Originally Posted by
MikeFromTokyo
There are outliers in all of the Hyatt brands. I consider HR Hakone a four star hotel, but it is arguably the best hotel in the area and it is certainly priced as a luxury hotel. During high occupancy periods in the past I remember Deluxe Rooms were priced at over ¥75,000, which at the time I remember was nearly USD $1,000.
Could you define what you mean by "the area"? There are definitely better hotels in Hakone proper, and I doubt that the locals would consider HR Hakone a more luxurious experience than the Gora Kadan a short walk away.
Originally Posted by
MikeFromTokyo
It is certainly billed as a luxury hotel, and is regarded as such by locals, but it is not what most of us on this forum would consider a luxury hotel. The same goes for high-end ryokan, which are expensive but not particularly luxurious by western standards.
It IS billed as a "resort" (the word is part of the name of the hotel), but I don't see anything resort-like about it...