Hilton HHonors - Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa

Hilton International will begin operating "Hilton Odawara Spa And Resort" in Feb. 2004 in Japan. The hotel is currently operated by a government related organization and its name now is " Spausa Odawara". It has German style Bade (Bath), putter golf course, tennis court, gym, jogging course, walking course, AV library, aesthetic salon, electric massage machines, bowling alley, karaoke, mah-jong room, etc..
It has easy access from Tokyo by Shinkansen, the bullet train, and also to Hakone and Mt.Fuji by car or train. And I would mostly recommend that you can see beautiful Sagami Bay from every room of the hotel.


Spause website
http://www.spausa.or.jp/

News source from Nikkei Newspaper
http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/sangyo/20030728AT1D2805028072003.html

View of the Sagami Bay from the hotel
http://www.spausa.or.jp/picture/view.jpg

Odawara is one of my favorite places in Japan. It's nice to see that I can stay for free now http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I have an upcoming trip to Japan soon and will be spending a few nights here. I did a search but only one thread came up announcing the rebranding of this hotel to a Hilton. I have some questions about the hotel. Do any of you know the answers?

1. Does the hotel have an exec. lounge? If so, how often is it open? What is the lounge like? Free cocktails? Free food?

2. Is admission to the spa complimentary for Diamond members? If not, how much does it cost, and how much are treatments, such as massage? What about the gym and pool, are they free to use for diamond members?

3. How does the hotel treat Diamond members? What can I expect? Any chance for an upgrade, possibly to a suite? Any special amenities like bottle water or chocolates or wine? Did you have to ask for an upgrade, lounge access, and/or breakfast certs, or did they offer them to you?

4. How do you get here from the train station? Is there any way to get from the train station to the hotel other than a taxi?

5. Any chance for a late check-out? If so, how late?

6. How did you like this hotel? What are the rooms like? Are they good sized? How was the bathroom? Is it good sized? Good water pressure in the shower? Good bathroom amenities? Are the beds comfy? Is there a good selection of english-speaking tv stations?

7. Free breakfast for diamond members? If so, is it in the lounge (if the hotel has one), or in the restaurant? Full breakfast or continental only? Is the breakfast selection of food good?

8. Does the hotel have a computer with internet use? If so is it complimentary? I do not have a laptop, so I'm not looking to plug into the wall, but rather I'm wondering if the hotel has a computer set up for guests to use, such as in a business center or in the exec. lounge.

9. Do you have any advice for someone who is going to this hotel for the first time? Are there any cool things to see or do in the nearby area?

Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

I have never been there yet, but I know several things about your questions.

1. Does the hotel have an exec. lounge? If so, how often is it open? What is the lounge like? Free cocktails? Free food?

No executive floor, so no lounge there

2. Is admission to the spa complimentary for Diamond members? If not, how much does it cost, and how much are treatments, such as massage? What about the gym and pool, are they free to use for diamond members?

Spa and fitness is free.

3. How does the hotel treat Diamond members? What can I expect? Any chance for an upgrade, possibly to a suite? Any special amenities like bottle water or chocolates or wine? Did you have to ask for an upgrade, lounge access, and/or breakfast certs, or did they offer them to you?

Room upgrade could be possible, but maybe not a suite. ( I am not sure if there are suites or not.) Evian, cakes and chocolates would be prepared in the room.

4. How do you get here from the train station? Is there any way to get from the train station to the hotel other than a taxi?

From JR Odawara station, hotel shuttle bus is available. it occurs from 7:30 to 20:30 on each 30mins except for 12:30 and 17:30. But it is not available on Sat, Sun and holidays. It takes 20mins.

5. Any chance for a late check-out? If so, how late?

Maybe a late check out would be OK until 14:00.

7. Free breakfast for diamond members? If so, is it in the lounge (if the hotel has one), or in the restaurant? Full breakfast or continental only? Is the breakfast selection of food good?

Breakfast is free in the restaurant. You can get a breakfast ticket at chech in. Breakfast is maybe American buffet style(?), I guess.

8. Does the hotel have a computer with internet use? If so is it complimentary? I do not have a laptop, so I'm not looking to plug into the wall, but rather I'm wondering if the hotel has a computer set up for guests to use, such as in a business center or in the exec. lounge.

