Beautifully located ryokan with very friendly service. If you're lucky, you can see Fujisan. The kaiseki style food served at breakfast and dinner was excellent and the views from the several available onsens astonishing, be it the view of Ashinoko in the main building (for day guests) or the japanese garden in the annex building (for overnight guests). Even though there were many guests in the ryokan, we had the onsen to ourselves most of the time.

We reserved the shuttle bus from Odawara station, but we didn't know what the bus looked like and where it stops, so we missed it. FYI, it stops near the statue beside the line buses and carries the logo of the Prince Hotel chain. The building itself is a bit rustical, but well maintained and clean, so for me personally it gave it more flair to the ryokan experience. Not so many power outlets available in the room. Public transport (bus) to/from Togendai/Motohakone didn't come so often as we hoped for, but if you are fit enough, you can even walk these distances. Parts of the road pass directly along the lake.

I loved the location! So close to a cute shopping area and to the ferry! It was also close to a ropeway that happened to be closed for the summer. I loved wearing the yukata to the meals! We also wore them to fireworks to celebrate the Dragon festival!  There were lots of yukatas to choose from in many colors and designs! We loved the meals! We stayed two nights so we had two breakfasts and two dinners and we had some of the best food of our entire trip at our meals! We had fresh sushi at our second dinner! It also came with excellent meat that we cooked at our own personal mini grills at the table! There was one breakfast I didn’t care for, but I loved all three other meals greatly! The serving staff at dinners were very nice! We had a nice view of Mount Fuji, it’s over to the right over a hill, and sometimes it is covered in clouds, but it is beautiful and we loved it. Our room was nice and big and very comfortable.

Sometimes there was a weird vibe at the front desk. They never cleaned the room while we were gone. With four people in the room it would’ve been nice to have clean glasses and towels each day. We did ask for clean glasses at the front desk and they did bring them on a tray. The onsen was very nice but oh how I wish there was a third option aside from public and private baths where we could wear bathing suits! Of course no onsen allows this, but I sure would love it! Our room was in the annex section of the hotel.

The view from my room was just breath taking. Fuji mountain is just there. It was so beautiful that I wished I could stay longer. Also I love hot spring. The location is so quiet and it was perfect for my vacation.

One of staffs expressed anger when I was late 20 min for my breakfast. It was really unnecessary. after he said angry words and pointed his watch several times with frown face, he didn't even serve water or anything and didn't even look at my table. so unprofessional. He was the only unpleasant experience. (he was wearing glasses and seemed work there sometime.)

Incredible outdoor (public) onsen with view of Mt Fuji! We were very lucky and got to see a clear view of Mt Fuji on our last day - this made our room with lake view of Mt Fuji very well worth the price! The breakfast and dinners included were delicious - very traditional kaiseki’s so don’t expect any sort of Western food here. Additionally, the room was super comfortable & spacious with comfy beds. I also loved that we could wear the provided yukatas around the entire property (was good to give my other clothes a break!). It was also very easy to book the shuttle bus to and from Odawara station (via messages on booking.com).

Nothing! It was amazing.

Roomy Japanese-style room, the exclusive onsen, the food (dinner set), nice lake and mountain view

The ryokan was situated on Lake Ashi, and every room had a killer view of Mt. Fuji. The staff was super helpful. The female onsen was really nice and had the same Fuji view. It was fun to dress in the yukata (cotton kimono).

The meal was just OK. There were many, many courses (too much food for me), but the quality was just average. For the price I paid, it was not a good value. Also, potential guests should note that this is a traditional Japanese meal, very heavy on fish/sea creatures—if you don’t like seafood, don’t get the half board. There were people in the dining room eating other things (and dressed in street clothes), so I believe there might be an a-la-carte menu for people not staying there.

The hotel is a Ryokan, making it a unique and special experience. Dinner was an amazing experience, wearing our kimonos and enjoying local cuisine. The view from the room is breathtaking and truly special.

The room felt like it could use a spruce up, breakfast was special but there was no option of Western food and it was a bit of a challenge for our taste buds. The staff was very friendly but didn't know English very well which was a problem. Getting to the hotel was extremely challenging, the instructions provided weren't clear and we missed the shuttle which meant waiting over 1 hour for the next one. The staff didn't communicate very well.

I had a very pleasant and relaxing stay. I booked the private bath because I was worried about my first time but once I got over it, I enjoyed the shared baths as well. The facilities were very clean. The private bath was also very nice and I got to use it without worrying about closure time. Food and staff were excellent. The pacing of the meal was great and the presentation was wonderful. I didn't have much interaction with staff outside the check in/out process and at the meals. The few interactions I had, staff were very attentive and friendly. They made me feel welcomed.

This isn't really a fault with Ryuguden, but I wish the free shuttle bus information could have been presented more prominently. I learned from the travel information desk at Odawara that there was one bus (Odakyu Highway Bus) as part of the Hakone free pass that isn't very frequent or I can pay to use the bus another Izu Hakone Bus (not part of free pass). The travel information staff also let me know that Ryuguden has their own free shuttle bus service and only let me know the hours of operations (11:30-19:30 except 15:30) but not the frequency/time table. I wish I could have found out about the shuttle bus sooner. Maybe it was conveyed and I missed the message.

Our stay at the Ryuguden was exceptional. Our room was huge, with a seating area and beautiful windows overlooking the lake and if you are lucky a view of Fuji. The service was over the top and the shuttle service was very helpful. We had breakfast and dinner included with our stay. The food was incredible-7 course traditional Japanese dinner that was delicious and entertaining, with foods we had never experienced before. The onsens, inside and outside, were well maintained and again provided beautiful vistas. We enjoyed walking around the property, into town, and on the lake path. It is a very scenic area with lots to explore. I highly recommend a stay at the Ryuguden.

It was all good!

First time staying at a ryokan, and it exceeded my expectations! The building seems to be older but is well-maintained and clean. The views from the room are amazing, especially sunrise of Lake Ashi and Mount Fuji (all rooms have views of Mount Fuji). The public open-air onsen also has a view of Mount Fuji. The mattresses on the tatami mats were surprisingly very comfortable. The dinner and breakfast kaiseki meals were excellent with nice presentation! All the staff were very friendly and helpful. The included bus shuttles to and from Odawara station and Moto-Hakone made it easy to get around, as taxis are very limited in the area.

Expensive, but you get what you pay for and the views of Mount Fuji are priceless!