Name: Hakone Suishoen
Address: 519-9 Kowakudani, Hakone, Hakone, Hakone, 250-0406, Japan
Rating: 9

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Parking nearby

Golf сourse (within 3 km)

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Hakone Suishoen

Hakone

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not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

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pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

Disappointed on service level, we stayed with Gora Kadan the night before, the difference was very apparent. 
1. We were informed there should be taxi around at Moto Hakone pier, there were none and we had to catch a bus in the end 
2. No kids Yukata, asked for a SS adult size to be delivered it came without the obi 
3. Only prepared 3 sets of welcome okashi however we paid for 4
4. We were late for breakfast (our fault no argument with that) but was greeted with a stern faced waiter with a super rushed manner to serve everything 
5. Was raining when check-out, nobody escorted us onto the car with umbrella as Japanese ryokan usually do and our driver had to help with loading luggages 

However the meals were nice and the waitress we had for dinner was absolutely lovely, probably the only person who had shown the real meaning of the spirit of omotenashi.

Disappointment on Service Level

This happened to be our fourth visit to Suishoen as we loved our previous stays but it unfortunately turned out to be one of our most disappointing.  Despite having made our reservation over three months ago asking for a specific room and sending follow-up emails for confirmation but unfortunately not receiving any responses, it was only less than a week before our check-in date that we finally received a call from Suishoen to inform us that not only that our requested room was unavailable but worse, whether we would consider going to their sister hotel or mind if we need to switch rooms during our three-night stay.  Only after elevating this ludicrous situation to their manager were we able to secure another room (unfortunately different from what we had requested) of similar class for a continuous stay.  We have yet to receive an explanation on why they waited until less than a week before our check-in for this reservation mixup.  

We were very much hoping for a relaxing three-night stay but that turned out not to be the case.  

The room we were assigned (a precious twin suite named 藤 or Tou) not only had problems with the thermostat but also, the water quality of their prized open-air hot spring bath (wondering whether it was diluted or using abrasive chemicals while cleaning) so much so that our skin ended up more dry and parched.  

The food quality was wonderful as always but we were led to a private room that had no privacy and unfortunately suffered having to listen to very loud conversations from our adjoining room throughout our dinner for the first two nights.  For some strange reason, whether they ran out of ingredients we were also served curry as part of our Japanese breakfast on our final day.

In support of sustainability, we informed Suishoen that there was no need to change bed sheets.  The first and second nights were fine but when we returned to our rooms on our third day,  we were surprised and dismayed that the cleaning staff didn’t even bother to make our beds!  This staff also forgot to replenish our 作務衣 for which we had to call the front desk.  

For those who are still concerned about Covid / flu / RSV, do note that NONE of the staff / servers were wearing masks while several clients were.  This is questionable.  For comparison, we stayed at another luxury in immediately prior to arriving at Suishoen and EVERY staff member wore masks.  

We have stayed at several other luxury ryokans in Hakone over the years and our past pleasant three stays at Suishoen made it one of our favorites.  We are hoping this fourth visit was just bad luck.  

Disappointing stay overall - declining standard of quality and service

We had a fabulous stay at Suishoen. The rooms are beautiful, private and well appointed. The restaurant is a beautiful setting and the food superb. The service was excellent throughout. Other reviewers with even more experience of the area say it's up there with the best luxury Ryokan's in Japan and I believe it! We would return in a heartbeat.

A few notes that I hope others will find helpful:

The Maisonette style room is on two levels. The top floor contains the bedroom, shower / vanity, and the amazing onsen on the small balcony. The lower level has a large living area containing the tea table, minibar and closets, as well as the toilet. The total floor area is large but the bedroom area is compact and the layout does mean you need to go downstairs to use the toilet. One of us kept our suitcase upstairs and the other kept the other suitcase downstairs in the main area and dressed down there - not an issue as the whole apartment was private.

It's a 10 minute walk (via a hidden exit at the bottom of the property) up some small roads to the beautiful little Chisuji Falls which are well worth a visit - we did it early in the morning while jetlagged. We also hiked up Mt Sengen from there which was steep, very pretty and pleasant though did not offer much in the way of views (30 minutes to the top, 60 minutes total loop).

We rented a car as we did not want to deal with all the public transport shuffling and had little interest in the Ropeway / Pirate ship loop having done similar things elsewhere. Parking at Suishoen was easy - they valet the car into a compact lot on the property. We chose to rent from Mishima as it was further along to our next stop of Kyoto but if I were to do it over I would probably rent from Odawara as it is much closer to Hakone and there is better Shinkansen service from there. The ridgeline road on the west side of Lake Ashi is beautiful though with great views of Fuji on a clear day.

