Uncover Hakone's Hidden Gem: SANTERASU's Secret Revealed!
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the gloriously imperfect world of SANTERASU, a supposed "hidden gem" in Hakone. And believe me, after spending a few very interesting days there, I’ve got opinions. This isn't your polished travel brochure, folks. This is real talk.
Uncover Hakone's Hidden Gem: SANTERASU's Secret (and Some Not-So-Secret!) Revealed! A No-Holds-Barred Review.
First things first: Accessibility. Let's not beat around the meticulously manicured Hakone bush. SANTERASU attempts accessibility. There's an elevator (thank the heavens, because some of those rooms are practically in the clouds!), and some areas seem navigable for wheelchairs. “Seem” is the operative word. I saw a few ramps that might as well have been designed by someone who’s never actually seen a wheelchair. So, if you're fully dependent on a wheelchair, call and confirm exactly what's accessible and what's a painful (and potentially embarrassing) obstacle course.
Accessibility: Messy, but trying. It's the kind of place where the attempt is admirable, but the execution… let’s just say it needs work.
On-site accessible restaurants / lounges: I didn't spot any truly accessible restaurants or lounges. Plenty of "try to make it work" scenarios.
Wheelchair accessible: See above. Call and double-check EVERYTHING.
Internet: Oh, the Internet!
Okay, let’s talk about the all-important "always-on" civilization juice. Internet access is present. Mostly. Free Wi-Fi is plastered everywhere on the website, promising Wi-Fi in all rooms! (Thank you, sanity gods!) And it delivered! I mean, it mostly delivered. I had some moments. Some dark moments where the Wi-Fi decided to take a sabbatical, leaving me staring blankly at my laptop screen, feeling like a castaway on a digital desert island. The Internet [LAN] option? Well, that's there, buried deep within the room setup. So, if you are planning on some serious video editing, I'd recommend thinking of an alternative.
Internet services? Standard stuff. No virtual reality gaming experiences, thankfully. Wi-Fi in public areas: Mostly good, but again, the connection had a mind of its own.
Things to Do and Ways to Relax: The Zen and the Zany
This is where SANTERASU really tries to shine. And, honestly, it gets some things right.
Spa/sauna: Ah, the spa. It's a sanctuary. A place to… well, maybe not forget your troubles, but at least temporarily ignore them. I tried the Sauna and the Steamroom. The sauna was hot. The steamroom… well, let’s just say I’m not sure how much steam there actually was. But the ambiance? Top-notch.
Pool with view: The outdoor swimming pool. The views? Stunning. The photos on the website? Lies. (Okay, not lies, but heavily airbrushed, let's be honest). It’s a perfectly lovely pool, but the promised sweeping mountain vista… well, you'll have to lean over the edge a bit.
Gym/fitness: I caught a glimpse of the fitness center. I didn’t use the fitness center. Let’s just say it looked… functional. Let's say it looked like most hotel gyms. Functional and underused.
Massage: Massage. Ah, yes, they offer massage. I’d heard good things. So I booked myself in for a full-body massage. I can't lie. It was divine. Truly, blissfully perfect. It was, hands down, the best part of the entire stay. That woman - a true artiste of the human form! - worked wonders. I emerged a different person. Light as a feather. Worth the price of admission all by itself.
Body scrub: I didn't try one. I was busy basking in the afterglow of my massage.
Body wrap: Nope. Ditto.
Foot bath: Didn't see it.
Cleanliness and safety:
* **Anti-viral cleaning products**: I *hoped* they were using them. The whole place *felt* clean, which is a good sign. * **Breakfast in room**: No. * **Breakfast takeaway service**: Not that I saw. * **Cashless payment service**: Yes, thank goodness. * **Daily disinfection in common areas**: Seemed to be actively happening. * **Doctor/nurse on call**: Present. * **First aid kit**: I didn't have to use one. * **Hand sanitizer**: Plentiful. * **Hot water linen and laundry washing**: Presumably. * **Hygiene certification**: Unsure. * **Individually-wrapped food options**: Yes, in some areas. * **Physical distancing of at least 1 meter**: Attempted with varying degrees of success at busy times. * **Professional-grade sanitizing services**: I hope so! * **Room sanitization opt-out available**: Not sure. * **Rooms sanitized between stays**: Seemed likely. * **Safe dining setup**: They were *trying*. * **Sanitized kitchen and tableware items**: Hopefully. * **Shared stationery removed**: Yep. * **Staff trained in safety protocol**: Seemed like it; the staff was friendly. * **Sterilizing equipment**: Who knows!
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Food, Glorious Food (Mostly)
- Restaurants: Plural! Yay!
- Asian cuisine in restaurant: Yes!
- International cuisine in restaurant: Also yes!
- Western cuisine in restaurant: And yes to that!
