Escape to Heaven: Hakone's Manten No Hoshi Hotel Awaits
Escape to Heaven: Hakone's Manten No Hoshi - A Review That's Honestly Hilarious (And Actually Useful!)
Okay, folks, buckle up. I'm back from Hakone, and let me tell you, "Manten No Hoshi" – literally "Stars of Heaven" – lived up to its name… mostly. Prepare for a review that's less sterile hotel brochure and more, well, me. Think of it as a travel journal vomited onto a webpage. You've been warned!
First Impressions & The Great Accessibility Gauntlet:
Right, let's start with getting there. Accessibility is always a HUGE concern for me (bad knees, you see… they're drama queens). Manten No Hoshi tries. They really do. There's an elevator (yay!), but navigating the winding pathways around the hotel, especially with luggage, felt like a slightly terrifying archaeological dig. It's not a slam dunk for fully wheelchair-accessible. The website says it has facilities for disabled guests, but do call ahead and get specifics. The staff are genuinely lovely and helpful, but the terrain… well, let's just say I got my daily step count and had to breathe for a good five minutes after each "journey".
SEO for the Win! (And Where to Find the Wi-Fi – It's ALL Important!)
- Wheelchair Accessible: Partially. Call ahead to discuss specific needs.
- Elevator: Yes!
- Accessibility (General): Be prepared for some uneven ground.
- Internet Access: FREE Wi-Fi in ALL rooms! HALLELUJAH! This is a HUGE win. I mean, seriously, who wants to pay extra for Wi-Fi these days? The signal? Solid. No complaints.
- Internet [LAN]: Available in some rooms (check when booking).
- Wi-Fi in Public Areas: Yes! Worked great in the lobby, but honestly, who wants to stare at a screen when you're in Hakone?
Rooms: My Sanctuary… Mostly.
The room? Oh, the room! Spacious, with a view that almost made me burst into tears (in a good way). The "additional toilet" was a lifesaver after that ramen marathon. I’m also a total sucker for those little things like bathrobes, slippers, and complimentary tea. Pure bliss. They even had a "Blackout curtains" which I utilized heavily for deep sleep.
Available in All Rooms: I'm talking "Air conditioning," "Alarm clock," "Bathrobes," "Bathtub," "Blackout curtains," "Carpeting," "Closet," "Coffee/tea maker," "Complimentary tea," "Daily housekeeping," "Desk," "Extra long bed," "Free bottled water," "Hair dryer," "High floor," "In-room safe box," "Internet access – wireless (and LAN!)," "Ironing facilities," "Laptop workspace," "Linens," "Mini bar," "Mirror," "Non-smoking," "Private bathroom," "Reading light," "Refrigerator," "Satellite/cable channels," "Seating area," "Separate shower/bathtub," "Shower," "Slippers," "Smoke detector," "Socket near the bed," "Sofa," "Soundproofing," "Telephone," "Toiletries," "Towels," "Wake-up service," "Wi-Fi [free]," "Window that opens." They basically thought of everything.
Room for Improvement: The pillows. Oh, the pillows. My neck is still screaming. Honestly, bring your own.
Food, Glorious Food: Carb-Loading in Paradise
Okay, let's talk about food. Hakone is a foodie's dream. Manten No Hoshi does a good job of trying to keep up.
Restaurants: Multiple! Including a vegetarian restaurant. I'm a carnivore, but I appreciate the effort.
Dining, drinking, and snacking:
- "A la carte in restaurant": Yep!
- "Asian breakfast" and "Western breakfast": Options, people! Options!
- "Asian cuisine in restaurant": Fantastic!
- "Bar": Solid. Always a good thing.
- "Bottle of water": Provided!
- "Breakfast [buffet]" and "Buffet in restaurant": This is where things get good. Fresh bread, local jams, all the things. I may or may not have eaten my weight in croissants.
