To escape the heat in Tokyo, we decided to spend a few days in Hakone, favorite summer destination of many Japanese. For this mini break, I booked a corner suite at the Hyatt Regency Hakone. This modern resort hotel is very popular as a weekend retreat. Many people love its clean lines and warm interiors.
At the same time, the hotel team is enthusiastic and friendly. So it’s a nice break, especially during the pandemic, to stay at this hotel with a cheerful and yet relaxing atmosphere. The team is even dressed in matching blue and white shirts, emphasizing further the resort feeling.
THE HOTEL IS FULL
Apparently, many people had the same idea. The Hyatt Regency Hakone is booked to safe capacity and everyone is enjoying the cooler climate. When we arrived, afternoon tea was in progress in the lounge. I peeked into the lounge and there were happy faces everywhere. Observing my keen interest in the lounge, the bell boy said: “We also host drinks for guests in the lounge every evening.”
Not too many hotels offer complimentary drinks every night to guests, but this is a tradition at the Hyatt Regency Hakone. Regular guests look forward to having a glass of wine, on the house, before they go on to dinner.
CORNER SUITE WITH A VIEW AT THE HYATT REGENCY HAKONE
Our suite was in the annex, which is where the spa and the hot springs also are located. It was a large corner suite with a most innovative design to further maximize space and utility.
Also, this hotel has a main building and two annex buildings. One of the annex buildings has Japanese style rooms. This building also has the rooms that guests with dogs can book. Yes, the Hyatt Regency Hakone actually has dog-friendly rooms.
For one thing, the bedroom is enclosed completely in smokey glass with sliding doors that open onto the living room. This allows for a free and easy flow through the suite, while also keeping privacy. You can sleep cocooned in comfort in the evening and open the entire room up to views of trees in the day.
WINTER GARDEN IN HAKONE
The most interesting feature of this suite is perhaps the winter garden. Few hotels have such a feature in their rooms, after all. Here, the suite bar and a dining table are placed on a pretty terrace completely enclosed by windows and glass.
The windows all open up so you can enjoy fresh air on a fine day — and most days in Hakone are fine. The air is pure and clean so it’s wonderful to be able to open the windows.
I also love the bathroom, which is connected to a spacious dressing room and double sink area. It has a large bathing area and a deep Whirlpool jacuzzi tub that’s perfect for soaking.
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WELLNESS RETREAT IN THE MOUNTAINS
Very nicely, too, the hotel has provided a proper yoga mat and yoga DVDs in the dressing room. So guests who want to do their own mini wellness retreat while staying at the Hyatt Regency Hakone can do yoga in their suite while enjoying the beautiful view of greenery.
Read more about the best hotels in Japan in Travelife Magazine.
