Hoshino Resorts KAI Sengokuhara

I recently stayed at Hoshino Resorts KAI Sengokuhara and had a genuinely relaxing and enjoyable experience. The Japanese-style onsen room was spacious and thoughtfully designed, offering plenty of room to unwind and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. The food and hospitality stood out as exceptional. Every meal was beautifully prepared and full of flavor, and the staff were warm, attentive, and welcoming throughout my stay. However, there were a few areas that could benefit from better maintenance. The only available drinking water seemed to be from the tap. While it may be safe to drink, there was no clear signage confirming this, which left some uncertainty. In the bathroom, I noticed that the wooden wall panels were beginning to show signs of water damage. There were visible discoloration marks and what looked like the early stages of mold. It seems the wood used is not fully water-resistant, and it would be a good idea to have it refinished and treated with a waterproof coating to prevent further deterioration. I also noticed that the private onsen bath had a bit more algae buildup than expected. While this may occur naturally, more frequent cleaning and inspection would enhance the overall experience. Despite these small issues, I truly enjoyed my stay. The overall atmosphere, the food, and the service were all outstanding. With a bit more attention to the condition of the physical facilities, the experience would be even more in line with the high standards that Hoshino Resorts is known for.

Everything about our stay, including the rooms, the private onsen, the location, and the food, was excellent. However, I have to take a star off for the quality of the service at dinner, which was meant to be the highlight of our stay. Everything felt rather rushed, and the waiter sometimes tried to take our food away even before we were finished with it. I do not believe we took longer than normal to finish our dishes, so it was a little jarring. I understand that there is a time limit on how long the dinner can last, but some flexibility would have been nice. Despite the rather fast pace of changing dishes, we also did not feel that the staff was paying enough attention to our requests, such as ordering more water or other drinks. It really felt like the staff was only there to get us through the dinner as quickly as possible, not allowing for any interruptions or pauses. I understand that this may be how a kaiseki dinner works, but I have had similar dinners before in ryokans of similar status, and never felt this rushed. If this is the result of having the dinners in the dining room instead of the guest rooms, it might be a good idea to review the dinner timeline to allow for more space for both the guests and the staff.

Sharing our experience in the hope others will find the information useful. We spent two nights here. Three key observations. SERVICE Bluntly the service was nowhere near good enough. Throughout the stay. A number of staff were clearly trying their best but it felt like we were being looked after by trainees. Three examples: on arrival we waited for 25 minutes in reception, with no one else waiting, no check outs or other check ins, with almost zero information or updates. The only contact with the sole member of staff was when she came over to us and said 'you have booked dinner for 7.30, it will be very busy, we advise you to re-book at 5.30pm'. We said no thanks, not least as it didn't suit us but also as we'd booked 7.30 many weeks before (as it turned out it was almost eerily quiet at 7.30 ... one wonders whether they were trying to get all guests seated in that single early sitting). She then returned 10 minutes later to ask if we were sure whether we wanted fresh towels every day (bear in mind we hadn't even checked in at this point). We asked to book a cab to the local (Odawara) station on departure. We were told it was 'very hard'. We were subsequently told it was taken care of, but then - over the following 6 hours, including twice at dinner that evening by two different hotel employees - we were asked, 'do you need a cab, today? tomorrow?'. These are the simple things, the small things that should be automatically removed from guests' list of worries. But they were elevated into enormous concerns, because we ended up having zero faith in their ability to do these basics. It's fascinating to read other comments of previous guests and see *exactly the same* conversations were had at check in - 'dinner will be very busy, we advise you to eat much earlier'; this wasn't a one off issue, it's a strange and unsettling *policy* that the hotel clearly embraces. FOOD Again, to speak plainly, the food was not nearly good enough. The fixed menu provided zero flexibility, and while it purported to be 'gourmet' it was in fact largely inedible. We're not saying this as 'westerners, with delicate palates'. We're used to eating local food, wherever we go. We love that experience of the unknown. But here simple things were not right - rice that was totally dried out, fish that didn't taste fresh, soggy tempura. The food was over fussy and under flavoured. Fancy looking but not tasty. On top of that we requested no beef or pork for one of our party but were told changes to the menu needed to be made at least 5 days in advance. This is not good enough. It's the basics, not the hard stuff. The breakfast on day one was so bleak (and inflexible) that we opted to forego it on day two (whilst paying for it, which seemed fair). The seated experience in the restaurant was somewhat ghoulish and unsettling, positioned in single tables in semi-isolation, served by hesitant staff who one felt were not huge fans of the food they were serving either. The wine list was beyond primitive, one local undrinkable white and red by the glass - you have more choice in a Travelodge in the UK. VIBE Overall the feel of the place was odd. The rooms were fantastic, beautifully done, serenely quiet. The views were wonderful. The private onsen was excellent. But that aside there was a sense of welcome and a spirit of warmth missing. The only communal area was the lobby. No bar. No coffee or tea shop. Only Nespresso-style coffee on offer in reception. Plenty of expensive looking marble, but a distinct lack of hospitality or genuine customer service. Three final points. One, to stress, many of the staff seemed to be doing their best, acting as they were instructed. But the overall experience was poor, and nowhere near befitting a £600+ per night property. Two, this review might seem like a whinge, it's not - it is both our right as guests paying thousands of pounds to stay somewhere, and our duty to our fellow travelers. Three, Hakone is stunning and we will be back. Just not at KAI Sengokuhara.