No business center in the hotel, and no internet access in the room. If you have a laptop, you can ask an internet accsee at "library cafe" on the second floor.

Thank you for the information; it was very helpful. For the hotel shuttle from the JR Odawara station, will I have to call to get picked up at the train station, or will it come on the half-hour so that I can just wait for it without phoning the hotel?

hhonorman:
You do not have to call the hotel. Just wait for the bus. If no guest is there, the bus is comming. And another shuttle bus is available from JR Nefugawa(?) station which is the next for Atami from JR Odawara station.

From Nefugawa(?) station to hotel
07：45　08：05　08：30　08：50　09：20　09：40　10：30　10：55　11 ：20　11：50　12：30 13：00　13：20　14：10　14：35　15：00　15：30　16：05　16：40　17 ：00　17：35　18：05 18：35　19：40　19：55　20：20　20：50　21：35

It occurs everyday. But Odawara station is more convenient for you. Have a nice trip. :)

Thank you for the information; it was very helpful. For the hotel shuttle from the JR Odawara station, will I have to call to get picked up at the train station, or will it come on the half-hour so that I can just wait for it without phoning the hotel?

Thanks to the input from this Flytalk Forum, I have a three night award stay at this Spa in April.
I will be arriving from Tokyo via Train and was wondering the best way to get to this resort.

Thanks to the input from this Flytalk Forum, I have a three night award stay at this Spa in April.
I will be arriving from Tokyo via Train and was wondering the best way to get to this resort.

You can take the bullet train (shinkansen) to Odawara station. From there, the hotel has a shuttle bus that will take you up to the hotel. Here's their email address if you have other questions: Odawara@hilton.com (taken from the Japanese web site for this hotel).

Have a great stay at this lovely property!

The Japanese homepage has some good rates which only seem to be accessible on www.hilton.com (English website) if you click on the hotel website and search under specials. The Cyber Bed and Breakfast In Japan rate is 13500 yen (single) and 22000 yen (double) - this rate inlcludes all service charges and taxes and buffet breakfast. The rate code is CY I think.

After reading the travel report above, I am very tempted to make a stopover in Odawara to check-out this resort. Unfortunately, the cheapest rate I could find for my date (which is on a weekday) is Y30,000 and I am not able to use points to redeem a stay :(

what's the best way to get to the Odawara from Tokyo? Do you take the JR - which one? How much does the train ticket cost each way? Any problems getting the free breakfast buffet for 3 people staying together on an award stay (Diamond member)?
Yes, from either JR Shinagawa or JR Tokyo station you can go to Odawara by JR Trains. How much was it? uh... I used my JR Pass so I have to get back to you on this one tomorrow morning. For free breakfast, I don't think there should be any problem for you. I am just HH Gold and got free breakfast for both of us. (and the food was just great :D )

From the posts, it sounds like attempting to do a reward stay looking for one room for 4 is a pipe dream? Have 2 early teens and always have to tailor my plans when I leave the US. Any ideas or info about rooms suitable for a family of 4 who doesn't mind being cramped?

Any problems getting a room for 3 adults?

What were the food options in the immediate area by the hotel? What did you do for lunch/dinner? (Where did you go, how far was it, was it good, convenient?)

From the posts, it sounds like attempting to do a reward stay looking for one room for 4 is a pipe dream? Have 2 early teens and always have to tailor my plans when I leave the US. Any ideas or info about rooms suitable for a family of 4 who doesn't mind being cramped?

They have Japanese Tatami rooms if you don't mind "real" futons. You can spread quite a few futons in those rooms. I am not sure if they let you have a tatami room for a reward stay, though.

Other than the food at the hotel, there are no dining options in the immediate area of the hotel. The hotel is located high on a hill on it's own estate, with nothing nearby (within walking distance). However, the town of Odawara, while small, has many eatieries to choose from including some fast food places like McDonalds and KFC. The hotel has a complimentary shuttle to/from Odawara train station which is located in the town. There are plenty of places within walking distance from the station. Just be aware that the last shuttle back to the hotel is fairly early, 8:30 p.m.I believe, but check the hotel's shuttle schedule to be sure in case things have changed. Assuming you aren't dining late, you shouldn't have a problem finding something to eat in Odawara. There is even a good-sized grocery store in Odawara; you could go there and get some goodies to take back to your room too.

