Breakfast and dinner served, Japanese cuisine
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Reviews of Gorakan

3 out of 5
Gorakan
1320-241 Gora, Ashigarashimo-gun, Hakone, Kanagawa

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 75 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 30 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 114 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

9.2/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Svetlana

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We really felt like it was a real home stay rather than hotel. Owner and the host is very nice, speaks English and pleasant to be around. Yes, this ryokan has seen a lot of guests, but everything is super clean and tidy, everything they do seems so timely and effortless, although we can see how much effort was put into every little detail , from tea choices, to changing into the sleeping beds and amazing food! Food deserves a special mention- tasty, beautiful and nutritious- and so much verity that hit all senses! Both breakfast and dinner were a culinary delight with amazing presentation! We also got an extra menu printed in the language of my birth country- as a special touch! We reserved a private onsen for 9:30, which was a perfect timing and it gave us an opportunity to wonder the streets after dinner. Location is also great- steps from Gora station. Thank you so much- we loved it and will be back!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Donaya

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jay

Business traveler, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice stay at hotel. Meals were very good.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Olga

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Such a unique and friendly hotel. The dinner and breakfast are amazing. Hotel staff is very helpful. Very close to the station. I recommend communal bath - its very good.

10/10 Excellent

Joshua

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great stay at authentic ryoken. Staff was friendly with some English speaking staff. Property abit dated but otherwise well mainteined, room was large with own toilet but only common bath in the Onsen. Private Onsen was good water comfortable but not as hot as I expected. Kesike dinner and breakfast was amazing and best in class, really enjoyed the beef, crab and sashimi served at dinner. Location good near train station but only route to ryoken will require climbing stairs down underpass (take note for large luggages) also many stairs in ryoken no lift. Overall enjoyable authentic stay for 1 night

10/10 Excellent

Alphonso

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I had a nice ryokan experience here. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The included meals were impressive. The only thing I would have wished for was for more guidance from the staff regarding the proper way to stay at a ryokan, although I found some guidance cards in my room. It may have just been a language barrier as I don't speak Japanese and they didn't speak much English.

10/10 Excellent

Wesley

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very friendly staff with very good breakfast and dinner. Relaxing bathroom.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

2/10 Terrible

Wendy

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Leonel

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property met our expectations, food and service was amazing, although the staff’s English is limited, they try to understand as possible. It is conveniently close to the Gora Station. Onsen was clean and private, We enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ellen

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staying at Gorakan was an unforgettable experience. We are very grateful to the hosts for accommodating a "no fish" kaiseki request for one of us. The entire menu was reinvented and all flavors rebalanced with that in mind. We were very touched by the individual attention we received. This ryokan is perfectly located within a walking distance from the station which makes it super convenient, and the onsens are very relaxing, quiet and clean. Thanks again for hosting us.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

BEE LENG

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
my 2nd stay here, everything is very good, kaiseiki meal (dinner & breakfast) is superb, feels like coming back to home. Owner is very accomodating and welcoming.

10/10 Excellent

Winnie

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Katharine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kenny

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay in inclement conditions
Our hosts were particularly helpful and generous and looked after us when we were marooned by a storm.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lanh

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This property is owned by an older couple who is very nice and humble. It was really close to the gora station (2 min walk). Please look for underpass at gora station to get to the hotel quickly. The underpass is very easy to find. They hold your luggage starting at 10 am. The Kaiseki dinner and breakfast was very good. We ate so much we could not finish the entire 9 course dinner. Dinner consist of appetizer, soup, a5 grilled wagyu, tempura, fruit dessert and many other dishes. The beds on the floor was surprisingly comfortable. The best part of the stay was the private onsens. We were able to reserve private Onsen time at checkin. We got it for 40 min in the evening after dinner. Next morning we went again but it was very busy. The private Onsen was very relaxing, not too hot but perfect temperature, and can fit 2-4 people.
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kallan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

8/10 Good

Lydia

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The owner was very hospitable and his English made it easy to communicate. We loved getting to use one of the private onsens. The food was amazing!! The building itself is a little older and has a lot of stairs. Wonderful stay
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Susan

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful place
This was an amazing place. I wish there had been more nights available when we originally booked. We would have definitely stayed longer. The food was amazing and the staff was too.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mary Beth

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Relaxing inn with private onsen and delicious meals!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

BEE LENG

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Location is very convenient, few minutes walk from station thru under pass access, Owner is very friendly and helpful, speaks relatively good English. Serves great breakfast and dinner. Private Onsen is great with basic toiletries, just need to reserve during check in, is free for hotel guest.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

alex

Traveled with group
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff is so lovely and the food is fantastic, could not recommend it more.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Colleen, Minnetonka

