K's House Hostels - Hakone Yumoto Onsen

The hostel is located approximately 20mins away (by foot) from Hakone-Yumoto station, in a quieter part of the neighbourhood. The staff are very friendly, welcoming and helpful. They also promote the local culture by encouraging the guests to speak basic Japanese phrases! The facilities are great and the onsens are really good too.

We stayed in Room 301 which is a traditional Japanese tatami room. The room was large and comfortable, with blackout curtains on the windows, which kept it reasonably dark in the morning. There are five futons in the closet, along with the number of linens for how many people are staying that night. Five would be tight, but workable. Certainly, a family of four would be comfortable in the space. The extras in the hotel were very nice: the outdoor onsen is beautiful and tranquil, the lounge very comfortable and a good place to read or talk with other travelers, and the patio adjacent pleasant in the cooler evenings. There is a kitchen where brewed coffee is made between 7.30 and 11. All other times, hot water is available to make tea or instant coffee. You can store food in a communal refrigerator and use the stove, cutlery, and dishware as long as you clean up. The place was booked while we were there, but all of the patrons were considerate and quiet. The staff spoke English and was on-site between 8 am and 8 pm. They were very helpful. The location is generally good. It is about a 15-minute walk down a steep hill to get to the bus and train station, but there is a convenience store just down the road. Since we had a lot of luggage, we hired a taxi to take us from the bus station to K's and it cost about 660 yen. I would recommend the Hakone Free Pass if you are using bus and train to get around the area. There are also attraction fees that it covers as well. The bus is 1080 yen to get to Lake Ashi.

Nice commmon facilities. Lovely outdoor onsen. Our room was very large and comfortable for our family of 4.

Staff was extremely attentive and helpful and happily answered all of my annoying questions! Didn't try the indoor onsen, but the outdoor one was incredible. Don't be put off by the capsule-style dorm beds--I had THE best night's sleep of my stay here (perhaps because I spent an hour soaking in the onsen, but still...). Each bed has a its own curtain, light, hangers, shelf w/ outlet and lockable storage box. The room lights are motion-activated, so I was worried I'd get woken up by other guests--thankfully this was not the case, thanks to the curtains and orientation of the beds. Note that there's an AC/heating unit controlled by the guests, so make sure it hasn't been set too high, especially if you're in an upper-level bed. Spacious common areas, including a porch/balcony with a nice view. Fresh-brewed coffee every morning. Right on the K line bus route, which you can take to the train station or to Lake Ashi (great views of Mt. Fuji, without having to do the typical, time-consuming tourist loop). Only downside is that the bus only comes once every half hour during the day. Tons of helpful information for tourists, including food recommendations, hikes, etc.

Hostel is really clean and spacious with a large common room. Beds are very comfortable. Also the onsen in the hostel is a nice addition, although it's pretty small. Definitely check it out, but I recommend paying for a nicer one if you are staying multiple nights in Hakone. It also has a cool deck you can chill on during the day.