Breakfast at the hotel is amazing, so we didn't have much need for lunch since we tended to eat quite a bit for breakfast. We just ate breakfast at the hotel, had an afternoon snack while we were out and about, and ate dinner in Odawara each night.

We'll be staying here on April 28th for one night using the following special package. The price was pretty much the same as the fully flexible rate, so a good deal indeed ^ JPY50000 yen for 4 adults in a Japanese Western Suite Room.

Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa Anniversary Plan (http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/specials.jhtml?ctyhocn=TYOODHI)

Earn Triple HHonors base points when buying our Fully Flexible rate at deluxe room or higher category room. The rate includes breakfast, access to the spa, Bade indoor swimming pool, Japanese style hot spring and relaxation room. 10% discount for lunch (on food only).

Valid Dates:

Feb. 15, 2005 - Jun. 30, 2005 (not valid during Golden Week, though :( )

Other than the food at the hotel, there are no dining options in the immediate area of the hotel. The hotel is located high on a hill on it's own estate, with nothing nearby (within walking distance). However, the town of Odawara, while small, has many eatieries to choose from including some fast food places like McDonalds and KFC. The hotel has a complimentary shuttle to/from Odawara train station which is located in the town. There are plenty of places within walking distance from the station. Just be aware that the last shuttle back to the hotel is fairly early, 8:30 p.m.I believe, but check the hotel's shuttle schedule to be sure in case things have changed. Assuming you aren't dining late, you shouldn't have a problem finding something to eat in Odawara. There is even a good-sized grocery store in Odawara; you could go there and get some goodies to take back to your room too.

Breakfast at the hotel is amazing, so we didn't have much need for lunch since we tended to eat quite a bit for breakfast. We just ate breakfast at the hotel, had an afternoon snack while we were out and about, and ate dinner in Odawara each night.

Thanks to to great information from hhonorman, I am on my way to the Hilton, Odawara tomorrow , 8 April. :)

Dear,
SNA767,Snoopy,360guy,hhonorman,747heavy,yoko,mario 33,kezzakawasaki
I think You guys are good real salesmen.
And thanks for the fascinating information.

I've just stayed there and I decided to join this 'love' festival.

Let me describe about positive side...(IMHO)

They assigned me 1102... :-:
It's spacious(68 sq.m)room and has nice decors.

Welcome amenities... :p
It consists of 2x cookies and 2x Sponge cakes(Kasutera?) which was placed on a rounded tray,that reminds me a petty Tsunami.
Needless to say,I ate them all(excluding tray) in few seconds.

Bade facility... ^
This is incredible! I mean -Whoa-Whoa- That's all I can say.

Breakfast... ^
*caution/overeat.

Sweets... :p
I went to the Tealax-lounge. Yes, My objective is...to fight against 'Cheese cake fair' and conquer it. Tea blender(a waitress) showed me samples...8 kind of cake on a tray...It was so irresistible! :p
I was going to order a whole stuff...But I couldn't :(
It's because I've found devils in her eyes. -Absolutely they were warning me-
That made me shiver and I figured there's no deal..It's better give it up.
Finally, 6 feet-tall & 160-pounds a loser man....took a piece of cake :(
(which is presumed 50g..It was delicious though.I'm sure I could eat 10 pieces)

About negative side...
Location...
slightly far from Tomei-EXPway(25~40min from Atsugi interchange)

A lap pool(25m x 4 lanes)...
It's shallow compared to Hilton/Narita's one.

Frankly,
I love this property..category 5, this classfied is undoubtedly true.
and thanks again, I would say - You guys are good real salemen ^

Dear,
SNA767,Snoopy,360guy,hhonorman,747heavy,yoko,mario 33,kezzakawasaki
I think You guys are good real salesmen.
And thanks for the fascinating information.

I've just stayed there and I decided to join this 'love' festival.

