Well designed hotel. Excellent room (Japanese style) with lovely onsen. Spa treatment (massage) was one of the best I have had. Food for dinner was also very good and included in the cost of the hotel.

Western breakfast was very average-poor - but that is something I have found across Japan. Japanese breakfast was nice enough so would recommend that of the two. Not a significant problem as the staff were super friendly, but it did not have a full range of options for room service and equally it was not clear to take drinks from the bar to the room. Lastly, there is a lot of families that attend this hotel and it would have been nice if they had shown more courtesy to other guests (ie loud ipads on in the bar area) who were trying to relax. I would prefer an adults-only hotel next time.

The overall experience of staying here was wonderful. The service was phenomenal- all the staff bent over backwards to make sure we had an excellent stay. Loved all the little extras from the free flowing drink times, to the multiple clothes and nigh wear provided. The private onsen on the balcony was incredible, as was the open air onsen on the roof. The location was super central in Gora, which is perfect for sight seeing in Hakone.

It’d hard to fault. However I wish it had been more affordable so we could have stayed for more than one night. I also wish the free flow hours at the bar had gone on later - so we could have enjoyed a drink after dinner (the bar was too expensive to get a drink from otherwise.)

Excellent 5 star hotel in the middle of Gora. The rooms are spacious and the food is truly amazing and very cared for. The view from the balconies are mesmerising! Hakone is a gem of Japan

Everything is truly great!

This hotel is absolutely beautiful- it's worth the price you pay- it was definitely our entire groups favorite hotel we stayed at during our 12 day trip to Japan. We only got to stay here 2 nights as a pit stop to see fuji on our way to Kyoto but would have stayed another night for sure! The rooms- we got the one with the private osen and it was fabulous! we sat in it multiple times a day- the typhoon was just passing so the weather was raining and the lush forest as the backdrop was breath taking! The staff was also amazing! We took a taxi down to Lake Ashi for dinner and didn't realize it was too late to get a taxi back and we were so stressed out that we weren't going to make it back to the hotel so we called them and they came and picked us up in a private van, that was so great of them and we were so very thankful!!

Nothing!! Stay here!! Just make sure to know the difference in the "Western" rooms which come with a more American style breakfast and I believe the teppenaki dinner (not sure on that one but DEFINITELY do the teppanyaki dinner- It was great!) But we didn't realize the difference when booking that it was the food- so luckily we were able to switch for the next day breakfast to the western but the traditional breakfast was an experience for sure!

Everything at Karaku was amazing - the rooms were luxurious, the in-room onsen tubs were delightful, the onsen was lovely, the staff were attentive. Everything is thought of here. This was the most luxurious stay of our trip and it was worth every cent. Walking distance to the Hakone cable car and Ropeway and the open Air museum, although you could easily stay in the hotel your entire trip just enjoying the facilities. They're also very accommodating of children - our 1yr old had his own toiletry kits and jinbei provided, high chairs at meals, and lots of adoration from the staff. This was by far the best experience of our entire trip, we loved every minute.

If you're a westerner, try to book a room with the teppanyaki dinner - we were limited to the Japanese dinner and breakfast and they're very authentic. It's exceptional food, but many westerners would find most dishes not to their taste, and the menu is set, not la carte - nothing for the hotel or restaurant to change at all, just something for guests to be aware of.

This was an experience I had never had before. Our room had an Onsem in the balcony with the most beautiful view of the forest. The room was the perfect combination of a western expectation, but still very Japanese all around. The dinner course that was offered was to die for and made our two nights feel very special. I was eager we didn’t have enough time to enjoy the common coffee station they provided for all guests, with great selection of drinks and snacks. The most fun part was wearing Yukatas to go around during breakfast and dinner. All the staff were super careful.

I understand traditions and am very respectful of the culture, but Japanese hotels in general should find common ground to be able to welcome guests with tattoos to the bath areas. Unfortunately that was a part of the hotel that I was not able to experience.

We stayed in the East Wing in a Japanese style room. The accommodation was luxurious and spacious, with views down the mountain from our private outdoor onsen. The hotel did not seem too crowded, however that might be due to the strict dining times allocated when you check in.

Too strict with check-in and check-out times. The hotel did not seem to be full or even crowded, yet we could not check in before 3pm and when we requested a late check-out we were told it would be 3000 yen per hour. This seems a bit petty given the price point of accommodation, meals and massages. Also, couples looking for a quiet get-away might be surprised to find the number of guests with babies and children.

Quiet, new and fabulous amenities

Quiet location at Gora. The hotel has a modern Japanese, comprehensive and beautiful exterior and interior design. Walking distance to Hakone open space museum and Hakone museum of art. Service are to next level. Shuttle bus picked us up at the train station. We were asked to sit at the lobby, stuff will come to you to do the check in. The private onsen after dinner(charge separately) and the open onsen in the suite would probably be the best experience we had during the whole Japan trip. The free lounge is very nice too!

A very high end hotel. It is expensive but worth the experience. The attention to detail is phenomenal. There is a private onsen looking out onto a beautiful woodland view. There is also a public onsen that is empty in the morning as most people use the private one. You are provided with kimonos and every portion and lotion you could wish for. The bed and showers were top grade. So although expensive I would say for the facilities it is worth it.

Food is included. The evening meal is a very posh fixed menu very Japanese which is ok but maybe not to everyone’s liking. The breakfast was Japanese, again not really for a western stomach. We didn’t realise you could order a European breakfast so I hardly touched mine. Luckily there is a lounge with free snacks and alcohol and drinks so we could eat there instead

Amazing views. In-room balcony onsen very convenient and a great experience. Fine dining was very good, although a bit too much gelatine in every dish. Staff friendly. Room clean and decent size, although bathroom on the small / thin side. Overall stunning breathtaking views and conveniently located in Gora close to the station to start the Hakone round trip.

For the amount paid, some things were a bit off. Eg the free shuttle to the train station got filled up, and we had to get our own taxi - for the amount paid, would have expected them to pay the £30 taxi journey or sent another shuttle. Very difficult to change from Japanese to western breakfast one night before, despite the restaurant being half empty the next day. Not massive faults but for the amounts paid, would have expected things like these to be taken care of.