- "Coffee/tea in restaurant," and "Coffee shop": Caffeine fix achieved.
- "Desserts in restaurant": Oh, the desserts…
- "Happy hour": Yes! Essential after a day of sightseeing.
- "International cuisine in restaurant": Good choices.
- "Poolside bar": Because a cocktail by the pool is a non-negotiable.
- "Room service [24-hour]": Bless. After a long day.
- "Salad in restaurant": Important for the balance of calories!
- "Snack bar": Always a good backup plan.
- "Western cuisine in restaurant": Great alternative
The Imperfection: At one point, I ordered room service, and the soup tasted a bit… off. Nothing major, but it's worth mentioning. And maybe skip the soup, okay?
Wellness: Because You Deserve It (And You Probably Need It After Hiking Hakone!)
This is where Manten No Hoshi shines – like those heavenly stars. The spa is an absolute haven. I spent a frankly embarrassing amount of time there.
Ways to Relax:
- "Body scrub": Yes, please!
- "Body wrap": I mean, why not?
- "Fitness center," "Gym/fitness": Did not use. This is a vacation, not a boot camp!
- "Foot bath": Heavenly after a day of walking.
- "Massage": Absolutely. The best. Request the masseuse named "Harumi." She's magic.
- "Pool with view," "Swimming pool [outdoor]": Stunning views!
- "Sauna, Spa, Spa/sauna, Steamroom": All the relaxation stations!
My Over-the-Top Experience: I went for a deep tissue massage and it was honestly one of the best massages of my entire life. Pure bliss. I think I might've snored. No regrets.
Cleanliness and Safety: The New Normal (Thank Goodness!)
The hotel is super on top of hygiene. This is a big comfort these days.
- Cleanliness and safety:
- "Anti-viral cleaning products": Yay!
- "Cashless payment service": Handy.
- "Daily disinfection in common areas": Appreciated.
- "Hand sanitizer": Everywhere!
- "Hot water linen and laundry washing": That's just smart.
- "Hygiene certification": Great.
- "Individually-wrapped food options": Thoughtful.
- "Masks are required in common areas."
- "Physical distancing of at least 1 meter": Being observed.
- "Professional-grade sanitizing services": Good.
- "Rooms sanitized between stays": Relief.
- "Safe dining setup": Yes.
- "Sanitized kitchen and tableware items": Very good.
- "Staff trained in safety protocol": Felt safe.
- "Sterilizing equipment": All the good things to keep you safe and comfortable.
Things to Do: Beyond the Hotel Walls!
Hakone is gorgeous. Make sure to explore!
- Things to do:
- "Shrine": Worth a visit.
- "Terrace": Lovely spot to sit with a book and a coffee.
- "Bicycle parking": If you are into biking.
- "Car park [free of charge]": Yes!
- "Car park [on-site]": Even better.
- "Food delivery": Convenient if you don't want to leave the room.
- "Gift/souvenir shop": Useful for last-minute gifts.
Services and Conveniences: Smooth Operators
The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful.
- Services and conveniences:
- "Concierge": Helpful with local information.
- "Daily housekeeping": Always a delight.
- "Doorman": Welcomed well.
- "Elevator": Thank goodness!
- "Facilities for disabled guests": Talk with them before booking.
- "Ironing service," "Laundry service": Laundry done with a smile.
- "Luggage storage": Useful.
- "Meeting/banquet facilities": Available.
- "Outdoor venue for special events": A nice setting for events.
- "Safety deposit boxes": Important.
- "Smoking area": Available.
- "Taxi service": Easy to get.
- "Valet parking": Available.
For the Kids (And Those Who Are Kids at Heart!)
- Family/child friendly: Generally
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because this ain't your grandma's meticulously planned itinerary. We're going to the Manten No Hoshi Hotel in Hakone, Japan, and frankly, I’m still half-convinced this trip is a hallucination brought on by too much instant ramen. But hey, if it IS a dream, I’m leaning into it!
