日本語版はこちら → 箱根小涌園 天悠 露天風呂付最上階客室 宿泊記

We stayed one night at Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu, a hot spring hotel in Hakone, with our 5-year-old son (two adults and one child). Our plan included a top-floor Japanese-style room with a private open-air bath, dinner and breakfast buffets, and unlimited entry to Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, a hot-spring water park next door. There was a lot to love as a family — attentive staff at check-in and free ice cream, for example — but also a few things to watch out for, like the shower and the beds. Here’s our honest review from a parent’s point of view.

* We paid for this stay ourselves. Prices and facilities are as of our stay (August 2026). Please check the official website for the latest information.

* This post contains affiliate links. I paid for every stay myself, and my reviews are written the same way whether or not a link is included.

Kid-friendly features at a glance

Item	Rating	Comment
Check-in / check-out	Excellent	Wonderfully attentive staff. Ice cream and drinks make the wait easy
Unlimited ice cream	Excellent	Uses tokens handed out free to guests. Kids love it
Public baths	Excellent	Spacious, and open during the daytime too
Foot bath	Good	Not too crowded, very comfortable
Buffet	Good	Authentic seasonal menu. Families with kids are seated together
Private open-air bath	Good	Feels open and relaxing. Water is very hot — adjust the temperature for kids
In-room shower	Watch out	Small. Tricky with a child who can’t stand alone yet
Beds	Watch out	Can’t be pushed together. The 3rd bed is a sofa bed
Laundry	Watch out	Few machines, and you can’t see if they’re free

Is it a good fit for your child’s age?

Babies

The buffet has food carts that seem useful if you’re carrying a baby. However, the in-room shower is small and the third bed is a sofa bed, so check the sleeping setup in advance.

Toddlers who can’t stand on their own yet

The shower booth is narrow, so showering together to wash your child may be a bit of a struggle.
It works fine for a quick rinse of the child alone. The private open-air bath is very hot, so be careful with the temperature.

Preschoolers to elementary school kids

Unlimited ice cream, the foot bath and unlimited Yunessun entry — there’s plenty of fun, and we think this age group will enjoy it the most.

Basic information

Hotel	Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu (Fujita Kanko), Hakone, Kanagawa
Stay	August 2026, 1 night
Travelers	2 adults + our 5-year-old son
Room	Top-floor Japanese-style room with private open-air hot spring bath
Plan	Premium dinner & breakfast buffet (early dinner seating) + unlimited Yunessun entry
Price	About JPY 90,000 (2 adults + 1 child)
Booked via	Ikyu.com (Japanese booking site)
Access	Shuttle bus from Gora Station (bus has the Ten-yu logo)

Check-in and shuttle bus

A shuttle bus runs from Gora Station. The bus has the Ten-yu logo on it, so when you spot it, just hop on. The stopping spot may vary depending on the driver, so it helps to look around a little.

The staff at check-in and check-out were wonderfully attentive. While waiting, you can have ice cream and drinks, so our son didn’t get bored and the wait didn’t bother us at all.

There were many international guests with suitcases, and there’s a suitcase storage area right next to the entrance.

The room (top floor, with private open-air bath)

The massage chair in the room was nice. The TV connects to the internet, so you can log in with your own account to watch streaming services.
The hallway from the entrance to the room and washroom is only about one adult wide, so passing each other takes a little care. The fridge doesn’t cool until you switch it on, so we recommend turning it on as soon as you arrive. (There was a note about it, but we didn’t read it properly — the next day was a disaster, haha.)

We noticed a bit of dust, so opening the window to air the room out for a while might be a good idea.

The beds can’t be pushed together. Up a few steps there’s a sofa area, and the third bed is this sofa bed rather than a futon, so some people may find it hard to sleep on. Also, the windows have blinds rather than blackout curtains, so the morning light coming through the gaps woke our son up early.

The private open-air bath and hanging chair feel open and refreshing. The bath water is extremely hot, so adjusting the temperature is a must.

Bathroom and toiletries

The shower is narrow, so families with a toddler who can’t stand alone may find it a bit of a struggle. It’s not really the kind where you shower together with your child. The toiletries are by DHC and felt gentle on the skin, which we appreciated.

There are basket bags for carrying your things to the public baths, but they’re hidden behind a door at the back of the washroom and easy to miss — have a look for them.

Public baths and foot bath

The public baths were spacious and lovely. They’re open during the daytime too, so you can go to Yunessun, change, and then head straight to the hotel’s baths — a great point.

The foot bath wasn’t too crowded either, and was very comfortable.

Ice cream, laundry and other facilities

The unlimited ice cream works with tokens that are handed out free to hotel guests. Our son was delighted, and we loved it too.

The laundry room has only a few machines, and you can’t tell whether they’re in use, which made it a bit of a hassle.

Dinner and breakfast buffet

The restaurant is on the lobby floor. Our dinner overlapped with an event, so we could hear the live music in the lobby, which made lovely background music. Families with kids are seated together in one area, which felt considerate.

The buffet area is a little narrow, so you need some care passing other guests with kids in tow.
The seasonal fair menu was authentic, designed with international guests in mind, with a decent variety that we enjoyed.

There are food carts, but they don’t hold several trays, and there didn’t seem to be enough for the number of guests — they were often all in use. They seem best suited for elderly guests, pregnant guests, or anyone carrying a baby.
We saw some people leaving used carts at their tables; a small sign on the handle reminding guests to return them might help.

Summary

• Attentive staff and free ice cream mean almost zero waiting stress with kids
• Public baths are open in the daytime — a great match for the unlimited Yunessun plan
• Know before you go: the private bath is very hot, the shower is small, and the beds can’t be pushed together
• The buffet seats families together, and the seasonal menu is authentic

Paired with Yunessun, this is a hotel we’d recommend to families who want to enjoy both hot springs and play in Hakone.

Last checked: October 17, 2026