Amazing Ryokan, Onsen and Food

Our holiday in Japan finished with two nights at the Hakone Suisheon.  And we are so pleased we chose this gorgeous place to stay
Everything was top class.  The very well appointed large bedroom. The large bathroom. The outdoor private onsen.  The two breakfasts and two dinners. It was appreciated being picked up from the station on our arrival after a very long day travelling and after sightseeing the second day. The hotel staff were attentive to our every need. Hakone has much to offer and we enjoyed the Open Air Sculpture Park and the rope way journey. Fuji was magnificent in all its splendour. 
Thank you for two lovely days 

HAKONE SUISHEON. . 

Style.
Taisho era traditional onsen

Setting. 
Hakone Suishoen is a cultural property that belonged to the Mitsui family, built 1925

Explore.  
Hakone.  Was here late October, Hakone is a beautiful area and it is almost autumn foliage season

Rooms. 
23 rooms on the property surrounded by old maple trees and bamboos.  Two beds in room Hananome.  Sisley amenities. Large shower area that steps out into the outdoor onsen which faces the trees, found it to be truly restorative as I felt a bit beaten down when I arrived.   Complimentary mini bar (except for the champagne and Macallan).  Dark wood furnishings in my room looked dated and room had very little windows and natural light 

@ the hotel. 
great service throughout my stay, although strange to be served welcome tea in a paper cup. Didn’t try the public onsen.  High quality souvenirs in the restaurant and lobby shop.  Meals in the gorgeous historic Mitsui property 

Food and drinks
Excellent traditional kaiseki dinner and breakfast in a private room in the historic Mitsui residence (aka restaurant Momiji). Built 1925 but still comfortable (ie floor heating)
I was in Japan for three nights and while this was not a Michelin restaurant ( tried a few during this trip ), dinner here was my favorite and my comfort food.  I kept on thinking about how food is functional medicine and this place hit the spot

Prices. 
Moderate $662 as included a delicious dinner and breakfast 

Rating. 
4/5 ( everything was perfect except for the welcome drink in a paper cup and my room’s decor/lighting )

Restorative stay & excellent meals

We stayed at Hakone Suishoen a little over a year ago (as a combination trip together with Asaba Ryokan in Izu), and decided to return, this time with my mother-in-law in tow. While we could have tried out a different ryokan this time, we considered Suishoen a known quantity, and wanted to try their Teppanyaki (we had the kaiseki dinner last time), which would serve as a good combo with Asaba, which serves Kaiseki fare.

Once again we choose one of the two Luxury Suites ("Negau"), which is the property's top room category, as well as a Precious Suite ("Toki"), which is slightly smaller but was convenient in that Negau and Toki are connecting rooms. Both room types offer in-room open-air Onsen (natural hot springs) baths as well as separate living room and bedroom, although the Luxury Suite (of which there are only two such rooms on site) was quite a bit larger. Both rooms are luxuriously furnished, stylishly adorned and are bright and airy. This is a modern-style ryokan - if you're looking to stay somewhere traditional and "authentic," look elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you'd like the ryokan experience but without the culture shock (or with more familiar furnishings), then Sushioen is your place. This ryokan is traditional in one sense... the main restaurant area is in a gorgeous, pre-modern building that dates back to the Taisho era (well over a hundred years ago) and is designated as an "Important Cultural Property" of Japan.

The Teppanyaki area only seats a total of eight guests, so if you'd like this option for dinner, make sure to call them and make Teppanyaki reservations early. We called two months prior, and they were booked full - we only were able to secure the seats after being put on the waitlist, and only after group of guests had to cancel their reservation. Was it worth it? Well, if you've had your fill of kaiseki and want something different, then the answer is yes (either that, or stay at one of the Auberge ryokans that serve French-Japanese fusion cuisine.) Compared to the very best Teppanyaki restaurants in Japan, however, it doesn't quite measure up. One disappointment was in the lack of beef options. It's either Iwate Beef or no beef. While Iwate Beef is no joke, it would have been nice to be given the choice to upgrade the Wagyu option to something like A5 Miyazaki, Hida, Matsusaka or Kobe Wagyu, even if offered at extra charge. We also went for the Iwate Wagyu ground beef Hamburger steak, but we've had far better ground beef steaks in other Japanese places - it was "good," but not exactly memorable. Still, for those looking to take a break from kaiseki meals, it's nice that Suishoen does offer this option. But in real terms, the kaiseki would definitely be the way to go here; it's that wonderful.

Everything else about the Suishoen experience was similar to our first visit. It's a first-class luxury ryokan that is right up there with the likes of Gora Kadan, Hakone Ginyu and other prestigious properties in the Hakone area.

Came back for the Teppanyaki

We decided to tack on a stay in Hakone on our way to Izu (for 2 nights), and since it was a last minute booking we were unable to secure a room at more renowned properties such as Hakone Ginyu, Gora Kadan or Gora Hanaougi. Our expectation was that Suishoen would be a good stay but the overall experience would be a notch below some of the best ryokans we've tried. We were definitely proven wrong!  From the service, architecture, rooms and (especially) the food, everything was top notch and was right up there with our two Izu choices (Asaba and Arcana.)