Let me describe about positive side...(IMHO)

They assigned me 1102... :-:
It's spacious(68 sq.m)room and has nice decors.

Welcome amenities... :p
It consists of 2x cookies and 2x Sponge cakes(Kasutera?) which was placed on a rounded tray,that reminds me a petty Tsunami.
Needless to say,I ate them all(excluding tray) in few seconds.

Bade facility... ^
This is incredible! I mean -Whoa-Whoa- That's all I can say.

Breakfast... ^
*caution/overeat.

Sweets... :p
I went to the Tealax-lounge. Yes, My objective is...to fight against 'Cheese cake fair' and conquer it. Tea blender(a waitress) showed me samples...8 kind of cake on a tray...It was so irresistible! :p
I was going to order a whole stuff...But I couldn't :(
It's because I've found devils in her eyes. -Absolutely they were warning me-
That made me shiver and I figured there's no deal..It's better give it up.
Finally, 6 feet-tall & 160-pounds a loser man....took a piece of cake :(
(which is presumed 50g..It was delicious though.I'm sure I could eat 10 pieces)

About negative side...
Location...
slightly far from Tomei-EXPway(25~40min from Atsugi interchange)

A lap pool(25m x 4 lanes)...
It's shallow compared to Hilton/Narita's one.

Frankly,
I love this property..category 5, this classfied is undoubtedly true.
and thanks again, I would say - You guys are good real salemen ^

Glad you had a good experience. I wasn't try to "sell" anyone on the hotel, so I hope I didn't come across as the stereotypical used car salesman. I merely had a great experience and was thrilled to discover what I consider to be one of the jewels in the Hilton family. I had to share the info with all the kind folks here at FT. They've given me so much helpful information that I wanted to contribute something back when the occasion arose. I hope anyone who goes to this hotel enjoys it as much as I did. I'd love to be at their spa right now; I'll just have to settle for the memories.

Hello,

I am new to this forum, but planning a reward stay at the Odawara Resort in April. I have some questions regarding what things you can do there, besides staying at the hotel. I have seen some things about the Odawara castle on the net. Are there stores in town that are good to shop at? I am reading that any transportation to the town is via the hotel shuttle.

Any suggestions on activities from this place is greatly appreciated.

Steve

What were the food options in the immediate area by the hotel? What did you do for lunch/dinner? (Where did you go, how far was it, was it good, convenient?)
I had a great stay last April. I do not remember any food options near the hotel. I believe there might be one restaurant at the bottom of the hill. A 20 minute walk. There is a shuttle that takes you to the train station.This hotel has a great management staff, from the GM down.

Hello,

I am new to this forum, but planning a reward stay at the Odawara Resort in April. I have some questions regarding what things you can do there, besides staying at the hotel. I have seen some things about the Odawara castle on the net. Are there stores in town that are good to shop at? I am reading that any transportation to the town is via the hotel shuttle.

Any suggestions on activities from this place is greatly appreciated.

Steve

The shuttle will take you to the train station (a very small station out in the middle of nowhere essentially). From there you take the train to the main Odawara station (downtown Odawara). Unless you REALLY like to walk a lot (probably more than 2 miles) you are not close enough to downtown Odawara to walk.

Besides Odawara Castle...there isn't much to do in Odawara (in my opinion). It's a rather boring town compared to most other places in Japan. Very little cultural sites to see, or anything else. I consider the Odawara resort to be a good place to stay as a means to get to Hakone/Fuji Five Lakes Area for a day trip...but other than that I don't recommend it unless you plan on staying at the hotel resort itself and doing resort-related stuff. The hotel itself is very nice, try to get a bungalow - they're VERY nice, but other than that...it's not situated in a very ideal tourist area as far as I'm concerned.

The shuttle will take you to the train station (a very small station out in the middle of nowhere essentially). From there you take the train to the main Odawara station (downtown Odawara).

I thought the shuttle takes you all the way to Odawara Station but then things could have changed (?)

