Hotel Indigo HAKONE GORA by IHG

The Hakone Indigo experience was superb! Our room had a balcony with a private hot spring, so we could soak and enjoy the scenery without even leaving. It was incredibly relaxing. The hotel's viewing areas are cleverly designed, with foot baths next to the scenic spots. Sipping coffee with a breeze and soaking your feet while enjoying the view – absolutely brilliant! The overall environment is comfortable and cozy, making for an amazing experience. Once you're here, all you want to do is relax at the hotel. Highly recommended!

My main reason for choosing Hotel Indigo was the expectation that a foreign hotel would offer more diverse food options than traditional Japanese cuisine, and that the rooms would be more modern. Both expectations were met, which was great. However, the hotel's location is quite remote, making it difficult to walk to Gora Station. Thankfully, the hotel provides a shuttle service to the station from 10 AM to 6 PM. If you plan to take the shuttle to Odawara, remember to book it in advance at the front desk. There's also an unsightly warehouse-like structure next to the hotel, which is a bit of a letdown considering how secluded the location already is – it really spoils the view. Around 90% of the guests here seem to be Western tourists, likely in groups, as the breakfast area was almost full before 8 AM. For dinner, we decided to eat near Gora Station and had some excellent unagi (eel) rice. A taxi back to the hotel cost us 700 yen. For first-time visitors to Hakone, I'd recommend staying in Hakone-Yumoto instead, as it's livelier, offers more dining choices, and has more convenient transportation. Also, the hotel's public bath is mixed-gender, requiring you to bring your own swimwear or borrow special attire from the front desk, which I found a bit inconvenient, so I didn't end up using it.

Service: I was pleasantly surprised to see the shuttle bus right outside Odawara Station West Exit. The staff member who spoke Chinese was patient and friendly, and told us how to transfer at Gotemba to get to Lake Kawaguchiko. Facilities: The bath amenities were great, and they even gave us small soaps. The hot spring was comfortable. The breakfast was abundant; I particularly liked the egg rolls, matcha, and smoked salmon. I highly advise against taking the Gora shortcut with luggage – that path is more for adventurers.

Everything was good, quite satisfied 👍

A special shout-out to the Indigo staff, who were incredibly thoughtful and attentive. We got back late from sightseeing and had to catch a train back to Shinjuku. We weren't sure where to catch the regional bus, and this Japanese gentleman personally escorted us all the way to the bus stop. He carefully explained how to take the bus and only left once he saw we fully understood. Absolutely fantastic! 👍👍👍