- A la carte in restaurant: Yep.
- Alternative meal arrangement: Available; I didn't need them.
- Asian breakfast: Delicious.
- Bar: It had one, and it was lovely.
- Bottle of water: Daily.
- Breakfast [buffet]: Yes, and a good one.
- Breakfast service: Yes, both buffet and room service.
- Buffet in restaurant: Yep. And I stuffed myself.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant: Yes and delicious.
- Coffee shop: No.
- Desserts in restaurant: A temptation.
- Happy hour: Absolutely.
- Poolside bar: No, sadly.
- Room service [24-hour]: Delightful!
- Salad in restaurant: Yes.
- Snack bar: No.
- Soup in restaurant: Yes.
- Vegetarian restaurant: No.
- Western breakfast: Yes and satisfying.
The food at SANTERASU? Generally good. The breakfast buffet was a highlight – a delicious and chaotic cornucopia of Japanese and Western options. The dinner at the main restaurant was solid, with a varied menu. One small complaint: the service in the main restaurant could be a little… slow. Be prepared to wait a bit.
Services and Conveniences: The Good, the Bad, and the Slightly Mad
- Air conditioning in public area: Yes, thankfully. Hakone can get hot.
- Audio-visual equipment for special events: Yes.
- Business facilities: Yes.
- Cash withdrawal: Yep.
- Concierge: Helpful, but occasionally overwhelmed.
- Contactless check-in/out: Yes, and much appreciated.
- Convenience store: No.
- Currency exchange: Yes.
- Daily housekeeping: Impeccable.
- Doorman: Present and welcoming.
- Dry cleaning: Yes.
- Elevator: Yup. Saved my legs on multiple occasions.
- Essential condiments: Yes, in the room.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Attempts were made.
- Food delivery: No.
- Gift/souvenir shop: Small, but stocked with overpriced trinkets.
- Indoor venue for special events: Yes, I spotted a few.
- Invoice provided: Yes.
- Ironing service: Yes.
- Laundry service: Yes.
- Luggage storage: Yep.
- Meeting/banquet facilities: Yep.
- Meetings: Yes.
- Meeting stationery: Yes.
- On-site event hosting: Yes.
- Outdoor venue for special events: Yes.
- Projector/LED display: Yes.
- Safety deposit boxes: Yes, in the rooms.
- Seminars: Didn't notice any.
- Shrine: A small shrine on site, very calming.
- **
Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because we're about to dive HEADFIRST into the bubbling onsen waters of Hakone. This isn’t your perfectly polished, Instagram-ready itinerary. This is… MY attempt to survive a trip to Santerasou Hakone, armed with a credit card and a slightly-too-optimistic sense of direction. Prepare for glorious chaos.
The Great Hakone Heist (aka, The Itinerary That May or May Not Survive First Contact)
Day 1: Tokyo Train Terror and Zen Garden-Induced Existential Dread
- 7:00 AM: Alarm. Ugh. Seriously, why do humans willingly set these things? Quick coffee, a mental pep talk (mostly about not losing my passport), and frantically shove everything into my carry-on. Fingers crossed the train from Tokyo to Hakone is less chaotic than my morning.
- 8:00 AM: Tokyo Station – the human equivalent of a swarming ant colony during mating season. Find my train! (Hopefully. The Japanese signage is…challenging, to say the least. Wish me luck.). Buy a bento box that looks suspiciously like a piece of art. This is already a success, right?
- 9:30 AM: Arrive in Hakone. Breathe. The mountain air is fresher, but still, it's the start of the real deal!
- 10:00 AM: Check-in at Santerasou Hakone. Pray the room isn't haunted. I'm easily spooked.
- 11:00 AM: So, the Zen Garden. Okay. So, they say it’s meant to inspire contemplation… I walked in, and my brain went into a rapid-fire loop of “I haven’t done laundry in a week,” “Is that a weed?”, and "should I have a cat?". Deep, man. Real deep. I emerged feeling mostly confused, potentially emotionally unavailable, and craving a cheeseburger.
- 12:30 PM: Lunch. Decided to try the local udon. It was… okay. Definitely edible. Not the cheeseburger I was secretly coveting. On a side note, anyone else think the Japanese are REALLY good at presentation? Like, even the noodles look artful. I'm just glad mine didn't slither off the plate.
- 2:00 PM: Hakone Ropeway! Time to see the volcanic hot springs! Wait… what are those smells? Okay, it's sulfur. I'm now officially experiencing nature's perfume. The views, though, were spectacular. Think James Bond mountain backdrop…but with a slightly eggy scent.
- 3:30 PM: Black Eggs! (Kuro-tamago) - Supposedly, they add years to your life! I ate two. Now I'm either going to live forever or need a Pepto-Bismol. I'm okay with either outcome.
