Hakone has been a popular weekend getaway spot for Tokyoites and for that reason, Yuki and I have never been there before. I happened to see a special deal for the Fujiya Hotel in Miyanoshita, so I insisted we check out this popular place at least once in our life. The place was one of the first hotels in that area to cater to foreign dignitaries and celebrities visiting Japan, from the early 1920′s. The hallway was adorned with lots of black and white photos of their guests, including John Lennon, Charlie Chaplin, various royalty, etc. The facade of the hotel is lovely and the rooms and surrounding gardens are quite spacious. Being in the Western-sized room I sort of felt transported back in time and imagined how it was for people back them to travel to Hakone from Tokyo or perhaps from Yokohama where the ships docked. I’m sure the Western environment was a relief for the tired, homesick guests. Parts of the hotel could really use some renovation, though. The layers of paint on the walls reminded me of old Manhattan and Brooklyn apartments, revealing the many years the building has been standing. Each room has onsen water running in the bath. I’m not sure about other rooms – the tub in our room was clean, again sort of reminded me of an old Brooklyn apartment, so it didn’t exactly make me feel like it was onsen water. The public bath is rather small as well, so not a place to go if you are looking for an onsen experience. I was disappointed that we couldn’t wear the yuaktas outside of our rooms…which is a pretty typical feature in other onsen hotels. Perhaps I’m being overly critical. The kids had a blast though. There is an indoor heated pool next to the public onsen area i
n the hotel. The French restaurant in the hotel seems quite popular for their curry, but unfortunately we didn’t get to sample the food there. It’s definitely an interesting place to visit and take some photos, but for an onsen experience in Hakone, there are probably better overnight options.