Ashinoko
Family-Friendly Hotels in Lake Ashi: A Highland Lake and Forest Resort
Choosing a family stay on the shores of Lake Ashi around Japanese-style rooms and hot springs
8 family-friendly hotels in Lake Ashi, verified by Kids Stay: 5 with tatami rooms, 3 with private onsen baths, 3 with in-room baths, 5 with toddler meals and 5 with allergy-friendly meals. Every listing is checked against the official hotel website or Rakuten Travel.
When you are choosing a family hotel around Lake Ashi, it can be hard to know what to judge it by. Within Hakone, the area around Lake Ashi sits at high elevation, ringed by lake and forest, and it feels quite different from a hot spring town like Hakone Yumoto. The upside is a calm, unhurried stay. The trade-off is that there is no dense cluster of children's attractions in a town center nearby, so how much you can comfortably do inside the hotel itself makes a big difference to how the trip feels.
One defining feature of hotels here is how many of them offer Japanese-style or Japanese-Western rooms. Of the 8 properties we list, 5 have Japanese-style or Japanese-Western rooms, so families with a baby still young enough to roll off a bed can lay futons side by side on the floor and sleep with real peace of mind. On tatami you can also set a crawling baby down safely, which means you are not rushing while you unpack after check-in, and that is something guests mention often in their reviews.
Meals are another area where you have real choice. 5 hotels serve a toddler meal menu and 5 accommodate food allergies, which lowers the hurdle of eating out with a small child considerably. Some properties, such as Odakyu Hakone YAMANOHOTEL, serve meals in your room or in private and semi-private dining spaces, which suits families who would rather sit down to dinner without worrying too much about the people around them. Ryuguden offers Japanese-style and Japanese-Western rooms as well as rooms with their own open-air bath, so even families with a baby who is not yet ready for the large communal bath can still soak.
Bathing options are a strength of this area too. Hakone Hotel Kagetsuen has private baths you can reserve at no charge, so siblings can be lively without disturbing anyone. The Prince Hakone Ashinoko lends out cribs and bed guards, offers late check-out, and runs kids' programs and activities, which makes it a natural fit for families who want to build the whole day around the grounds. If you would rather spread out, a whole-house rental such as the Hakone-en Cottages is another way to go.
Kanagawa Prefecture includes the wider Hakone area, and the Lake Ashi shore is the part of Hakone that leans most heavily toward nature. Getting there takes a little more travel, but in exchange it is quiet, and for families who want a place where children's voices do not carry, that trade is exactly the right one to make.
Highlights
- checkMany Japanese-style rooms for futon sleeping
- checkPrivate baths and in-room open-air baths for worry-free soaking
- checkStrong toddler meal and allergy support
Family-friendly features in Lake Ashi
Recommended hotels (8)
Odakyu Hakone YAMANOHOTEL
The Prince Hakone Ashinoko
Ryuguden
Hakone Hotel Kagetsuen
Hakone Yunohana Prince Hotel
Ashinoyu Onsen Kinokuniya
Hakone Elegance
Hakone-en Cottages
See all hotels in Lake Ashi (8)expand_more
Our 5 picks in Lake Ashi, and why
If you only have a minute: these five are where we would start. Ranked by what families actually booked and what each hotel verifiably offers for babies and toddlers.
- 1Odakyu Hakone YAMANOHOTELstar4.5 (1350 reviews on Rakuten)
Why: A long-established resort on the shore of Lake Ashi, with onsen from its own spring source, French and Japanese restaurants, and a welcome for families with children.
verifiedWhat we verified: A crib for children under 1 is available at 4,000 yen each; numbers are limited, so advance reservation is recommended.
checkJapanese / Japanese-Western RoomcheckIn-Room Bath / Open-Air BathcheckBaby Crib Rental - 2The Prince Hakone Ashinokostar4.6 (1431 reviews on Rakuten)
Why: A lakeside resort on Lake Ashinoko designed by Togo Murano, with co-sleeping at no charge for young children and cribs available to borrow for family trips.
verifiedWhat we verified: Kids' menus are available depending on the restaurant.
checkBaby Crib RentalcheckToddler MealcheckEnglish-Speaking Staff - 3Ryugudenstar4.4 (286 reviews on Rakuten)
Why: A purely Japanese-style ryokan on Lake Ashi. Every room has its own bath, babies and toddlers can stay free if they meet the conditions, and the Main Building onsen is free to use.
