanese clientele rather than global one. Rooms and suites all have this side by side twin bed configurations and is favored for those traveling with families.
We were given an upgrade to the Twin Bed Mountain View room, with a beautiful backdrop that one can go to terrace portion of the room for. When we arrived, we noticed a small strawberry amenity, which was pretty delicious. The terrace portion of the room contained your minibar and coffee/tea amenities, along with two chairs and a table. The hotel also contained a slightly outdated sound system that featured a CD containing jazz and bossanova music, a nice touch to the room, but dated the hotel a bit. I think down the line, the hotel could utilize more modern means of audio to help connect more guests to their environment.
We particular loved this hotel due to its addition of the yukata, a Japanese robe that is meant for one to roam around the hotel over a nice stay at their in-house onsen. In addition, we were given two geta (wooden Japanese sandals) for wearing around the hotel and slippers as well for those that prefer a more comfy base.
Bathroom | Hyatt Regency Hakone
Bathroom was decent and has your vanity table, stool, shower and bath tub. As usual, there was a half bathroom for your toilet and sink, which I loved. There was also a rack that helped warm and dry your towels, which I thought was unique. It does get slightly humid and would recommend utilizing the AC at times to help dry out the air if you’re visiting the spring and summer time.
Living Room | Hyatt Regency Hakone
One of the nice part of this hotel was the Happy Hour at the Living Room, from which at 4-7pm there was unlimited champagne, wine and drinks that catered towards the fire place of the hotel. As mentioned, the hotel’s main attraction is their intimate Living Room, a lounge that is located on the 1st floor of the hotel. Overlooking an intimate courtyard, guests can enjoy various complimentary drinks as well as partake their breakfast her if they so choose.
Onsen | Hyatt Regency Hakone
There are two large indoor onsen that are found on the 2nd floor of the hotel. Onsen is a mineral hot spring that contains calcium and magnesium and is said to help with healing and health-promoting properties.. The source of this hot springs is easily located at the Owakudani Valley Hot Springs and is a great place for those to relax and bathe in the pool.
I went right at opening around 6:30am and to be surprise, no one was there.
Breakfast | Hyatt Regency Hakone
Breakfast was great as usual and the spread across Japanese to Western was fantastic. There were various selections of meats, vegetables and and a great salad bar, along with a Japanese section with the various fish of the day. The server will come and inquire what kind of eggs each person would like, along with the drinks of choice. We opted for a wide selection of eggs and found them to be all great.
Conclusion | Hyatt Regency Hakone
Particular highlights of this hotel was the spacious Living Room setting and their free-flowing happy hours and the proximity to the tram station, along with a relaxing pace of change. Rooms of course aren’t fancy or modern - it’s a Hyatt Regency after all, not a Park Hyatt. However, it’s incredibly clean and functional and the staff were friendly and helpful.
Interestingly, it’s denoted as as 5 star property. For me, this hotel lacks a wow factor and has somewhat of a typical business ambience, which for me felt like a slight disappointment during my stay. With such a beautiful environment, it would be pretty great if the Hyatt Regency Hakone could upgrade and renovate itself to blend in with its surroundings, making it a true destination spa resort for its guests.