On the Hilton Odawara website, it gives directions from Osaka. Is this realistic? I was planning a stay at Hilton Osaka, but would like to stay here at Odawara a couple of days at the end of my trip. How long would it take to get from Osaka by train? Any estimate of the cost of the trip there and back to Osaka?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

I thought the shuttle takes you all the way to Odawara Station but then things could have changed (?)Actually...your are correct, though it also runs to the local station as well. I found my little shuttle timetable that they give on check-in (from Summer 2004). They have 2 shuttles. To Nebukawa (the local station) and to Odawara (the central station). The shuttle only goes to Odawara station on weekdays (no weekends - or special times - when I was there it was during a special time).

The Odawara shuttle also only runs once an hour from the hotel (11 times daily, beginning with the 8:00 AM shuttle and ending with the 8 PM shuttle - no shuttle at 12 Noon or 5 PM).

The Nebukawa shuttle runs twice an hour, including weekends and special occasions (28 times daily, beginning at 7:30 AM (from the hotel) and runs until 9:25 PM (from the hotel), except during the 6 PM and 9 PM hours when it only runs once that hour).

If you have a JR rail pass (in my opinion a MUST for almost any tourist trip to Japan) it's much more convenient to take the Nebukawa shuttle because of the higher frequency of shuttles to/from Nebukawa station and the hotel.

On the Hilton Odawara website, it gives directions from Osaka. Is this realistic? I was planning a stay at Hilton Osaka, but would like to stay here at Odawara a couple of days at the end of my trip. How long would it take to get from Osaka by train? Any estimate of the cost of the trip there and back to Osaka?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

It's not too far by train. Around 3 hours or so (one way).

Are you staying anywhere else? If you're planning on travelling to multiple places...you should DEFINITELY get a JR rail pass (www.japanrail.com). They have 7 day and 14 day passes (I wouldn't bother with the green car upgrade passes - unless you really like to live it up).

If you're really only planning on staying in Osaka...it might not be worth it to go to Odawara and I wouldn't get the main rail pass, but you might consider either of the local JR West passes (http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/travel/jrp/index.html). But if you're also planning on visiting Kyoto, and/or perhaps Tokyo, and taking the airport express trains to/from the airport...it's a no brainer. Your cost will be significantly cheraper with full JR rail pass (good for any region of JR).

The cost of a rail pass will typcially pay for itself for a single round-trip between Osaka (or Kyoto) and Tokyo. I'm not sure what the cost breakdowns are for airport express tickets...or Osaka local trains (or to from Kyoto), etc...but a rail pass might even cover the costs of those if you're not really planning on going anywhere else outside of Osaka.

I wanted to add that as a Silver and using an AXON reward for 2 rooms, 2 nights, all four of us received breakfast coupons. Perhaps all room rates include breakfast since there are no other dining options near. We also received welcome cookies.

This is a wonderful hotel. I stayed here six years ago when it was the Spausa, and I was delighted to return. The Bade spa is really great and it's a nice place to enjoy an onsen. There was no charge to us for either. I noticed a Kids Club advertised. The chapel is spectacular. In the room is a laminated map on a lanyard to wear while walking the trails in the landscaped grounds. Cute touch.

We walked for dinner one evening to the Hoishisen Cottage for what I believe is caled a Kaiseki dinner. The owner gave us a ride back, thank goodness, since the uphill climb would have been a killer. If this link works ... http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.kanto.maff.go.jp/syokunou/taiken/list/syukuhaku/kanagawa/hoshigayama/&prev=/search%3Fq%3DHoshigayama%2B%26hl%3Den%26hs%3DW1u%2 6lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official


We engaged a guide for a day touring the Hakone area although we could probably have made the rounds ourselves. I had used her before and she is fluent in English and very knowledgeable so we enjoyed having her with us.

AXON rules state that a 4 night award must be 4 consecutive nights. I called HHonors and was told if the hotel would agree, I could have 2 rooms, 2 nights. And they did.

We came from Kyoto with our rail passes, and the trip was 128 minutes. The train to Tokyo is 36 minutes. And yes, the shuttle leaves precisely at the appointed time. I believe it runs every half hour to and from Odawara, except in the evening there is a return shuttle at 6:30 and then one at 9 pm. And on weekends only to Nebukawa.