The Messy, Wonderful, Potentially Calamitous Hakone Adventure (aka Manten No Hoshi, Here We Come!)
Day 1: Arrival (or, The Great Train Debacle Begins)
7:00 AM: Alarm SCREAMS. Seriously, it’s like a banshee decided to serenade me with death metal. Struggle to turn it off. Groan. Question all life choices, especially the one that led me to book a flight at this ungodly hour.
7:30 AM: Scramble to find my passport. Find it, in a box labeled "Things I'll Definitely Need…Eventually." Note to self: Pack better.
9:00 AM (ish): Arrive at Narita Airport. Survive the initial chaos. The sheer volume of people! The smells! Honestly, I feel like I'm in a permanent food market. Eat a pre-flight breakfast of a questionable-looking, but somehow delicious, onigiri the size of my face. Fueling up for the journey, obviously.
12:00 PM: Finally ON the train. This is where the adventure really starts. My seat is next to a window, thankfully. Observe the serene, yet somehow intimidating, Japanese countryside whizzing past. Staring out the window is my only form of entertainment, because I forgot to charge my phone, and don't speak any Japanese to engage the other passengers.
2:30 PM (God willing!): Arrive at Hakone-Yumoto Station. Oh my god, the beauty! The air…it smells clean! But immediately hit with a wave of, "Where do I go?" Commence the frantic map-reading (or rather, pointing and hoping).
3:30 PM (After much wandering, and a near-miss with a vending machine designed to only accept 5-yen coins): Taxi to Manten No Hoshi. The driver looks like he stepped straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. He's got a serene smile and speaks exactly zero English. I attempt a clumsy "Arigato" and hope for the best.
4:00 PM: CHECK-IN! The hotel is…gorgeous. The staff is ridiculously polite. My jaw hits the floor when I see my room. Views! Seriously. Mountains and… bamboo. Cue uncontrollable giddiness. I've made it!
5:00 PM: Unpack. Attempt to conquer jet lag. Fail. Wander around the hotel, getting hopelessly lost. Discover a small, hidden garden. Take a moment to just breathe. This place is magical.
6:30 PM: Dinner at the hotel restaurant. Try everything. I have no idea what half of it is, but it's delicious. Accidentally order way too much sake. "Whoops!" is my new catchphrase.
8:00 PM (Ish): Stumble back to my room. Stare at the view. Decide I am never, ever leaving. The sheer comfort of this view is mesmerizing, the warm ambient glow just brings another layer of beauty.
9:00 PM: Attempt to use the onsen (hot spring bath). Freaked out by the nakedness. Hesitate. Debate the merits of just staying in the room. Decide to embrace my inner weirdo, and go for it! It was a bit weird at first, but so peaceful. My skin feels like silk!
10:00 PM: Crash. Dreams of mountains, bamboo, and possibly the friendly Japanese taxi driver.
Day 2: Hakone's Wonders (And My Terrible Sense of Direction)
7:00 AM: Wake up feeling AMAZING. That onsen did wonders! (Or maybe it was the sake…)
8:00 AM: Breakfast! (A feast!). The food is presented like tiny works of art. I’m convinced I’m eating things I’ve never eaten before, and I’m loving it.
9:00 AM: Determined to conquer Hakone. Ride the Hakone Ropeway. OMG! Sulfur! Volcanic vents belching steam! And beautiful, terrifying views. At one point, I was pretty sure the gondola was going to fall into the volcano. I'm now pretty sure my stomach is still in my throat.
10:30 AM (After surviving the Ropeway and the constant "Is this safe?" internal monologue): Cruise on Lake Ashi. The scenery is breathtaking. Attempt to take artistic photos. Fail spectacularly. My photography skills are more "point and shoot" than "National Geographic." However, the lake itself is just amazing. There's something about the calm of a lake.
