Hakone Sengokuhara Prince Hotel — the Hakone family resort with a large open-air onsen that's still easy to book
Ever had that moment where you're planning a family trip to Hakone and every small ryokan you want is already full? Hakone Sengokuhara Prince Hotel is built for exactly that situation. This Prince Hotels 3-star resort sits in the natural surroundings of Sengokuhara and offers a large open-air communal onsen, plenty of rooms, spacious family options — and a Booking score of 8.2 from 757 reviews that tells you most guests leave satisfied.
Hakone Sengokuhara Prince Hotel sits at 1246 Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, as part of the Prince Hotels group — a chain well known to Japanese travellers as a family-friendly resort brand at accessible prices. The first thing that sets this place apart from the smaller ryokan on this list is sheer size. More rooms means easier availability, especially during long holiday weekends when boutique ryokan fill up months in advance. If your travel plans are not yet fixed, or you need a solid backup option, this is the easiest place to book in this area.
"Guest after guest says the same thing: the large open-air onsen is excellent, kids can run around freely, and the staff take good care of you — great value for the price."
What guests talk about most is the large open-air onsen set in the wide natural grounds of Sengokuhara. This isn't a cramped indoor pool — it's a proper outdoor communal bathing area that fits multiple bathers at once, surrounded by trees and clean mountain air. Soaking outdoors while looking out over the forest is exactly the kind of experience that makes Hakone worth the trip, and guests who come in autumn for the foliage or in winter for the contrast of steam against cold air often say this is the highlight of their whole stay.
For families — there are family rooms that give everyone enough space, and children can move around the wide grounds without the constraints of a small ryokan. The sub-scores back this up: staff rating 8.9, cleanliness 8.8 — decent numbers that reflect a well-run operation at this price point. Meal plan packages are available if you want the convenience of eating on-site without going out in search of restaurants, which is sensible given that Sengokuhara is not as restaurant-dense as central Hakone.
Getting here requires the Hakone Tozan Bus or the hotel shuttle — the same situation as every other property in Sengokuhara. The practical advice is to confirm shuttle times when you book. If you are travelling with heavy luggage or young children, the hotel shuttle is genuinely more convenient than the public bus, so it is worth sorting out before you arrive rather than figuring it out on the spot.
Let's be straight about what this place is not: Hakone Sengokuhara Prince Hotel is not in the same league as the premium ryokan higher up this list. There is no private in-room onsen, no kaiseki dinner delivered to your room, and the design is standard resort hotel rather than atmospheric traditional ryokan. If the goal is a genuine luxury ryokan experience, you will want to look elsewhere. But if what you need is a proper outdoor onsen, enough space for several people, easy availability, and a price that doesn't hurt — this place delivers all four.
757 Booking reviews is not a small sample. A score of 8.2 backed by that volume is a tested and reliable signal, not a handful of opinions from friends of the owner. The people this hotel suits best are families wanting a real Hakone onsen experience at a reasonable cost, and groups of friends who want to book without the stress of competing for a limited number of ryokan rooms months in advance.
To sum up: Hakone Sengokuhara Prince Hotel is the most sensible value pick in Sengokuhara for anyone who wants a genuine large open-air onsen, comfortable rooms, and natural surroundings — starting from ¥18,000/night with meal package options available. Not a premium ryokan experience, but a Hakone trip that most guests come back from saying it was better value than they expected.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Large open-air onsen in wide natural Sengokuhara surroundings
- ✓ Big hotel with many rooms — availability far easier than small ryokan
- ✓ Spacious family rooms — children can move around freely
- ✓ From ¥18,000 with meal plan options — solid value for families
- ! No private in-room onsen — shared open-air communal bath only
- ! Location requires bus or hotel shuttle from the main stations
- ! Not as luxurious as the premium ryokan on this list — value-focused
- ✓ 757 Booking reviews — high volume, reliable rating
- ✓ Staff score 8.9 — attentive and friendly team
- ✓ Wide natural grounds, genuinely relaxing atmosphere
- ✓ Reliable backup when boutique ryokan are all booked up
- ! Not a traditional ryokan experience — standard resort hotel style
- ! Communal onsen only — no private bathing in-room
- ! Location value 8.3 — relies on shuttle or bus to get around
- 💡If you want a private in-room onsen — this hotel uses only a shared open-air communal bath → look at Sengokuhara Shinanoki Ichinoyu instead, which offers in-room onsen at an accessible price.
- 💡If you want a traditional ryokan experience — this is a value resort hotel, not a traditional ryokan atmosphere → choose one of the boutique ryokan higher on this list.
- 💡If you don't have a private car — you'll need the hotel shuttle or Hakone Tozan Bus → confirm shuttle times when booking, especially if travelling with heavy luggage or young children.