verifiedWhat we verified: The rooms with an indoor onsen bath use onsen water, which is not free-flowing from the source and not cloudy; only the 3 Special Japanese-style tatami rooms have one.
checkJapanese / Japanese-Western RoomcheckIn-Room Bath / Open-Air BathcheckAllergy Support - 4Hakone Hotel Kagetsuenstar4.1 (1846 reviews on Rakuten)
Why: A hotel on the Sengokuhara highlands with 4 private-hire baths in individual rooms, free to use 24 hours a day, and 42 sq m Japanese-Western rooms that suit families.
verifiedWhat we verified: For children under school age, meals are prepared in the style of a kids' meal.
checkJapanese / Japanese-Western RoomcheckPrivate BathcheckToddler Meal - 5Hakone Yunohana Prince Hotelstar4.5 (617 reviews on Rakuten)
Why: An onsen hotel on a highland plateau at 935 m. Mainly tatami rooms with futon bedding for up to 5, suited to families, plus meal menus for children.
verifiedWhat we verified: The kids' course meal includes dishes such as teriyaki chicken, grilled fish, Hamburg steak and a hot pot, and the kids' set includes fried shrimp, Hamburg steak, chicken rice and more.
checkJapanese / Japanese-Western RoomcheckToddler MealcheckAllergy Support
Nearby attractions
Travel tips
The shores of Lake Ashi are full of slopes and woodland, and moving around with a stroller alone can be tiring, so bringing a baby carrier as well makes getting about much easier. The elevation is high and mornings and evenings can be chilly even in summer, so an extra light layer is worth packing. Several hotels lend out humidifiers and air purifiers, which is well worth checking in advance when you are traveling with a baby or toddler in the dry season.
Best season
Early summer, when the new leaves are out, and the autumn foliage season are the most comfortable times to visit. In summer the elevation keeps it cooler than the lowlands, which makes lakeside walks pleasant. Autumn is known for the trees around the lake turning color, though the peak shifts from year to year, so treat it as a rough guide. Winter is cold, but some hotels, such as The Prince Hakone Ashinoko, promote snow play and proximity to a ski area, which pairs easily with seasonal activities.
Getting there
The Lake Ashi area lies deep inside Hakone, so from the nearest railway stations you will mostly travel on by bus, ropeway, or car. A car is convenient if you are carrying a lot of baby gear, but you can reach the lakeside on public transportation with a couple of connections. Shuttle service varies from hotel to hotel, so confirming when you book makes the day itself much easier to plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
From what age can children enjoy the Lake Ashi area?
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If you plan your time mainly around the hotel itself, the area works well even with a very young baby. 5 properties have Japanese-style or Japanese-Western rooms, so you can sleep on futons, which is reassuring once a baby starts rolling over. Enjoying lakeside walks and sightseeing cruises together tends to come once a child is walking.
Are there hotels that suit families with a baby?
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Hotels with a private bath or an in-room open-air bath make it easier to soak even before a baby is ready for the large communal bath. Hakone Hotel Kagetsuen lets you use its private baths at no charge and provides baby baths and diaper bins. Ryuguden has a simple thermal spring (tanjun onsen) considered gentle for babies, plus rooms with an in-room bath or a private open-air bath.
Is it inconvenient without a car?
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A car certainly makes moving around easier, but you can reach the lakeside on public transportation. That said, there are many slopes and transfers, and managing a stroller and luggage can be a strain. If you are planning to spend most of your time at the hotel, public transportation works perfectly well. Shuttle service differs by property, so it is safest to confirm when you book.
What can we do on a rainy day?
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Choosing a hotel where the day can be spent entirely indoors makes you far less dependent on the weather. The Prince Hakone Ashinoko and Hakone Yunohana Prince Hotel both offer kids' programs and activities, which helps on days when going out is difficult. Some properties also offer late check-out, so you can plan a slow morning.
Can we ask for allergy accommodations at meals?
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5 hotels accommodate food allergies and 5 offer a toddler meal menu. Odakyu Hakone YAMANOHOTEL, Hakone Yunohana Prince Hotel, and Ryuguden are among those that can help. What they can do varies depending on the ingredients and cooking methods involved, so giving specifics when you book is the surest approach.