하나노야도 후쿠야

Our stay at Hananoyado Fukuya was designed as our two-night luxury ryokan getaway of our trip to Japan. It certainly delivered elements of this. The food was incredible, a true kaiseki experience of 11-12 courses for dinner and an equally stunning breakfast. The chef is clearly first class. The location of the ryokan is also fantastic, 2 minutes walk from the lake at Motohakone, although the hill up is steep (they will pick you up from the 7-11 if requested). Now, the downside. This is an expensive stay. The room alone would equate to around $800 AUD per night for a family of four, and dinner effectively doubles that. We had no change from about $3,500 for two nights. At that price, I was expecting excellence in the accommodation. The room we stayed in (202) was however dated (particularly the bathroom) and in need of a refresh. While it was large and spacious, we didn’t get to select our room and as a result we had what looked to be the worst balcony onsen (the only one not seen on the booking site photos) and a view that looked out onto a old carpark. If the ryokan can refurbish its rooms, then it has all the hospitality and charm to be a luxury stay in the future.