Edna

My wife and I just returned from the Hilton Odawara Spa and agreed it was the surprise of our trip. Because we are not very active in the HHonors program, we did not search for this property on FT. Hence our expectations were a typical Hilton that might be convenient to Hakone. By dumb luck we arrived at Odawara station at 15 minutes after the hour and were directed to the hourly shuttle bus to the hotel. We had planned to swim at our LM Grand Pacific hotel while in Tokyo, hence we had our swim suits along. Very fortunate, as this property has an onsen open from 6 AM until midnight which we found most relaxing. However the best feature was the pool (admission included with the price of the room), which was unique. Not only was there a lap pool, but there were 6 other types of pools from waterfalls, to circular hot tubs, to another pool with rain, and yet another where one could recline on an underwater chair and view the ocean.

Most of the above comments were about the bus service, and there is once hourly service from Odaware station on the half hour from 7:30 AM until 6:30PM, except for 12:30PM. In addition there is a bus at 9 PM. However this service is only during the week, and does not run on weekends.
The second option is the bus from Nebukawa which usually runs twice an hour except for the one trip at 7:45 AM and 12:50 PM; during the 9, 11, 1 and 6 o'clock hours, there are three busses. with the last bus at 9:40 PM. This bus runs on weekends as well. Beware though, if one has lots of luggage, there is not an escalator or elevator at Nebukawa. We were told the cabs from Odawara to the hotel were in the 2-3000 yen range.

Some have commented about restaurants in Odawara. We were unable to find any reasonable places to eat on the Hilton bus stop side of the Odawara station. However, there appeared to be a few satisfactory places on the opposite side of the station including a large department store that has a typical food court in the basement. At Nebukawa there is not even a place to have a cup of coffee, although there are a few vending machines.

We found the Japanese dinner buffet outstanding, and breakfast vouchers were included as part of our room rate. Breakfast also exceeded our expectations.

As we were staying at this hotel to go to Hakone, we found the location convenient. One our next trip to Hakone and finish up some of the sights we did not see, we plan to stay at this hotel again.

If one does not use the pool, onsen, or recreational facilities, then this is an average hotel. However we found this property superb because of the pool and onsen. :D

I have a reservation at this property for 25-27 July of this year. I am using two free night certificates from 5-10-15 promotion from last spring. I e-mailed the hotel to ask about using points or cash to upgrade, and they told me that they would upgrade me from my Twin Standard Room to a Twin Deluxe Room for 10,000 JPY per night.

Does anyone have any experience with the Twin Deluxe Room? From the website, I can't figure out for certain if that is the "bungalow" mentioned a couple of posts up, but I suspect it is not.

If anyone has any experience with the Twin Deluxe Room - does it seem like 10,000 JPY per night would be worth it to upgrade?

Thanks in advance.

Hi, from memory, the deluxe rooms have a separate Japanese style sitting area (tatami mats and a low table), separated from the main bedroom by sliding doors.

Are there any recent reports?

How complicated is it to get from this hotel to the Hyatt in Hakone? Can this be a pleasant one night stop enroute from Tokyo?

Are there any recent reports?

How complicated is it to get from this hotel to the Hyatt in Hakone? Can this be a pleasant one night stop enroute from Tokyo?

This is an quick train ride from Tokyo. The hotel provides a shuttle service from the train station (8 minute ride).This is an outstanding property with a world class spa. I rank this hotel as one of Hilton's five best properties. Try to spend more than one night.

I stayed at this property in July of 2007 and regret that I did not write a report at the time, as it was one of the top two or three Hilton stays I've ever had and I would love the chance to go back.

We spent two nights at this property while transiting between Kyoto and Tokyo. We took the shinkansen up to (I believe) Odawara Station, and the Hilton shuttle picked us up there (it runs on a schedule, but I'm not sure what) -- it was about a ten minute ride up to the hotel. At that time, there had been a 5/10/15 promotion going on and we used two of the nights from that promotion to stay here.

The property is situated up on a hill overlooking Sagami Bay. I was a newly-minted Gold at the time and was impressed with the treatment we received when arriving at the property -- we were brought over to a separate Gold / Diamond checkin desk where some time was spent explaining the property to us; then a very friendly bellhop from Seattle brought us up to our room and explained all of the features. While there were few English speaking people staying at this hotel, all of the staff spoke English perfectly and treated us very well at all times.