- 5:00 PM: Back to the hotel, and I took a stroll to the nearby Lake Ashi. Pretty, majestic, and a bit too quiet. Felt like everyone on the lake was judging my slightly messy hair.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner. Ah yes, the kaiseki (multi-course Japanese dinner). This is where things get REALLY interesting (and potentially embarrassing, given my chopstick skills). So much food, so many tiny, exquisite dishes. I felt simultaneously sophisticated and like a whale trying to consume a minnow. The tempura was fire, though. Literally made me sweat.
- 9:00 PM: Onsen time! YES. Finally, a bath. So, the public bath situation requires some… adjustment. Naked bathing in front of strangers? Okay, deep breaths. It's… liberating. Also, the water is SO HOT. I emerged feeling like a cooked lobster, but also strangely relaxed. Ready for bed after that ordeal!
- 10:00 PM: Bedtime. Dream of cheeseburgers, volcanic eggs, and hopefully not smelling like sulfur.
Day 2: Art, Boats, and the Eternal Quest for the Perfect Souvenir (and a Decent Cup of Coffee)
- 7:00 AM: Wake up, feeling surprisingly refreshed from the onsen. (Maybe the sulfur did something positive?) Coffee. Need coffee. Immediately. (The hotel coffee was… underwhelming. The eternal quest begins.)
- 8:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel! Lots of interesting options. I'm sticking with what I know. Eggs. Bacon, or the Japanese version thereof. Toast. Success is defined by the breakfast experience.
- 9:00 AM: The Hakone Open-Air Museum. The art is… well, it's art. Some of it I loved, some of it had me scratching my head and wondering if I’d accidentally wandered into a parallel universe. The giant, playful sculptures were a win, though. Perfect photo ops.
- 11:00 AM: The Hakone Venetian Gondola. Romantic. Pretty. Slightly terrifying. I may or may not have mumbled under my breath, "Please don't tip, please don't tip" the entire time the boat was moving.
- 12:30 PM: Lunch, again, somewhere that does udon. I'm not particularly impressed with the udon situation. I can't find other options nearby. This is probably the only downside of the trip.
- 2:00 PM: Lake Ashi Cruise. Now this is a tourist trap. The views are still amazing, I will admit. But the boat is packed with people taking selfies (guilty), and the piped-in music is a bit…cheesy. Still, a pleasant distraction.
- 3:30 PM: souvenir shopping. The eternal struggle of the traveler. The souvenir is never quite what you hoped for. I want to buy everything. It's a lot of pressure.
- 5:00 PM: Stroll through the streets of Hakone. I found a hidden ramen shop that was pure bliss. So good, I ate two bowls. No regrets.
- 7:00 PM: One more onsen. Because, why not? Embrace the heat, embrace the weirdness of public bathing.
- 9:00 PM: Packing. The end is nigh! I'm starting to feel that melancholy travel feeling. I hate packing.
- 10:00 PM: Sleep.
Day 3: Departure and the Aftermath of Awesome
- 7:00 AM: Up. Final coffee attempt.
- 8:00 AM: Hotel check-out. Saying goodbye to this beautiful slice of the world wasn't easy. Now I'm back to the human ant colony in Tokyo.
- 9:00 AM: Train to Tokyo.
- 10:00 AM: Arrive in Tokyo.
- 11:00 AM: Post trip regret.
- 1:00 PM: Head back home.
- 5:00 PM: Unpacking.
- 6:00 PM: Planning the next trip!
Important Notes & Imperfections:
- Transportation: Public transport in Japan is AMAZING (and a little terrifying for the uninitiated). Embrace the chaos! Get a Suica card (or equivalent) and just wing it.
- Language Barrier: Learn some basic Japanese phrases. Trust me, it helps. (And be prepared to make a lot of hand gestures.)
- Food: Be adventurous! Try EVERYTHING. You might hate some things, but you'll discover some incredible flavors. Get food poisoning, and wish someone had warned you.
- Pacing: This itinerary is… a suggestion. Don't be afraid to deviate.
- Emotions: You will get lost. You will get tired. You will probably cry at least once. That's okay. It's part of the experience.
- Me: I'm probably going to have an existential crisis or three. Don't worry about me. I'll survive. Probably.
So, there you have it. My brutally honest, slightly neurotic attempt to conquer Hakone. May your travels be filled with as much delicious ramen, stunning views, and accidental adventures as mine. And may your onsen experiences be a little less…awkward…than mine.
Goldman Apartment Abuja: Luxury Living Awaits!
SANTERASU – Hakone's Hidden Gem (And My Head's Slightly Spinning!) – FAQ!
Okay, so *what* exactly *is* SANTERASU, and why all the fuss? Seriously, I'm lost!
