Hakone Retreat Före

Amazing building and room in the middle of the forest. The Onsen was incredible

To be honest, I was initially hesitant to stay at Hakone Retreat Fore. Having looked at the property photos, a part of me was worried that the aesthetic was too modern and wouldn't deliver on the traditional ryokan experience that our family was hoping for. However, I am so glad to be proven wrong - Hakone Retreat not only honours the ryokan spirit but further elevates it with unforgettable service, food, and comfort. The main building and villa rooms are understated by design. There are no ornate furnishings, glittery trinkets, or flat screen TVs. Everything serves as the canvas which highlights the nature surrounding you - the calm, the birdsong, the gentle breeze. It is truly a retreat from the frenetic pace of city life. The onsen features both indoor and open-air baths. You're not just staring at a fence - both have a direct views of the trees and the mountain beyond. The combination of bathing in the water as well as in the forest ("shinrin-yoku") creates the deepest state of relaxation. Lastly, the staff and dining are incredible. We live in a self-proclaimed foodie city and were still blown away from the quality and execution of the Woodside dinner. The kaiseki dinner at Hyoseki was equally impressive in its deceptive simplicity and flavours. The breakfast buffet had a tremendous variety of dishes, all freshly made and delicious. Hakone Retreat blew my expectations right out of the water! I am grateful to have stayed here and can't wait to return again very soon.

It is a very nice spot for retreat, however not so much to do else. We hiked up for Mt. Kintoki and got a nice view of Mt. Fuji. That was great! We stayed for two nights and had half pension. Breakfast was excellent! For evening meal we had the 5-course menu. The dishes were good/OK, with the very clear exception for the main dishes. The first evening we had, according to the menu, lamb racks. We got a chunk of meat, or rather a chunk of fat, from an old sheep. To get access to the small amount of the very tough meat you would need a razor sharp Japanese kitchen knife which we hadn’t. Taste was similar to wool. Second night we had as a main course “Rolled Harkone Pork”. This turned out to be rolled fat with approximately 10g of meat in the middle (a piece of 20 mm in diameter). The restaurant is supposed to be a barbecue place and the accompanying vegetables were indeed grilled on the barbecue. However, the meat was “grilled” with a handheld gas driven flame, probably due to that the “meat” was so fat that you couldn’t put it on the barbecue without getting fire. We complained both evenings on the main dishes, without any proper actions taken! If you decide to go for this beautiful place don’t take the dinner package, go somewhere else for your evening meal!

My three adult daughters and I stayed at the retreat for 2 nights and had a nice time. The breakfast was absolutely the highlight of our stay! The food was high quality and there seemed to be a bit of everything of everyone. The staff were lovely and helpful, always answering our questions and trying to help in any way that they could. We were a bit disappointed with our room. It seemed a bit tired and cramped for the price we paid. There were no drawers or cupboards to put our clothes in, so the room became quiet cramped for four women. The bathroom also had limited space to arrange our toiletries. The onsen is beautiful and clean and we enjoyed that very much. Overall we enjoyed our stay, but probably would chose a newer and more modern retreat next time.

This is a very beautiful place for a few days of tuning out and relaxing. Highly recommended.