Originally Posted by
NYCRachel
This is unbelievably helpful! Thank you! I will do some more digging.
I know you said where you stay affects your time greatly, but don't most of these places have day passes? So if I stay at a more moderately priced ryoken, I can still use the facilities at a more luxury ryoken? I might be totally wrong on this.

Also I'm now in a Hakone internet spiral. Any recommendations off the top of your head? haha
Hyatt Regency is $263/night but I'm afraid it'll be way too western.