12:00 PM: Lunch near the lake. Find a tiny ramen shop, completely packed with locals. The ramen is heavenly. The chef gives me a slightly bewildered look when I try to order in what I think is Japanese. I probably asked for a sheep with extra noodles. But hey, it worked!
1:30 PM: Hakone Open-Air Museum. Finally. Art! (And more mountains!). Wander aimlessly, mesmerized by the sculptures. Get delightfully lost amongst the exhibits. Take a million (terrible) photos of everything. I'm a terrible artist, and a terrible photographer. But the combination of art and nature works.
4:00 PM: Find a weird, but amazing, little cafe with the best matcha latte I've ever tasted. The barista is a total hipster. We bond over our mutual love of ridiculously strong coffee and the ability to find a good cafe.
5:00 PM: Back at the hotel. This time, I know my way around (sort of). Relax on the balcony. It's almost time for the onsen again.
6:30 PM: Dinner. Experiment with more exotic foods. Embrace the weirdness. Realize I love everything, except maybe the raw squid (texture issue, not taste).
8:00 PM: Stargazing! The hotel has a fantastic view of the night sky. Try to identify some constellations, fail miserably. Just breathe.
9:30 PM: More onsen. Become one with the water. I am now officially a zen master (maybe).
10:30 PM: Sleep. Dreams of mountains, lakes, and my surprisingly good chopsticks skills.
Day 3: Farewell (Sobbing and Screaming Internally)
8:00 AM: The inevitable. Wake up and face the fact I have to leave this slice of paradise. Tears well up.
9:00 AM: A final, glorious breakfast. Savour every bite. Soak in the view one last time.
10:00 AM: Check out. It’s harder than I thought it would be. I want to stay forever!
11:00 AM: The train journey back to reality begins. Reflect on all the incredible experiences. The beauty of the mountains. The serenity of the onsen. The joy of accidentally ordering sheep with noodles.
2:00 PM: I can't believe I have to face the real world again. The travel plans, the packing, and the unpacking, seem like a dream.
4:00 PM: Arrive at the airport, feeling slightly shell-shocked but profoundly changed.
6:00 PM: The long flight back home. Start planning my return trip to Hakone.
Final Thoughts:
Hakone, and especially Manten No Hoshi, was magical. It was a messy, beautiful, chaotic, and utterly unforgettable experience. Did I get lost? Yes. Did I make a fool of myself with the language? Absolutely. Did I fall in love with everything? You betcha. This trip was a reminder that sometimes, the most wonderful experiences are the ones that don't go exactly as planned. Bring more 5-yen coins!
Escape to Paradise: Stunning Nieuwpoort-Bad Apartment with Breathtaking Sea Views!
Escape to Heaven: Hakone's Manten No Hoshi Hotel Awaits (Maybe...? My Chaotic Thoughts)
Let's be real, the hype is real. But is it *all* sunshine and rainbows? Let's dive into this hotel, shall we?
Okay, so, like, *is* it heaven? The Manten No Hoshi Hotel, I mean?
Hoo boy. "Heaven"? Well, let's not go *that* far. Look, the views? Stunning. Seriously, you wake up and BAM, Mount Fuji is basically whispering sweet nothings into your window. It's breathtaking. I choked up a little on arrival, I'll admit it. But the "heaven" part? Lies a little bit. Especially when the *service* decides to go on vacation. More on that later. Seriously, it's pretty amazing, but real life? Real life has some issues.
The Views. Tell me more, because that's *all* I've seen in the promo videos.
Okay, the views. *Okay*. They're the reason you're even considering this place, right? Trust me. I get it. You see those perfectly Instagrammed pictures, and you're sold. And honestly? They're not lying. The panoramic vista of Hakone and Fuji-san? It's the star of the show. We had this ridiculously oversized room (splurged a bit, don't judge), and the window? Forget about it. You could practically cuddle with Fuji-san. *Practically*. I spent like, three hours just staring out the window, drinking lukewarm tea, and pondering the meaning of life. No regrets. The only downside? You start to feel a *little* guilty for having such a perfect view while, you know, struggling to finish breakfast.
