Livemax Resort Hakone Ashinoko

We stayed one night in a “special-condition” suite with breakfast and dinner included. We were able to stay at a lower rate because the open-air bath in the Room was not available, but the meals were delicious—steak, sashimi, and salmon roe—and dishes were replenished promptly when they ran out. The Onsen’s women’s bath was a bit small on the first day, but it was comfortable the next morning since the men’s and women’s baths switch. Many of the staff were foreign nationals, but their polite language left a good impression. With great meals and a clean Room, it was excellent value for money, and we would like to stay again.

I chose Hakone this time because I wanted to see Mt. Fuji covered in snow. Unfortunately, Mt. Fuji was not visible from the Hotel, but I could see it around the area, enjoy the Onsen, and relax.This was my first time staying with Livemax; it’s a relatively small Hotel with about 31 Rooms in total across the main building and annex. The annex where I stayed had no elevator, so I had to walk down the corridor and climb stairs up to the third floor. I heard the main building has an elevator, so I felt that there was a reason for the lower price.My Room had a semi-open-air bath, but it was out of order and couldn’t be used, so I used the large public bath on the first floor instead. The water temperature was on the hotter side overall, and especially high in the outdoor bath.There is also a sauna, which is great for those who like it. However, since the women’s bath operates on a rotation system and is small and not very convenient to use, if you want to fully enjoy bathing facilities you may want to go in earlier. It was available from around 3:00 p.m.Meals were buffet-style for both breakfast and dinner. The selection wasn’t huge, but everything was good quality. They grilled beef tenderloin on the spot, and what made me especially happy were domestic salmon roe (ikura) and sashimi. I made my own seafood rice bowl right there and really enjoyed it.Thank you for taking care of me—this has become one of the Hotels I’d like to visit again.