Comfortable Japonese experience, connection with Nature, Onsen and a formidable restaurant (incredible) inside of the hotel (the best restaurant inside of a hotel ever)

I’m from Brazil and I had been here with my son and wife, and both loved the place !

Also a pleasant hotel staff !!!

Come and enjoy !

My Wife and I arrived on 15 Feb 18 at about 6pm. Kazu, one of the owners graciously welcomed us although he was busy with the meal service. After welcoming us and giving gifts for our honeymoon stay, he meticulously cleaned the wheels of our luggage and helped with carrying them to our room - one of nine. And that’s I think where staying in a Ryokan really shines. Staff make their best effort to serve their customers offering personalised and outstanding service.

Our room was a traditional ryokan type but with some modern additions like a TV. They also provided a green tea set and snacks to go along. Later when we went down for dinner, we found our futon beds already setup for us when we came back.

The meals were nothing short of spectacular. They served both breakfast (0800-0900) and dinner (1800-2000) and having stayed 2 nights found that they changed meal sets from day to day- meaning customers on day 1 get served a certain menu while customer on day 2 get served with a another one. We often walked away from the meal feeling wonderful satisfied. Of note is the beef sukiyaki served on the second night which I thought was extremely good.

And the best thing to do after a good meal and a long day spent traveling was to enjoy a good bath and soak in the onsen. To that end, yukatas were provided for my Wife together with 2 towels- one big, the other small. The baths for ladies and gents rotate daily so do be aware. Body foam, shampoo and conditioner are all provided for the bath but you can bring your own stuff as well. Baskets available at the bath allow you to deposit your clothes and you enter the baths with your towel.

For the bath, the water pressure was excellent and the temperature constant. Though it can be abit awkward at first, you gradually get used to it. After the bath there is a sitting area with cotton buds, hairdryer, shaver etc.

My Wife and I also tried the private outdoor onsen the second night as well. Reservations have to be done and we did it via the front desk. Do be aware also that there were no baths in the private onsen so you’ll have to bath in the public baths first. Reservations are in blocks of 30 mins from 7pm.

In terms of location, I’ll be the first to admit that it took abit of time getting from Hakone Yumoto up to Gora but once there, you will be within 10 mins of Sounzan one of the main attractions and from there you can take a cable car to Togendai where you can take a sightseeing cruise to hakone machi or Motohakone. After which you can take a local bus back to Hakone Yumoto.

For travellers I would recommend you arrive the first day, explore the area around Gora and go on the round tour as described above on the second.

In short, my Wife and I had a wonderful stay in Lalaca. The staff provided service beyond what I expected and location-wise, it’s near the main attractions. Experiences were aplenty as well bathing in a public bathhouse, having a soak in the onsen and having a Keiseiki Ryori breakfast and dinner.

I would highly recommend this Ryokan if you are looking for personalised service and an unforgettable experience.

Lalaca made our first trip to Hakone a wonderful and memorable one. Our family of 4 was made to feel very welcome and it felt like home in our short stay there!

Service: being a small hotel (~9 rooms I believe) the staff was so prompt, friendly, and warm and really made us feel at home from the moment we stepped inside. There are multilingual staff (Japanese, English, Chinese) and each of them were super helpful getting us settled in and helping us with even the smallest of services. Your futons will be made while you enjoy dinner, and they will seamlessly clear them up and tidy your rooms while you are eating breakfast. You will even see the owner of the hotel helping out, impeccably dressed and friendly to all guests.
One of the big highlights here is the food - be sure to book meals when you are staying here. The seasonal dishes all arrive looking like works of art but are filling and delicious as well. The morning view into the mountains and surroundings are just what you need to start your day off over breakfast.

Facilities: Spotlessly clean, comfortable and beautiful. Our Japanese-style room was beautifully traditional with futons so comfortable that even the floor-sleeping haters didn't have any complaints. The onsen are well-maintained and very clean - a lovely touch was all the toiletries, cosmetics, shampoos that were available so you didn't have to bring anything with you but a towel inside. Staff will kit you out in comfortable yukata and really give that authentic touch as you stroll around the hotel along with the other guests also wearing their colourful yukata.

Location: Easy walk from the second stop of the cable car (Koen-Shimo) and easy to find with the directions provided on the website. The hotel is tucked away from the street and has a real homey feel to it (dog lovers will be delighted to meet the resident labrador). Good access to all of the main tourist points and transport lines around Hakone.

Lalaca definitely a great choice if you want that extra step of service and authenticity above some of the bigger chain hotels in the area. Highly recommended! We will return for their smoked fish eventually...