Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora, an IHG Hotel

My wife (Japanese) and I (Japanese fluent America who has ived in Japan for 15 years) checked into this hotel on the basis of the reviews and photos. The best analogy we could come with is the following: this hotel run and operated and largely staffed by and catering to non Japanese is to a comparably priced Hakone onsen experience, as Mozarts Jupiter symphony performed by the New York Philharmonic is to the hotel elevator music version of the same. If you want a family hotel filled with western food (overpriced) and modern kitch with a smattering of Japan style in a very foreign friendly if not unelegant way, this place is a good choice but for no one else. The "hot spring" doesn't appear to be a license onsen (in fact I asked this question after I couldn't find the certificate and the staff either pretended not to understand me or didn't know). Not surprisingly my wife and me by adoption were the only Japanese staying in the hotel we couid see. And thats all OK but the picture and the description and the reviews present a very different picture. Be aware and beware. Looking at it as a Western Hotel - the food was good. Our server Uraura - san at dinner was very pleasant and helpful. The rooms were OK. Figuring out how to turn the lights off will annoy you. The in room hot bath (again onsen?) is OK other than the fact that the kids waiting for the school bus or hanging our at the brightly illuminated 7-11 across the road will have a full view of you....

The quality of the dinner that we stay on the second night was not very good but the assistant manager helped us to solve the problem right away. In the next coming, the restaurant manager do the follow up on the issue. They are so considerate. My friends and my family have a very pleasant stay in here. Thanks all the staff.

This was our favorite place to be on our recent trip to Japan. The hotel, staff, level of service is OUTSTANDING! The staff was incredible- they treat their guests with gratitude and kindness. My family always felt welcomed. We stayed here for 3 nights and enjoyed dinner in the restaurant each evening and was never disappointed. We plan to return and stay lingering

Beautiful location, very nice large rooms. Only issue is they let children into the onsen. While we were there, there was a family with children splashing around while we were trying to relax.

Our stay was fantastic from start to finish. When we arrived, the hotel staff provided us with a welcome drink (sparkling wine) while we waited to check in. The hotel is beautiful. The rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable. The hotel's "Onsen" was excellent and very enjoyable. The private Onsen bath on our balcony was also lovely. We found the shuttle service directly from Odawara station to be very helpful and convenient. The free shuttle to and from Gora station was also very convenient and helpful. I would absolutely stay at this hotel again and would recommend it to friends and family. I wish I had planned to stay an extra night.

Most importantly the hotel has a shuttle from/to the Gora train station (10am-6pm). Make sure you call them otherwise you will suffer trying to go down steep and narrow steps with luggage thinking it is a short walk. We had booked a room for 3 and there is only one bed. Had to not only pay for the sofa bed but also breakfast for our child which is very odd considering the booking was for 3. The shelf in the room had a serious amount of dust buildup which is very unusual for Japan. The balcony hot spring and the hotel hot spring are absolutely amazing. Make sure you take advantage!

An excellent hotel to experience onsen in a more private setting in Hakone. It is more westernized experience so if one is after the traditional Japanese style, this won’t meet expectation. Try to make use of the hotel shuttle service instead of climbing the stairs to Gora station…it is for the physically fit and not for little kids or if you have bigger luggage. The breakfast at the hotel is excellent value and tasty…worth getting unless you have other plans already. Final tip…if you didn’t make reservations for dinner elsewhere, you should reserve at the hotel for dinner as it is hard to find anything open or can accommodate walk-ins for a sizable group.

Lovely place to stay with your family!

Property was very quiet and relaxing, but getting there was not easy for a family with lots of baggage. Also there was something lost in translation as our dinner reservation time was miscommunicated. Breakfast buffet was amazing! Highly recommend 😊 Bottom line - recommend for travelers who travel light and don’t mind walking

My family and I have been traveling all throughout Japan and this has been, by far, the best place we’ve stayed at. The staff at this hotel are professional and courteous. The room is gorgeous. The only thing regrettable was that our stay wasn’t long enough.