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ivy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is the best ryokan in hakone. Food is great, hospitality lvl 10/10 and very clean rooms. A true blue ryokan experience. I love the private onsen which is 24 hrs accessible after 10pm.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location, amazing service and wonderful food
Overall, this place was wonderful. They were very mindful of cleanliness and service, especially in the midst of reopening with the recent COVID count decrease in Japan. Pros: - Location was amazing. Just a 3 min walk from Gora station if you walk thru the tunnel at the station. It has stairs so might be harder if you have a stroller or heavy luggage, but it will save you 10+ mins instead of walking around. - Food was off the charts, especially the last night of the stay. They set us up in a large tatami room for our family (each group had their own room for breakfast and dinner). We had fresh fish, cooked fish, beef, chicken, crabs, lobster, stew, and on and on. It was waaay too much for us to finish and so good. Kids were happy with their food too (usual okosama stuff like ebi-fry, etc). Could not change times (8am for brekkie and 6pm for dinner) but not much to do in Hakone after 6pm anyways. No baby food though so you would have to prepare yourself. - Onsen: they have a normal onsen that allows day visitors, as well as you can sign up for 40min sessions in the private baths if you stay. Very clean and very nice private, outdoor onsen for you and your group. - Service: Catered to all of our needs. Sheets changed, extra towels, food allergies, etc. Rooms were a bit older but very well kept, updated and clean. Our room had futons which they lay out and put away while you're eating. Overall a great find. Our 5 year old cried because she didn't want to leave.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kyle, Brooklyn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic experience. I felt like a guest in someone’s home; I arrived early and the caretaker was nice enough to hold my luggage while I explored the town. Not to mention the private hotspring and it’s night time view of the illuminated mountain-side. Truly amazing!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Traditional experience with modern amenities
Spacious, traditional rooms with futons laid out on tatami, and actual paper shoji screens separating rooms. Quite comfortable if one is used to sleeping on a lowered surface, but may prove an issue for mobility impaired guests. In the same vein, accessibility is extremely limited - guest rooms are accessible via stairs, ditto for the dining hall. Guests with mobility issues may need to look elsewhere. Dining is kaiseki-style in the evenings, and breakfasts also have quite the spread, with excellent variety and competent preparation. Finally, the inn is located extremely close to Gora train station, and I'd like to inform all potential guests that there is an underpass right next to the station exit, running under the cable line line, that allows commuters to get to said inn much quicker than my rather more circuitous route around the station. Dragging a suitcase around really makes traversing mountain roads a lot more arduous than usual, so please take this shortcut.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Craig

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
See the real Japan
Very traditional experience, and great for a night or two max. Meals unbelievably good. Futon beds are not my fave (cos we aren't used to them). Nothing a chiropractor cant fix!! Haha
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff were so kind and welcoming! They did their best to make sure we were comfortable, and enjoying the full ryokan experience. Incredibly hospitable! The rooms were so nicely decorated in accordance to a traditional ryokan.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Superb!
Amazing experience. The private onsen was just wonderful in the cold winter temperatures. The food served was sumptuous for adults and kids.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

8/10 Good

Karen, Plano, TX

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Excellent traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast! Very convenient to all transportation options. Rail, train, etc Property is a little dated but otherwise kept in great condition for its age.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Would choose other ryokan for the price.
I expect the room to be better decorated. It was not as premium as the price we paid for. The dinner was not as fantastic as I expected.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Close to train station. Excellent dinner and breakfast.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Johny, Singapore

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent Ryokan with Dedicated Staff
Family-run ryokan. Small but squeaky clean. Dedicated and service oriented staff. You will experience 6-Star hospitality while staying at Gorakan. The Kaiseki dinner we had was extremely good! Breakfast was superb as well. There was even a private onsen for couple! All in all, really value for money. Thank you very much for your warm hospitality.
Stayed 1 night in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly, professional staff, amazing food, great location. Make sure you check in on time and book your private onsen session.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay
Clean and comfortable stay. Good location. Polite and helpful staff but they speak minimal English. The private onsen was very good.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic experience
Staying in this hotel was one of the most amazing experiences during my trip. The room was spacious and even had a restroom, which was a nice surprise. Although the rooms were marked as smoking (perhaps by mistake), there was absolutely no odor. The kaiseki dinner was incredible, and the breakfast was great. Used the indoor onsen, which was nice and clean. Sleeping on the tatami floors wasn't very comfortable, but one night was okay, and I got the experience that I was looking for. Overall - I definitely recommend this place. I would stay there again. Tip: to get to the hotel, exit the train station and go through the underground walkway. I had to ask around because it was not obvious how to find it.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017

10/10 Excellent

Peter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Gorakan's 4 stars
Great ryokan with excellent service and fabulous food. However, although I'm an easy traveller, the sleeping comfort of a thin futon on tatami mats isn't for me. Their private onsen almost made up for it and the location's top too!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2017

10/10 Excellent

Sarah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

vasant

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great ryokan and hot spring bath experience
Very convenient, very close (just down the road) to Gora station, and easy check-in. Great service as you get served sweets and green tea in the room when first checking in. Both private and public hot spring baths were very relaxing. You are well-treated with multi-course dinner and breakfast with great variety. People used to a soft standard bed may find sleeping on a futon on a mat to be a bit too firm, but hey you are there for a unique experience! Great experience!

10/10 Excellent

Dara

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent food and onsen.
The dinner was a locally sourced Japanese meal, starting with Sashimi. The freshly ground wasabi was an amazing accompaniment. This was followed by local Japanese pickles. The main dish was Pork Shabu-Shabu with mushrooms and vegetables. There were so many side dishes making up each of the course that by the last savoury course of rice and miso soup was almost too much for my full stomach. I skipped the rice and finished with a simple but refreshing desert of strawberries and yoghurt.