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Hyatt Regency Hakone, Japan REVIEW - MASTER THREAD

Hyatt Regency Hakone, Japan REVIEW - MASTER THREAD

Old Dec 28, 2015, 4:33 pm
  #271  
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Originally Posted by Boraxo
Not crazy at all, we did the same thing in reverse (Tokyo to Kyoto). Not as impressed w hhour as others and recommend you stay on property for dinner rather than blending extra for the inferior Nobu experience.
Saw the new Berce restaurant. Doesn't look like much from the outside. I never saw anybody eating there, and I wasn't about to pay 20000+ per person to be the guinea pig.

Originally Posted by Boraxo
That being said, the Hyatt is a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, and they treat elites very well.
^ Forgot to mention that, even though they are classified as a "resort" and thus not bound to do so, they still gave us 4pm checkout. On a suite they gave us on an all-points stay, when suites were sold out on the night we checked out...
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Old Dec 28, 2015, 11:43 pm
  #272  
 
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Certainly not crazy at all. Are you specifically looking for a Hyatt? Otherwise there could be other options as well.
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Old Dec 29, 2015, 1:06 am
  #273  
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Originally Posted by MikeFromTokyo
Certainly not crazy at all. Are you specifically looking for a Hyatt? Otherwise there could be other options as well.
Has anybody tried the new Madoka no Mori across the street? Looks like it has a Gora Kadan vibe to it...
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Old Feb 13, 2016, 11:32 pm
  #274  
 
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is the week between Xmas and NYE a good time to visit this area? I would ask if it's going to be overcrowded, but almost anywhere will be... and we do enjoy some festivity.
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Old Feb 13, 2016, 11:52 pm
  #275  
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Originally Posted by italdesign
is the week between Xmas and NYE a good time to visit this area? I would ask if it's going to be overcrowded, but almost anywhere will be... and we do enjoy some festivity.
I was there over that period last year. The hotel itself didn't seem terribly crowded, and we actually got upgraded from a base room to a suite on an award reservation.

But I think it's literally impossible to reserve this hotel on New Years Eve from the website. I have not once seen availability for NYE.

Hakone has some illumination displays, but most of them end on Christmas day.
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Old Feb 27, 2016, 6:10 am
  #276  
 
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We recently completed a stay here, so I thought I'd cross-post from my TR with our experience and images.

Arriving at the Hyatt, I must say it doesn't look like much from the exterior, however they are renovating currently. Once walking inside we saw the grand foyer and were promptly checked-in. Service was reserved and somewhat confused in terms of English. This definitely felt more of a domestic hotel rather than an international brand.

The room itself was fantastic and the highlight of our stay. Very large, open spaces, a fabulous view, and an upscale bathroom. Not your typical Hyatt Regency!


Mountain View Twin


Sitting Area


View from the Room. At about 1 o'clock in this image you can see where they light the side of the mountain on fire for the annual 'Daimonji Yaki' celebration. Its in the shape of the kanji 'Dai', which means large, and is 108 meters across!


Tea Area- Note the bottled water- A nice touch!


Minibar- No aged Japanese Whiskies here


Pharmacopia amenities in the bathroom


Tub and Shower area


Water closet- note the sink- a nice touch!

After checking in we headed downstairs to the free cocktail hour from 4-7pm daily. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that they served real french champagne during this time, and polished of a few glasses while sitting around the open fireplace. Mostly foreign crowd in the hotel at that time, but later on several groups of young Japanese emerged, having come from the baths.


Foyer, taken from Trip Advisor

For dinner, we had reserved the french restaurant, however their 10,000 yen/pp prix fix meal didn't seem like a winner, so we opted for some room service instead. Note that this property is pretty secluded and there are no places nearby in walking distance to eat.


One tasty, yet expensive, cheeseburger


Beef noodle bowl

We were excited to experience the onsen, however it was the biggest letdown of the trip. Both men and woman's had a single large bath. There was no sauna, no rotemburo, no variety, a poor view, and the foyer to enter the bath had hardly any amenities such as hair gel, etc, that one is used to at an onsen. The water quality was so-so, and lukewarm. I left after 5 minutes feeling quite disappointed. Perhaps this would be a good experience for a foreign guest who has never experienced onsen before, but overall I've had multiple experiences in Hakone that were far superior.


The bath, picture taken off Trip Advisor since I don't bring cameras into these places

We woke up feeling fairly bummed, and ended up leaving the property early at 8AM to head towards kyoto. They don't start running a shuttle till 11AM so we took a cab back to the railway station.

Overall the property had its pluses and minuses, but at the booking rate of nearly $400/night I think there are other options in Hakone that would offer a better onsen experience. The service was disappointing compared to our other stays in Japan, and while the room was fantastic, the lack of an engaging bath experience left little to do but sit and reflect. We won't be returning. My wife remarked that she would have rather remained at the Andaz for the night-and I agreed.
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 8:34 pm
  #277  
 
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Just stayed at this hotel and have a few more pointers:

- Diamond breakfast was buffet. We were not told of the availability of Japanese breakfast for extra supplement. In any case, the buffet suited us fine... with freshly squeezed orange juice and freshly blended fruit and vegetables smoothie.