The property is truly unique -- there is a pool area (I believe it was called the "bade zone" for some reason) with at least a dozen separate (very small) pools. They are arranged in kind of a circuit and you can move from pool to pool -- for instance, one was called "the pool for lying down" and it had 5-6 tile beds which were the perfect shape for lying down in; these were in shallow water with dozens of jets pointed at you, so you just lay there and all of the jets bubbled all over. Other pools had other themes.. some had very strong currents, some had waterfalls, some were hot, some were cold, some were inside, some were outside, etc. All of the pools are very small, but I thought it was fun to go through the whole circuit.. and I did so a few times during our stay.

The property has a nice miniature golf course (not gimmicky, but more like a "golf in miniature" concept with the course being made out of actual grass), a walking trail or two through the woods, tennis courts, etc. In addition, in the basement there is a bowling alley and small arcade, and on the roof there is a bar and restaurant. There is also a spa with all of the typical services.

The breakfast was a buffet and was included with the room (I believe it was included for everyone) -- there was a tremendous amount of food and we certainly enjoyed it.

The time spent here was truly one of the most relaxing times I've ever had in my life. The hotel has great views, great amenities, a great staff and is really a special property -- I hope to be able to go back sometime soon and would highly recommend it to anyone who is in the area and is interested in some great relaxation.

It's possible that someone will want to visit the same hotels as me. Thus, I thought it worthwhile to give directions on how to travel between them.

Conrad Tokyo to Hilton Odawara
This proved to be extremely simple, much more so than I anticipated. From the Conrad, walk to Shimbashi Station. You can do this either on an elevated walkway or underground. It was raining, so we took the underground passageway. We had rollers, and found it very easy with excellent signage. It was roughly a five minute walk.

At Shimbashi Station, we looked for JR Rapid Atami line. I believe that this always goes from Track 1. There is an up escalator to the right, though you are likely to see the down escalator to the left first. I believe that this train goes twice an hour. We chose an xx.36 departure. We had Suica cards which we were able to use. We were told that the fare was 1450 yen. The cars have subway type seating, though there were three cars near the front of the train with more traditional long haul forward facing seating. I do not know if those required an additional fare. Our rollers were relatively compact. We could lift them to a narrow overhead shelf.

This was a very convenient line, as it required no transfers to get to Odawara or Nebukawa Station. Nebukawa is 2 stations on from Odawara, and closer to the hotel.

Advantages of disembarking at Odawara

It is a very modern station with escalators
There are restaurants within the station, as well as places to grab something to eat to take to the hotel. I recommend the Hakone Bakery, which is on the side where you want to exit to find the Hyatt bus.


Disadvantages of disembarking at Odawara

It is a relatively large station, and you need to figure out which exit for the Hilton van.
The Hilton van comes once an hour, leaving on the half hour.


Advantages of disembarking at Nebukawa

It is a tiny unattended station. There is only one place to exit. It is impossible to miss the Hilton bus.
The bus picks up at least twice an hour at this station.

Disadvantages of disembarking at Nebukawa

You have to carry your suitcase up a relatively long flight of steps.
There are no shops or restaurants. You cannot get any food to take to the hotel.


We continued on to the Hakone Hyatt from the Odawara Hilton. We expected to go to Odawara Station and take the Hakone Tozan Train to Gora. Then, we planned to call the hotel to see if they would send a van to the Gora Station, which is about 10 minutes from the hotel. It turned out to be much simpler and completely free to make the transfer.

Staff at the Odawara Hilton called the Hyatt and booked a pick up time for us. They also gave us a map, showing us precisely where they drop off and where the Hyatt van picks up. The Hyatt van is much smaller, and is silver with a brown Hakone Hyatt sign on the side.

We took the Hilton bus to Odawara Station. It arrives at 20 past the hour and the Hyatt van picks up at 15 past the hour. That was fine, as it gave us time to go get some food at the station. Hotel restaurants at both hotels are VERY expensive, thus my focus on food. The Hyatt van only makes the trip to Odawara Station 3 times a day, at 12:15, 1:15, and 2:15. It was a 40 minute ride to the hotel.

