Kijitei Hoeiso

This is a wonderful Ryokan in Hakone and one that I would highly recommend if you're looking to get that experience in Japan. -Price is comparable to other offerings in the area (30,000 jpy per person per night as of review time). Note it seems steep but the price includes a huge hotel room (the size of a suite, eg, at a western hotel), use of yukata for going around the property, kaiseki dinner and breakfast, as well as a private onsen. Only 18 guest rooms, so book well in advance. -It is far from the town center, but worth it. Access from Hakone-Yumoto is either through ryokan shuttle bus (~100 jpy, least frequent) city bus (~270 jpy, more frequent) or taxi (~1100 jpy, may be your only option if you miss the bus) -Service is second to none. Staff were waiting outside to welcome us when our taxi arrived. Everyone speaks decent English. -NOTE you can also reserve a PRIVATE (30-min) session in the outdoor bath for those staying in your room. HOWEVER the staff member did not inform us of this upon check in! We had read about it on google reviews (and it is listed on their website/booking websites I believe) so make sure to ask about it when you are being introduced. -- The decor of the hotel is very traditional, but is obviously getting a bit dated at places - ie, stains/scratches on the walls, musty smells, etc. We could see some renovations being done as we moved about the property, so it seems like the management is working on it. However, some of the showa era design choices did seem quite contrasting. For instance, our washroom seemed to be updated with nice wood panelling and a clearly modern toilet. However, the shower/bath in the room, while large, was very clearly dated with tiling and colour choices which may have been at the peak of luxury in the 1980s. While we did not use the room's shower/bath (why would we, being at an onsen), it did affect the overall image of the place. -- The dinner is an exquisite multi-course meal of local cuisine. Given that the "kiji" in "kijitei" means "pheasant", a lot of the dishes incorporated it; very unique as pheasant is not exactly a common dish. The exact meal contents vary based on the chef and what's in season. The waitress we had (a wonderful Vietnamese girl named Min) spoke both Japanese and English and explained every course as well as how to enjoy it. You can also order beer and sake (and wine, but why would you). The dining room is shared but dinner times are staggered so it can feel very private. Breakfast is a similar multi-course affair. -- The public (indoor) baths are very spacious relative to the number of guests. I was the only one there 2/3 times I went. There is a great view of the outside for you to enjoy while soaking. Remember you DO need to be naked in both indoor and outdoor baths. -- The outdoor bath is a little hotter compared to the indoor bath so it may need getting used to. There is no shower near the outdoor baths, so to use them, you must first shower in the indoor bath, get dressed, and then walk out to the outdoor baths. The walk takes you through the property's garden which is beautiful both at night and during the day, there are signs as well as lanterns for you to use at night. Being in the outdoor bath while listening to the sounds of crickets and the nearby river is seriously magical. I highly recommend waking up early in the morning so you have time for a second soak before breakfast (and a third soak afterwards, if you're speedy). -- Overall our one-night stay at Kijitei was near perfect and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a ryokan in Hakone. My advice to the management would be to keep doing what they are doing, but add a little bit of focus on modernization. Thank you Kijitei for a wonderful stay and amazing memories! Tips: -Book as early as you can. -Research onsen etiquette. -Wear your (complimentary) yukata while moving about the property. -Come with an open mind, culinary-wise. You may be surprised!

This was a late addition to our trip and it turned out to be the highlight. The Ryokan was beautiful with incredible landscaping and lovely traditional decorations. The staff was very friendly and helpful, we felt relaxed and pampered the whole time. The highlight was the Onsen, we went four separate times during our one night stay. We really appreciated being able to reserve a private session at night so our family could go together. The food was also excellent - it was very different than our western palates were used to, but everything was high quality and beautiful. We'd absolutely go again.