- Evening cocktails are available to everyone. But Diamond guests get to choose from an extra drinks menu that contains more choices including some really delicious fruit ciders. Diamonds also get a voucher for each cocktail session to redeem for a snack plate that comprises olives, pretzels and mixed nuts.

- Arrival at Gora station is convenient. Just make a phonecall to the hotel and within 5 minutes the shuttle will be there to fetch you. Shuttle operates only between 11 am to 5 pm. Aside from those times, take the Hakone Tozan cable car from Gora to Kami Gora station - hotel is just 5 mins walk down the hill on exiting Kami Gora (this information does not seem to be available on the hotel's website).

- To return to Tokyo after the stay, best way is to take free hotel shuttle (thrice a day) to Odawara. Then train to Shinjuku. I opted for the normal train that took 20 minutes longer than Romancecar but saved half my train fare! Journey didn't feel long at all, especially with plesant scenery to enjoy en route.
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 8:37 pm
  #278  
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Originally Posted by carrotjuice
- Evening cocktails are available to everyone. But Diamond guests get to choose from an extra drinks menu that contains more choices including some really delicious fruit ciders. Diamonds also get a voucher for each cocktail session to redeem for a snack plate that comprises olives, pretzels and mixed nuts.
Wow. Those used to be available buffet style for anybody to take as much as they liked. Must have been inspired by Hyatt Regency Tokyo.
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 9:06 pm
  #279  
 
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Originally Posted by hailstorm
Wow. Those used to be available buffet style for anybody to take as much as they liked. Must have been inspired by Hyatt Regency Tokyo.
You can still order as many different drinks as you like from the regular and Diamond drinks menus. But the snacks are now just one measly plate per member.
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Old Aug 4, 2016, 12:09 pm
  #280  
 
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Had a lovely stay here a few weeks ago -- a very nice pause in between busy visits to Tokyo and Kyoto. We used a DSU on a C&P rate and got one of the corner suites, with which we were very happy. Based on the pictures I thought the balcony might be uncomfortable and austere, but we actually really enjoyed it; it was a nice place to sit and have tea and enjoy the breeze in the evening.

We had French dinner in the Dining Room one night (not Berce) and while I thought it was a bit overpriced, the service was excellent and the food was quite delicious. I love the little private alcoves they've created for tables; we got one on one of our breakfasts as well.

Breakfast was also excellent. I'm not exactly sure what others are referring to with a supplement for the Japanese breakfast, as there seemed to be a pretty wide range of Japanese options on the buffet. All the Japanese guests we saw were primarily selecting from those. We happily chose things from both sides (the onsen tamago is really nice over rice as a sort of cheater's tamago kake gohan, and the homemade orange marmalade is delicious).

Service was excellent across the board. I realized after the fact that the staff in the dining room hadn't needed to ask for our room number when presenting the check; I think they'd remembered us from the evening reception. We also enjoyed that; the snack plate is kind of underwhelming, but the extra drink selection for Diamonds is quite nice, and the lemon (?) cider is delicious.

I was a bit disappointed in the onsen -- it's a nice space, but the pool is very shallow, and the only way to really immerse yourself in it is to sit on the floor and stretch out. I have bad knees, so that wasn't really an option. It's also a fairly austere space, with a lot of hard granite in the room, and no real natural elements. We used it one night and had a nice soak, but didn't feel motivated to return.

The only other thing I wish they'd have provided is a little bit better guidance on the various shuttle options. There is shuttle service provided to the Sounzan station (which bridges the cable car and the ropeway, though the latter service is partially suspended right now) -- but I was never clear on what hours that service operated or whether you could request a return pickup. The Gora shuttle service also ends quite early; a few extra hours would be welcome.

A couple of tips that might be worth sharing:
  • There's a really nice yakitori just down the hill from the hotel called Gora Yoshicho -- it's run by a very nice man who speaks good English, it's open late, and it takes credit cards. We had their deluxe set menu for Y3500pp and aside from being completely stuffed, we loved it -- particularly the fried eggplant with two kinds of miso. Only wish it weren't uphill to get back to the Hyatt!
  • Those looking for a foreign ATM on the weekend may have some difficulty. There's a post office in Gora, but it's closed Saturday afternoon and Sundays -- and unlike most Lawsons in Tokyo, the ATM at the Lawson at Chokoku-no-mori does not take foreign cards. The nearest option we found was a 7-11 near Kowakidani station -- it's a steep hike up the hill, but we realized afterwards you can take the route H bus for Motohakone-ko/Hakonemachi from Kowakidani station and jump off at the stop just past the 7-11.
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Old Dec 25, 2016, 7:09 am
  #281  
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Originally Posted by hailstorm
Is the Executive Twin Suite any better than the regular Regency Suite? Looking at the floor plans, it seems the Executive Suite has fewer windows and seems more "cramped" than the Regency Suite, even though it is supposedly bigger.
Although we had a DSU upgrade to a regular Regency Suite, a week before our stay the hotel contacted us and asked if we would consider being "upgraded" to the Executive Twin Suite. After they agreed to comp our extra bed, we agreed to try this suite.