Alright, buckle up, because explaining SANTERASU is like… well, like trying to describe a dream you barely remember! It's a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) nestled in Hakone, known for its… okay, let's just call it *vibe*. Think stunning mountain views, onsen (hot springs) that'll turn you into a prune (in a good way!), and food that'll make you weep with joy (I'm not kidding, I almost *did*).
The fussy, curated perfection of many luxury hotels is not what you are getting. It’s more akin to a warm hug from a slightly eccentric millionaire. It's the antithesis of sterile. It's… *experience*. And well, the fuss? Because finding it is half the battle. Seriously, I almost gave up and went to McDonalds. I'm glad I didn't.
Is it *really* hard to find? Because I’m directionally challenged. Like, REALLY.
Okay, this one… yes. It *is* a bit of an adventure. Think hidden winding roads, small unmarked signs (if any), and a GPS that's probably lying to you. I swear, I spent at least 30 minutes (and a few muttered profanities) driving in circles. My wife, bless her soul, just sighed and said, "It's part of the charm, honey." Charm. Right.
My advice? Print out *very* detailed directions. And maybe bring a compass. And a strong sense of adventure. And perhaps a small prayer to the GPS gods. Or just, you know, a local to guide you. Seriously, I'd pay someone good money to guide me next time. Though the eventual “aha!” moment of finally finding it is pretty satisfying, I’ll concede that.
So, the onsen. Are they… *awkward*? I'm not exactly comfortable with the whole communal bathing thing.
Look, I get it. The thought of bathing naked with strangers is enough to send anyone into a cold sweat. And yes, it's traditional, that’s the point of a ryokan. But honestly? It's less awkward than you think. People keep to themselves, mostly. Everyone’s just… you know… trying to relax. Plus, the onsen at SANTERASU? Stunning. I mean, *jaw-droppingly* beautiful. I spent a good hour one evening just staring at Mount Fuji, completely lost in the moment. It’s an experience.
Pro tip: Go during off-peak hours if you're *really* worried. But honestly, just embrace it! You'll feel like a new person afterwards. A very clean, relaxed, and slightly pruney new person. And, the best part? No phones allowed - absolute bliss!
Let's talk food. Is it… actual, real, delicious food? Or just pretty-looking tiny portions?
Oh. My. God. The food. Forget "tiny portions." Forget "pretty." This is a culinary *experience*. Each course is a work of art, a symphony of flavors, and a rollercoaster for your tastebuds. Think melt-in-your-mouth wagyu beef, freshest sushi, and vegetables that actually *taste* like vegetables (imagine that!).
They use local ingredients, seasonal dishes, and, I’m pretty sure, a touch of magic. I swear, the tempura prawns were sent from heaven! Seriously, I asked if I could take the chef home with me. They said no. (I'm still working on it.) Just… go hungry. And prepare to be amazed. Just... book. Right now.
What about the rooms? Are they… comfortable? Do they have actual beds?
Yes! They are comfortable! And yes, they have beds – mostly. Some rooms have traditional futons (which, honestly, are surprisingly comfortable once you get used to them). Others have modern Western-style beds. The rooms are spacious, beautifully decorated, and have those incredible views I mentioned.
The imperfections, are where the true charm is. A slightly uneven floorboard here, a barely noticeable mark on the wall there. It isn’t clinical. It’s real. Trust me, after a day of exploring Hakone and soaking in the onsen, you'll be happy to collapse anywhere. And the rooms at SANTERASU are a perfect place to collapse in. After all, you're never going to forget those views, and those moments of calm.
Is SANTERASU good for families? Or is it more of a romantic getaway kind of place?
Hmm… This one is a tricky one. While children are permitted, SANTERASU leans more towards the romantic or quiet escape. It's a place for tranquility and relaxation, not necessarily boisterous family fun. There are not many amenities tailored specifically for kids. They have been known to accommodate younger guests, albeit with some stipulations.
If you're looking for a tranquil escape with your partner, it's absolutely perfect. If you have young, very well-behaved, and quiet children, it *could* work. But really, I'd suggest it's better suited for couples or solo travelers looking for a peaceful retreat. Consider that before you decide, honestly. It's crucial for a harmonious experience.
Is it expensive? Because, let's be honest, it probably *is*, right?
Yeah. It's not exactly budget-friendly. It's a splurge. But here's the thing: You're paying for an experience. You're paying for the views, the food, the service, the *feeling*. You're paying for the memories. Is it worth it? That's a question only you can answer.
Me? I'd say… maybe. My credit card is still sighing in pain. But would I go back? In a heartbeat. I'm already planning my return, in fact, even if it means eating nothing but instant ramen for a month to recover financially. It's that good.
What's the service like? Is it all stiff and formal, or is there actualCheap Hotel Search
Post a Comment for "Uncover Hakone's Hidden Gem: SANTERASU's Secret Revealed!"