Rooms - Are they as luxurious as they look? Spill the tea!
The *rooms*. Now, this is where things get...patchy. My inner critic went, "Ooh, la la!" at the first look and the bathroom! The *bath* was to die for. Seriously, you could probably host a small pool party in there. Those Japanese onsen baths are another story. The sheer silence makes you face your demons in the heat, if you get my drift. The whole zen thing is cool, but there were some *slight* issues of mold on the walls, and the robes felt somewhat...used. Which is a minor issue if you're into the communal experience, but I’m not exactly a communal person and I almost started getting flashbacks when I saw that the room was a little dusty. Not *terrible*, just...noticeable. Still, the bed was comfy. And you know, that view...
The Food. Because let's be honest, a good meal is vital. What's the verdict?
The food... Okay, so the *presentation*? Michelin star-worthy. Seriously, each dish was a work of art. Like, I felt bad *eating* it. But the actual eating part? Hmm. It was good. *Sometimes*. Sometimes it was *amazing*. That Wagyu beef? Melt-in-your-mouth perfection. But other times… well, the fish was a bit *fishy*. And the service? Can we talk about the service? I'm not saying they were *bad*, but sometimes they were...absent. Like, I'd be waving my arms like a lunatic trying to get someone's attention for a refill of that *wonderful* sake. It got awkward. Honestly, the food was good, for the most part. But I could have eaten better food at a cheaper market. Oh, and the portions, though... they were small. Don't go here starving. I, unfortunately, learned that the hard way.
Onsen Time! How was my absolute favorite part of visiting Japan?
The onsen! Okay, so I’m an absolute nervous wreck when it comes to these things. I’m not a fan of being naked in front of strangers, or bathing in hot water, but I did get used to it. The public onsen was *amazing* for a full view of the mountain, completely naked, which I don't quite know how to feel about. The private onsen in the room? Perfect. So relaxing and not awkward. I highly recommend getting a private onsen, just in case you're like me. That's how you're going to enjoy it to the fullest.
What about the activities? Is there anything to do besides look at the view?
Activities... Well, there's the *view*. Okay, I'm being sarcastic. There are things to do! They had a spa, but I didn't check it out. The hotel offered a handful of tours with the area's attractions, but I didn't check them out either. I mean, I'm too lazy and too broke for that. Honestly, I spent most of my time just... existing. Which, for me, is a successful vacation. But if you *are* the active type, you might feel a little stir-crazy. They're not exactly bursting with things to keep you entertained.
The Service - The real make or break of a luxury hotel, right?
Ugh. The *service*. Look, it wasn't *bad*. Everyone was incredibly polite. But...it was inconsistent. One minute, you're getting the royal treatment, and the next, you're feeling like you've wandered into a long forgotten land. One time, it took them *forever* to bring us the sake we ordered. Like, I thought they’d forgotten. And when we needed information? The staff were a bit confused, and gave conflicting answers on the same question. It just wasn't the seamless, unobtrusive service you expect at this price point. It could be better...much, much better.
Is the Manten No Hoshi Hotel Worth It? The Big Question!
Okay, deep breaths. Is it worth it? That depends. Are you willing to pay a premium for a jaw-dropping view and a beautiful room situation? Then, yeah, maybe. Are you expecting *perfect* service and food that consistently blows your mind? Probably not. It's a gorgeous place, no doubt. The views will give you life. But it’s not perfect. It’s not heaven. It has flaws. And honestly? Those flaws make it… human. A little bit. I guess. You know, if you're willing to deal with a few minor issues, and you have a camera ready for some *amazing* photos? Go. Because, despite everything, I'd probably go back. Just maybe with slightly lower expectations and a healthy dose of patience.