Leaving the view aside, which wasn't as impressive as that of the Regency Suite but certainly wasn't terrible, I found myself preferring the Executive Twin Suite to the Regency Suite. The bedroom is positioned in the center of the space, with doors shutting away the living room and the enclosed balcony, so that both of these areas can be enjoyed without disturbing those still asleep. Also, the suite is located in the East Wing, which makes it much easier to access the Izumi Spa. So I would definitely consider the Executive Suite a genuine upgrade for lodging purposes.

I was pleased to find a Nespresso machine that wasn't in our room last year. When I asked housekeeping, they told me that these were currently available in all of the suites and most of the Deluxe rooms, with an eye towards ultimately expanding them to all rooms going forward.

The freely available snacks during the 4 to 7 lobby drink time are in fact no longer available. Diamond members are given one ticket per day to redeem for a small set of olives, pretzels, and mixed nuts. When I asked, I was allowed to replace this with the cheese and bread plate, though this was comically small for the 1500 yen price that they sell for. Diamonds also get an expanded drink menu, which includes mostly liquors and cocktails available to others on the "50% off menu", and also a selection of non-alcohol locally produced carbonated beverages of plum, tangerine, and lemon flavors, all of which are worth a try.

I wanted to try the special Kanda of Motoazabu produced breakfast, but it was fully booked for both nights of my stay. I was skeptical, but apparently people are willing to pay 6000 yen (or 2600 upgrade from Diamond breakfast) for this, so good for them for finding a way to make this hotel even more upscale. Looks like the bespoke restaurant Berce is doing well also.

Originally Posted by hailstorm
^ Forgot to mention that, even though they are classified as a "resort" and thus not bound to do so, they still gave us 4pm checkout.
No such luck this time. Kicked out by 1pm.

Last edited by hailstorm; Dec 26, 2016 at 4:59 am
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Old Jul 17, 2017, 4:17 am
  #282  
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Completed a 2 night stay a few days ago..... nothing has changed, still a pretty nice property to enjoy for a few days.

Apart from one day with pretty lousy service at breakfast, everything was as expected. The snack voucher and extended drinks menu for Globs is still in use.
Had an early morning departure and got great service with the car service to Gora station before the shuttle was running.
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Old Jul 17, 2017, 4:31 am
  #283  
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Originally Posted by RTW1
Completed a 2 night stay a few days ago..... nothing has changed, still a pretty nice property to enjoy for a few days.
Ever try eating at Berce?
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Old Jul 17, 2017, 11:42 pm
  #284  
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No, I thought about eating there but it doesn't really work for me to have a substantial dinner when I've been traveling for a few days and have been enjoying breakfast way too much :-).

And the price was a bit of a detterent as well. With some wine or sake it would easily have been 30.000 pp.... But people were eating there, not many but a few.
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Old Dec 1, 2017, 4:33 am
  #285  
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We had a very nice two-night stay earlier this week. We arrived on Sunday via the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Odawara and then decided to take the scenic route and not wait for the shuttle. We purchased Hakone Free (travel) Passes at Odawara and then took the local train to Hakone-Yumoto Station where we dropped off our luggage (22" carry-ons) at the Hakone Baggage Forwarding Service for delivery to the hotel later that afternoon. This was needed as we wanted to take the Hakone Tozan switchback train to Gora and there's really no room for anything larger than a purse or backpack. After a lunch stop in Gora, we took the Hakone Tozan cable car up the hill. It's a short (5 min or so) walk from the Kami-Gora stop (be sure and get off on the correct side!) to the Hyatt.

Check-in was very easy and pleasant. We used a Tier Suite Upgrade and were placed in a Regency Suite on the third floor (306). No further upgrades offered to Tatami or Executive, but this was fine; we really enjoyed the views of Fuji-san. Welcome amenity was a bottle of Canvas Cab Sav, oranges, and chocolates.

Wine hour was great and we made use of the free snack coupons and expanded Globalist drink menus each night. Breakfast was really good; we enjoyed the quality and selection of dishes as we both love Japanese-style breakfasts. We did a lot of sight-seeing during the days we were there and were tired enough each night to eschew going out to eat (or even downstairs) and elected to get rooms service each night. The patio table in the suite made dining convenient. All the staff we encountered were super-helpful and friendly.

We made liberal use of the onsen; terrific and relaxing soaking. We didn't do any of the formal spa services. Pro tip - I'm a big guy; I wear a Size 48 suit. The yukata provided in the rooms are sized small and medium, the latter fit well-enough to go to/from the room to the onsen, but I asked housekeeping to swap me a large the next day. I'd suggest sending an email to the hotel before arrival to give them your robe size for the yukata and also your shoe size for the geta.

We reserved seats on the shuttle to Odawara via email about a week before and as advertised, it was a 45 min ride down the hill to Odawara.

Overall, I'd highly recommend the property for a two-night stay.
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Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Dec 1, 2017 at 3:46 pm
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