Kanagawa · Hotel
ESPACIO The Hakone Geihinkan Rin-Poh-Ki-Ryu
エスパシオ箱根迎賓館 麟鳳亀龍
- Stay reports
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About this hotel
A nine-villa property in a ravine at Miyanoshita in Hakone. Guests check in at an upper reception on the old Tokaido road and descend to the valley floor on a private funicular, a ride of about five minutes. The grounds cover about 44,021 square metres with about 2,184 square metres of floor space. The name refers to the four guardian creatures — kirin, phoenix, tortoise and dragon — and a dragon stands at the centre of the courtyard pond with a phoenix at the main reception. Each of the nine villas is assigned to a particular artist, and its interior is built around their work in karakami paper, plaster, kumiko joinery, sculpture, dyeing or lacquer. The water is from the Dogashima spring, fed continuously. Meals are served in the villa rather than in a dining room. About five minutes on foot from Miyanoshita Station on the Hakone Tozan railway.
Who it suits
A stay that never has to leave the villa. Every meal is served in the room, and the spa is for guests only and by appointment, so there is almost no point at which you meet other guests. The nine villas differ in artist and in layout: the two-bedroom ones — Ao, Daichi, Kirameki and Uruwashi — can be divided and used as two. Takumi is the flagship, built on three levels into the slope of the valley, with an indoor bath, an open-air bath, a pool, a stone sauna, a dry sauna and a party room. Four villas — Kizuna, Hinata, Musubi and Uruwashi — have no sauna. Musubi is the only step-free villa. Sitting at the bottom of a ravine, the property warns that mobile reception is unreliable in places.
Basic information
- Address
- 72 Miyanoshita, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa
- Rooms
- 9
- Nearest station
- Hakone-Yumoto Station (4.0 km as the crow flies)
神奈川県足柄下郡箱根町宮ノ下72
What this place is like
Checked against the hotel’s own site. Anything we could not confirm is left out — that does not mean it is not there.
Rooms: nine villas, each with its own artist
There are nine villas. Ao and Sora were done by the karakami maker Senda Choemon, Daichi by the plasterer Hasado Shuhei, Kirameki by the sculptor Tachibana Tomoya, Kizuna and Musubi by the kumiko joiner Shiozawa Masanobu, Hinata by the dyer Fukumoto Shigeki and Uruwashi by Muramoto Shingo. The flagship, Takumi, is built on three levels into the slope, holds work by seven artists including Hiroto Rakusho, and has an indoor bath, an open-air bath, a pool, a stone sauna, a dry sauna and a party room. Ao, Daichi, Kirameki and Uruwashi are two-bedroom and can be split into two. Kizuna, Hinata, Musubi and Uruwashi have no sauna. Musubi is the only step-free villa.
From the editors
If the sauna matters, choose from outside Kizuna, Hinata, Musubi and Uruwashi. If steps are a problem, Musubi is the only one. The conditions differ villa by villa, so check by name.
Source: houoh.jp (checked 29 September 2026)
Spa: a lava cave bath, for guests only and by appointment
The spa is for guests only and by appointment. Alongside the open-air lava cave bath there is a stone sauna floored in Austria’s oldest marble, a dry sauna, and a treatment room for two. Treatments are either from Bamford, the English brand from the Cotswolds, or the property’s own menu built around the four seasons of Hakone. The indoor bath, open-air bath, stone sauna and dry sauna can be used without booking a treatment.
Source: houoh.jp (checked 29 September 2026)
Dining: in the villa, not in a dining room
Meals are served in the villa rather than in a dining room. The kitchen works from the Kyoto tradition and the manners of tea kaiseki, using ingredients from Hakone. The sake pairing at dinner is supervised by the sake sommelier Akahoshi Keita.
Source: houoh.jp (checked 29 September 2026)
Getting there: five minutes from Miyanoshita, with reception up top
About five minutes on foot from Miyanoshita Station on the Hakone Tozan railway. From Odawara it is about 40 minutes by that line, and from Shinjuku about 110 by Romancecar and then the Tozan line. By bus it is about 30 minutes from the east exit of Odawara or about 15 from Hakone-Yumoto to the Miyanoshita stop, then two minutes on foot. Driving, it is about 50 minutes from the Atsugi interchange via the Odawara-Atsugi road and Route 1, or about 300 m past the Miyanoshita junction coming from Lake Ashi. Reception is at the top, on the old Tokaido road; from there a private funicular takes about five minutes down to the villas. Because the property sits in a ravine, mobile reception is unreliable in places.
