Gora, a Charming Mountain Town and the Gateway to Hakone’s Treasures

Located in one of Hakone’s most geothermally active areas, Gora has long been celebrated for the exceptional quality of its hot springs. Visitors have been coming here for generations to get away from it all, relaxing and rejuvenating in open-air onsen baths at secluded sanctuaries like Gora Hanaougi in beautiful natural surroundings. Gora also offers convenient access to popular Hakone sights such as Owakudani, Dogashima Gorge, and Lake Ashinoko.

A Modern Hotel with Classic Japanese Features Amidst the Forests of Hakone

Whether you arrive by road or rail, you won’t see much of Gora Hanaougi until you are passing through its wooden gate to arrive at the front door. Despite being located just a few minutes’ drive from the main road or a few minutes’ walk from Sounzan Station, the transfer point between the Hakone Ropeway and the Hakone Tozan Cable Car, this stylish hotel, surrounded by forests that change color with the season, feels almost like it was made just for you.

A Stay with a Sense of Place

Timeless Craftsmanship Meets Modern Style and Comfort

From the moment you step inside the lobby of Gora Hanaougi, it will be obvious that this is no ordinary hotel. Drawing inspiration from the renowned Hanaougi ryokan of Hida-Takayama in Gifu, Gora Hanaougi showcases traditional Hida craftsmanship throughout its lobby, corridors, and guest rooms. Soft light warms the interior spaces, celebrating the grains, swirls, knots, and burls of fine natural wood. Next to the garden, you will see a latticed wooden chandelier, fashioned from over a thousand pieces. And if you follow a tatami-mat corridor from the lobby, you will find a sunken irori hearth framed with rare Jindai zelkova wood.

Welcoming, Comfortable Rooms with Private Open-Air Hot Spring Baths

As an exclusive hotel with just 20 guest rooms, Gora Hanaougi offers a unique combination of privacy and warm hospitality. While you are entirely welcome to bathe in the hotel’s two large public open-air baths, there is no need to leave your room for a bath unless you wish to. Each guest room includes an open-air onsen bath of its own, which you can use as much as you like while you enjoy tranquil views of nature. All baths at Gora Hanaougi draw their water from a single hot spring source exclusive to the hotel

Pre-Selected Rooms

Your pre-selected room at Gora Hanaougi includes two Western-style beds as well as classic Japanese features such as tatami-mat flooring. These mats, made from rice straw and soft rush grasses that have been tightly compressed and sewn together, provide a stirring yet reassuring sensation underfoot. With an open-air bath surrounded by trees, this room is the perfect place to relax and establish a deeper connection with nature in line with Japanese culture.

Other Rooms

Second Floor Suite

With high ceilings held aloft by wooden beams, graceful lattice sliding doors, and tatami mats, as well as Western-style beds and sofas, this suite is not only beautiful to look at, but incredibly comfortable for a special overnight stay. The views from the bath are spectacular, looking over the tops of the trees at a nearby ridgeline of mountains.

Japanese-Style Room (Second Floor)

Located on the second floor, Japanese-style rooms provide an authentic local experience, with futons prepared on the tatami-mat floors each night. By day, futons are removed so that guests can relax on low chairs on the tatami and admire the view, which can also be enjoyed from the room’s open-air onsen bath.

*Please note that room assignments may be subject to change based on availability. If a change is necessary, the rate may vary, and we will notify you of the details beforehand.

Moments at the Table

Savor Meals with Fresh Local Ingredients that Celebrate the Best of Each Season

Meals at Gora Hanaougi take place in a semi-private dining space perfect for taking your time to enjoy the food as you converse and relax together. Both breakfast and dinner feature locally-sourced ingredients that are carefully selected for quality, flavor, and freshness to give you the best possible culinary experience of the season.

A Japanese-style breakfast is served at Gora Hanaougi, based on steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and seasonal pickles. The meal features a balanced assortment of nutritious hot and chilled dishes, including locally-sourced vegetables and seafood from nearby Odawara. Breakfast generally includes steamed rice, miso soup, seasonal pickles, grilled fish and okayu (rice porridge), as well as an assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Dinner is served kaiseki style, in a series of meticulously-prepared Japanese dishes that look and smell just as good as they taste. Take as much time as you like to savor the varied flavors and textures of each dish. Meals are based around seasonal vegetables as well as miso soup and steamed rice, served alongside dishes such as mackerel black rice sushi, Arima duck simmered in soy sauce, deep-fried wild yellowtail, and delectable wagyu beef.

Discover a Quieter, More Sophisticated Side of Hakone with a Stay at Gora Hanaougi

Day-trippers to Hakone tend to pass through Gora without a glance, using it only as a transfer point on their race to see the sights. But if you want to get to know the region better and experience the best it has to offer, it is well worth spending a relaxing night in this charming little town known for its warm, soothing hot spring waters and top-class accommodation.

For your stay, Gora Hanaougi provides just the right blend of timeless local hospitality and sophisticated modern style. Along with the delights of gourmet Japanese meals and luxurious open-air onsen baths, the hotel’s incorporation of traditional Japanese craftsmanship and the surrounding natural scenery will provide you with newfound inspiration and a greater sense of connection to what Hakone is all about.