We generally try to get the best room possible, and in Suishoen's case, it was the Luxury Suite "Negau," which is a spacious 123m² in size and had all of the trimmings that one would expect from a top-category room. Negau's interior could best be described as "Wa-modern" (Japanese modern) - very contemporary, but not in a way that is cold. Rather, it gives a slight country vibe while still being up-to-date, aesthetically.  While the use of dark wood isn't to our personal liking (we like it more bright and airy), Negau was comfortable and tastefully furnished, and was in tip-top shape. It had a spacious living room, a dining table, a Japanese "tea room" (a tatami sitting area), a separate bedroom and, of course, a very nice rotenburo (Open-air onsen hot springs bath.)

While the grounds and garden are not as expansive or awe-inspiring as some other ryokans we've stayed at, the main restaurant building is impressive and historic. Built during the Taisho Era (early 20th Century), it was formerly the Summer residence of the Mitsui family, and has been carefully restored to its original grandeur. It really gives Suishoen a great sense of place, and gives an indication of the incredible meals that we were to enjoy that evening. The food was stupendous - it's really up there with the very best. Everything was unique, creative and varied. Even something as simple as a grilled chicken (which was a substitute for the amazing beef, which Mrs. KI-NRT cannot eat) was cooked and flavored to perfection. Dessert was also a delight - it consisted of a soup made of chilled sweet white bean paste which was accompanied by Kiwi Ice Cream, Strawberries from Amaou, Kiyomi Mikan (a type of Japanese citrus fruit) and Warabi Mochi, a Jelly-like confection made from bracken starch and covered or dipped in kinako (sweet toasted soybean flour.) It was a very pretty serving, and each item contained in the dish meshed beautifully with one another.

We love Japanese breakfasts, even though it's generally more of an afterthought at ryokans relative to the dinners that are offered. In this aspect Suishoen definitely did not mail it in. It was far more creative and varied than the standard "Wachoshoku" that contains a grilled fish, miso soup, pickled vegetables, some tofu and white rice. The grilled vegetables, the savory flan, the various condiments and even the fish itself was as impressive as what was offered at dinner. Kudos to the chef and kitchen staff for providing a tasty culinary experience, end-to-end.

The staff were a delight - they were warm, prompt in fulfilling requests and overall very eager to please. You can tell that Suishoen is gunning for top-dog status and they won't rest on their laurels until they get there. In spite of the quality of competition in Hakone, we will definitely be making plans to return at some point in the near future.

Will be included in our ryokan rotation moving forward

My husband and I stayed here on August 26th to celebrate our 47th Wedding Anniversary. 

Our room had both a traditional-Japanese-inn feeling and modern touches: a “Hinoki” bath and sitting area on its private porch and a porcelain jacuzzi bath/modern shower area. 

We also choose western beds but there was a separate tatami-mat sitting area with a low table/sunken floor area in front of the television(English instructions provided for it and a DVD player). 

The bedroom had a nice computer-desk work area, a small side table located next to a comfortable armchair, and good reading lamps in both of those areas for those who need to do remote work.

Our room called (Haru) was within a short walking distance to the building in which both dinner and breakfast was served. 

The bar is worth visiting because the view from its first-floor windows is splendid. Ask to see their wine lists and bar-menu selections. I enjoyed having a nice Wine Cooler there before dinner.

My dinner menu was in English, while my husband’s was in Japanese. The staff surprised us by preparing a nice message plate for our special evening there and gave us a framed photograph of our celebration before we retired for the evening. It was a very nice gesture.

Both meals were very well-planned and served timely. I really compliment the chef on his wonderful choices for the seasonal meals and especially for his “heavenly”-tasting “suimono” and “miso” soups.

Wonderful Dishes

A little oasis hidden in the mountains. Staff extremely attentive and discrete, quiet surroundings. Very comfortable rooms with private ofuro. All the needed amenities and more. Several small indulgences at the bath area. 5-star kaiseki for dinner and a wonderful breakfast (both western and japanese). I highly recommend the half pension package.

Blissful stay

Lots of hotels tell you they prioritise service. This one actually walks that walk, in a blissfully traditional, low key (but distinctly up market), uniquely Japanese style. The location is both lovely and convenient. The rooms have everything you could conceivably want, not least the en suite onsen ( at a toasty 42°C!). Staff try really hard to anticipate your every request.

We ate in the hotel twice, both gourmet delights. Once Kaiseki, a new experience for my, but eighteen (albeit small) plates later I was struggling. Once tepinyaki, with a personal chef cooking only for you. In both cases the service was beautifully executed and gave you great privacy. And the food was just outstanding.

Hakone Suishoen

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