MATSUZAKAYA HONTEN

HAKONE, JAPAN

Hotel | from 500€ per night

What drew us to this place in Hakone was the promise of a truly old-style ryokan experience: tatami floors, sliding doors, and of course experiencing the onsen , as this region is famous for the natural hot springs, which are such an important part of Japanese culture

Matsuzakaya Honten, founded in 1662 and once visited by members of the Imperial Family, seemed to offer exactly that. The welcome was lovely: tea, a small traditional sweet, and a tour where you choose your slippers and your personal yukata ( a casual version of the kimono robe). There was something quite charming about seeing all the guests dressed in their yakutas, drifting from room to bath in that slow environment.

We spent the evening in our private onsen before sitting down to a kaiseki dinner, the multi-course meal that you usually get at a ryokan. The setting had a lot of charm, but this is where our impressions started to shift. The food didn’t quite match the standard we’d found everywhere else in Japan, which surprised us, especially since meals are such an integral part of a ryokan stay. The staff also had a slightly sales-driven approach to extras,  which didn’t match the refined and discreet hospitality we had experienced in Japan.

But the room truly made the stay. If you go, the room we had (called Senshintei) is really special: very spacious, calm, with a futon-style bed that was actually very comfortable, and the luxury of having your own private onsen. It’s especially nice for mixed couples, since most public baths are separated by gender. Waking up there in November, surrounded by red leaves, and enjoying our morning in our room was so peaceful and one of our favourite moments of the whole trip !

Overall, we had a nice stay and we’re glad we experienced it, but it didn’t feel like a perfect 10/10 for the category. The atmosphere and the room were beautiful, but some details fell short. There are definitely ryokans in Hakone that lean more modern and luxurious, and others that keep a very traditional, old-school atmosphere. Maybe the feeling we felt comes from Hakone becoming such a popular stop between Tokyo and Kyoto… places evolve with the crowds they attract. Still, we left with beautiful memories, especially from that room and the quiet and piece of that morning.