SanDiego1K -- thanks for all of the information on transport; I'm interested to hear what you think of this property.

Arrival
We arrived at Nebukawa Station mid afternoon. We were fortunate as the hotel van was pulling up just as we came out the station. It was about a 10 minute drive up the hill to the hotel. The hotel grounds are beautiful, well landcaped and extensive. We were too early for fall colors except for some scarlets on the shrubs lining the road.

The hotel sits at the top of the road in isolation, with a spectacular view of the water. The hotel is quite large; I think about 300 rooms. It was extremely quiet on October weekdays but I can imagine it could get overrun with tour groups.

All the bell staff were dainty young ladies. I find it interesting in Japan that young women are often the bell staff; it's not often seen in the States. On realizing we were diamonds, we were led to a desk to sit and check in.

Our room
We were given a deluxe room on the 11th floor. The higher the floor the better the view; I believe the 12th floor is devoted to their restaurant so we were given the best possible view. The room furnishings were a bit dated though in good condition. The room was very spacious, with two twin beds. There are no rooms with king beds here. On the opposite side was a love seat with two chairs. There was plenty of room for a sofa and I wish they hadn't skimped. The desk faces away from the magnificent view; fortunately there is a mirror above the desk in which the water is reflected. Internet is wired only and it was a bit frustrating to be tethered.

On the wall that faces the water, there were two large windows from which you would walk out onto Juliette balconies. Between the windows was a dresser with a tiny TV, about the size of a large computer screen. The view down the coastline was stunning. I would have preferred one combined window and a balcony on which one could sit. Regardless, the view was mesmerizing. We could see some small islands, a considerable length of coast, the wedding chapel, and to the side, the building that houses the pools.

As diamonds, we received a nice assortment of sweets (orange cake, chestnut deserts, chocolates) and some fruit.

We could have had a western Japanese suite. We decided to stick with our room, as we are not too much for sitting on a tatami mat. That room had no sofa, instead having a tatami room with 4 seats at the table.

Facilities
Both the onsen and the pools have been described by others very well. The locker setup for the pools fascinated me as it was much more sophisticated than any I've seen elsewhere. First, there is a locker area for valuables. Then, there are shoe lockers before you split into the men and women locker areas. You enter into the locker room thru a passageway with swinging doors on either side. You can lock these while you change clothes. You then go thru to the locker room, where you have a locker for your clothes. Now in your swimsuit, you proceed thru areas where you can shower before entering the pool area.

A designer had a wonderful time thinking of all the different ways in which water can be enjoyed. I particularly liked the round pool where you could either walk against water or with it. I also liked the loungers that were built in, facing the view outside, with a jacuzzi type control. And because the day was beautiful, the indoor/outdoor pool, with water at room temperature, was a delight.

My husband was a bit frustrated that the gym had very short hours. I think it was only open between 9am and 7pm, very short for a hotel that is focused on offering a range of physical activities.

Food
As diamonds, our extensive breakfast buffet was included. Restaurant charges were substantial, 5500 yen for the lunch buffet and dinner at 10,000 yen or so. We didn't find the food offerings compelling at that price, so took advantage of the van service to Odawara. Hakone Bakery in the station has some very good sandwiches and intriguing baked goods. On the far side of the station, there are many restaurants within a few block walk. We simply wandered around til we found one that appealed.

Other
Be sure to visit the wedding chapel. It is built almost entirely of glass, with spectacular views of the water. It reminds me of the Wayfarers Chapel in Palos Verdes, built so that you feel as if you are worshipping outside.

The hotel advertises a 4,000 volume library. 3980 books are in Japanese. There are an extensive number of cubicles where you can watch DVDs or sing karaoke. The DVD players are not universal standard.

Summary
Rooms could use freshening, but the grounds are lovely and the view breathtaking. The baths are a pleasure. The hotel really represents a respite from congested Japan.

San Diego 1K, thanks for a great review of this outstanding property.

San Diego 1K, thanks for a great review of this outstanding property.

+1 ^

Although I was only here once, I truly think this property is one of the hidden gems of HHonors.

Edit: slow brain day, post deleted.