Prince Hotels in Hakone

If you have extra money, this could be a nice way to indulge. However, a word of warning. If you're arriving at Odawara train station, there's no way to get to the hotel except by the hotel shuttle. Taxis won't take you. And the hotel shuttle won't take you unless you've placed your name on the reservation list ahead of time. Nobody warned me about this. I'd read online that a connecting train takes you near the hotel, but this isn't true either. I arrived during a snow/ice storm and waited over 3 hours before I could get a ride to the hotel. The shuttle driver wouldn't let me on. I called the hotel front desk 3 or 4 times, but they weren't very helpful. I suppose this is the language barrier. They meant well. But regardless, if a shuttle reservation is the only way to access a remote mountain top hotel, it's pretty important to make sure your guests understand this. Once I did arrive, I have to admit the room was beautiful. The buffet dinner was fantastic but not included in the price of the room - a little disappointing, since the room is already so expensive. Lots of extra costs, so be careful. I received a really great massage in my room. The onsen hot spring was very nice, and free (included in room charge). Breakfast the next morning was also included in room charge. The hotel bar was closed, though. There wasn't much opportunity to socialize or meet people. I did check out the lake the next morning, which was beautiful in the snowfall. I'm sharing photos of that. There wasn't time to check out much else because I had to get back on the shuttle bus at 10:30 to catch my next train. I suppose if there hadn't been an ice storm, I would have checked out more of the surrounding area and appreciated it.

Das Zimmer ist sehr geräumig, aber der entsprechende Preis ist sehr durchschnittlich. Es scheint, dass die Chinesen sehr offensichtlich sind. Es gibt viele chinesische Touristen, die auf Sie warten, und es gibt auch viele chinesische Servicekräfte. Die Lage ist nicht ideal, wenn man ein Zimmer im ersten Stock bekommt, kann man den See nur wenig oder gar nicht sehen. Alle Gäste sind zum Frühstück und Abendessen versammelt und es herrscht überhaupt keine japanische Atmosphäre. Das Highlight ist das Freibad mit geeigneter Wassertemperatur, wunderschöner Landschaft und einem großen Wassertank. Es muss für junge Leute aufregend sein, ins kalte Wasser zu springen.