Source: houoh.jp (checked 29 September 2026)
Ratings
Collected by the booking sites and by Google. We do not rate hotels ourselves.
I can't say enough positive things about the Espacio Hakone. The experience begins before you even arrive. We received an email requesting information about food preferences and when we would arrive. The hotel picked us up from Odawara station in a comfortable van. Once you arrive at the hotel, you take a private funicular down the hillside to arrive at the tranquil room villas. There are only 9 villas so it feels like a peaceful oasis. We stayed in a villa overlooking the river and waterfall, which provided an even more tranquil setting. The rooms are modern, yet have the traditional charm. Products provided are high end and include a very fancy Japanese hair dryer! The private onsen outside and in the bathroom are perfect to unwind and slow down after traveling through busier cities. Our room attendant 'Moo' was so gracious and helpful. The food was also of very high quality and felt like dining in a fine dining restaurant although in the privacy of your own room. The dinner and breakfast are served in your room, where the room attendant will serve you each course. If you do not like traditional Japanese food, they also offer a Western menu. The whole experience was wonderful and worth the money spent. It is a luxury hotel that feels like a peaceful oasis in nature. I would definitely come back here again.
Read the full review on Google MapsIf you want to experience Japan’s world-renowned hospitality, or omotenashi, this is the place to stay. From the moment you make your reservation, the staff are incredibly helpful. They are happy to assist with planning your sightseeing itinerary around Hakone and can arrange transportation to and from nearby stations, making your trip effortless. If you let them know about any food allergies or dietary preferences when making your reservation, they will do everything they can to accommodate your needs. Their flexibility and genuine care for each guest are truly remarkable. Instead of navigating crowded buses and complicated train connections to reach Hakone’s popular attractions, you can simply relax and enjoy your stay. Their thoughtful service saves you the hassle of checking train schedules, making multiple transfers, or walking up steep hills with luggage. As a MICHELIN One Key hotel, ESPACIO offers an exceptionally luxurious and personalized experience. One of its most unique features is its exclusive access to the historic Dogashima hot spring source. The natural mineral water flows directly into the private baths without dilution, allowing guests to enjoy one of Hakone’s most treasured hot springs in its purest form. After every bath, my skin felt incredibly soft, smooth, and hydrated. It was one of the most memorable onsen experiences I’ve ever had. ESPACIO is much more than a luxury hotel—it’s a place where you can experience the very best of Japanese hospitality, exceptional cuisine, and a truly rare hot spring. I cannot recommend it highly enough and would love to return.
Read the full review on Google MapsBeautiful boutique hotel in Hakone. Service and all the facilities, food are top-notch. You need to include hot bath program (stone sauna, dry sauna, and open air bath) in your spa services as well. Would definitely come back!
Read the full review on Google Maps
The ratings and reviews were posted to the services named above. They are not our assessment, and we do not rate hotels ourselves. We show the three most recent reviews from Google Maps; read the rest there.
What guests wrote
Written in Japanese by the authors below. We link to the originals and do not translate or reproduce them.
- 『箱根 エスパシオ箱根迎賓館麟鳳亀龍』
表参道ECURA~体の内側からきれいにするサロン〜 · 9 December 2025
- 【プレミアムな滞在を叶える温泉宿 vol.５】渓谷に佇む邸宅で“幻の湯”に出合う「エスパシオ 箱根迎賓館 麟鳳亀龍」
ラグジュアリー体験の入り口メディア · 1 February 2025
Before you book
Only questions we could answer from the hotel’s own site.
- Where are meals served?
- In the villa, not in a dining room.(source, checked 29 September 2026)
- Does every villa have a sauna?
- Four of them — Kizuna, Hinata, Musubi and Uruwashi — do not. The other five do.(source, checked 29 September 2026)
- Is there a step-free villa?
- Musubi is the only one.(source, checked 29 September 2026)
- Does mobile reception work?
- The property states that reception is unreliable in some parts, because it sits in a ravine.(source, checked 29 September 2026)
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