Best Ryokan experience we could have imagined! Everything felt just perfect. The atmosphere was magical and the staff were kind and polite. Public onsens were simple (1 onsen per gender) yet great. The private bath-onsen in the room was an awesome addition. Surprisingly for us this was one of the best meals we had in our 3 weeks trip to Japan. The dinner was beyond expectations and the breakfast was tasty and nourishes yet not heavy. We wish we could have stayed there more than one night. The price might seem expensive at first but for what you get it's really nothing. Seems like a great place for small families as well (we paid for 4 people)

There is a short walk and a steep road which didn't bother us too much. Some people will struggle a bit. I think the hotel should arrange a driver that will take people from the main station.

everything was quaint, unique experience sleeping on futons. host were thoughtful to prepare yukata for my boys age 3 and 5 and toothbrush included. legos was also placed in our room for the children . there was a public onsen and also a private onsen in our room. there was an outdoor garden with koi pond. Kaiseki dinner was superb for Asian platlets and the host even remove fish bones for us

it was a little confusing when I first walk to the property using google map as the entrance was not noticeable when we came up from the slope.

So welcoming and helpful! Food was excellent and a relaxing experience All facilities amazing! Had a private onsen in the room and access to the shared (male /female) facilities open from 5-24hrs! Had our 2 year old and 5 month old with us. They got toys and ryoken wear which was so great. Also had a nappy bin! Super comfortable and lots of space Gorgeous gardens to walk around. I had forgotten our adaptors and they let us borrow mobile phone chargers which was a life saver ( we had a long trip the next day). Just loved it! Want to go back (without kids! Ha) and highly recommend.

Nothing! Honestly!

Our stay here was an absolute highlight of our trip, and I would recommend it to anyone. We liked the location, with it being a short and interesting walk to get to the train station and buses for further sightseeing. The staff were lovely. By the time we were leaving, I felt like I was saying goodbye to a family member as they took such good care of us and made our stay feel so homely.. The food was fantastic. The quality of the food was excellent, and each evening was a traditional Kaiseki meal. Such a good experience. The private and public baths were good, and generally, we would have them to ourselves. If you want to have a private one in your room, run it in the morning, and it will be the perfect temperature when you return in the afternoon after a day of sightseeing.

Exceptional Japanese hospitality. Reviews on Booking.com were spot on. Loved the stay as it felt very authentic Japanese. YUKI our "butler" was incredibly courteous. We booked a room with small private onsen that made the experience slightly nicer. Read many reviews on food. They serve food at 6 or 630 am which sounds early but it s a 2 hr experience, served in dining area of the "room". Food is elaborate and high quality predominantly fish based. Overall, I highly recommend. Thanks for the lovely stay.

Menu should be shared in the morning so that one can pick out something you categorically don't like.

Gyokutei has incredible rooms, facilities, food, service, and atmosphere. The apartment is very comfortable and traditional and ours had a lovely view out to the garden. The room included a wonderful private bath with 100% hot spring water, but there are the excellent public onsens in the hotel as well. Both our evening and morning meals were several courses and gave us the opportunity to try a wide array of delicious dishes we hadn't encountered before. The best part of our experience was the service - from your arrival everyone is warm and welcoming. Our room attendant, Yukie, was very kind and helpful and made the stay all the more special.

Loved the opportunity to stay in an authentic Japanese accommodation. The staff were welcoming and attentive. Felt really special the moment we arrived. The accommodation was spacious with a number of separate rooms. Loved the opportunity to experience the hot springs in the privacy of our own room. The meal was exceptional. Whilst it pushed our boundaries we really loved that experience as we would never have picked the various foods from a menu. That was one of the reasons why we booed this place. The gardens were also lovely and peaceful.

I wished we had longer to enjoy the space.

We had a traditionally Ryokan stay at Gyokutei with both Japanese-style dinner and breakfast served in our room. The food was absolutely incredible - meticulously and beautifully prepared and served. The room is older, but charming! The view of the courtyard gardens was stunning, the in-room hot springs bath was perfect, the futon bedding and pillows so comfortable and the communal bath and view was lovely. Most of all, our room attendant Kyoko was absolutely wonderful. So attentive and sweet, explained the meals and best way to eat them, how to most enjoy the ryokan, etc. it was a magical stay. Don’t hesitate! Enjoy what Gyokutei has to offer. It’s so special - from the hosts receiving us upon arrival, to walking us to our cab as we left - truly memorable!!!

Nothing - the experience was perfect!!

This was our first ryokan experience and we really enjoyed our stay. It is conveniently located near the Hakone Yumoto station so easy to get to after arrival and to depart from to get to the starting point for our Hakone counter loop trip. I don't know if we were the only guests during our stay, but it felt like our own private experience as we were able to enjoy the onsen all to ourselves before the most delicious meal. The chambermaid took excellent care of us bringing out course after course of beautiful and tasty food. The bedding was super comfortable and I had the best sleep ever.

No complaints about anything

Amazing location, felt authentic, staff were lovely, food was great, the garden looked lovely.

No complaints. We didn’t see any other guests during our stay which we may have enjoyed - but that’s not a complaint. I would say that some aspects of the dinner and breakfast were not to my personal taste - however many parts were and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I would suggest to western travellers to make sure you research what the experience is like.. as if yoy are expecting a western hotel style you may not enjoy some aspects.