The Aura Tachibana is a ryokan in Hakone, Japan, and this is my Aura Tachibana Review! To learn more about ryokans, which are traditional Japanese inns, check out my article on whether it’s worth it to stay in a ryokan. (The answer is YES!)
In This Article...
Overall review of the Aura Tachibana: A wonderful way to relax for a few days
Pros: Fantastic food and service, lovely hot springs, beautiful location
Cons: None, just realize that it’s a ryokan off the beaten path, not an enormous hotel in Tokyo!
I paid: $259 for 2 nights in a private onsen suite, including elaborate breakfasts and dinners for 2 guests
Value: $989
How to stay here for less:
- Book through Hotels.com. The Aura Tachibana, like many ryokans, is not part of a large chain or loyalty program and thus there are no elite benefits. I specifically booked a large room with its own private onsen (outdoor hot spring) on the balcony. The Aura Tachibana offers breakfast and dinner for two people as part of the rate, so even if I had paid the full $989, I think it would’ve been worth it!
- To reduce the cost on Hotels.com, I combined a Capital One Venture Rewards Card 50,000 point signup bonus with a Hotels.com free night credit. The 50,000 point signup bonus erased $500 off the cost, and my Hotels.com credit was worth $230.
- You get one free night credit with every 10 paid nights on Hotels.com, and the free night credit is worth the average of your paid nights. Note, you shouldn’t redeem it on a night that costs less than your average, because you’ll lose that value! For example, nights at the Aura Tachibana cost $494 each, which exceeds my $230-average free night credit. This was fine and I received the full $230 value. But if I were staying somewhere that cost only $130 per night, I’d lose the extra $100 in value! (=$230-$130.)
- Other ways you can reduce the cost of Hotels.com: Sometimes there are Amex Offers and Chase Offers for Hotels.com, and sometimes you can buy gift cards at a reduced cost.
Check out more details on how I booked a luxury $53,000 trip to Japan, including the lovely Aura Tachibana, in my guide to How to Book a Luxury Trip to Japan for Cheap.
What is a ryokan?
A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn that typically isn’t associated with a big hotel chain. It’s usually independently operated and tends to be both smaller and older than your typical Hyatt Regency or Hilton, for instance. Ryokans often provide breakfast and dinner to their guests as part of the room rate. These are usually very Japanese meals, with lots of fish and rice dishes (yes, even at breakfast!). Since ryokans are located away from big city centers, they often – but not always – include hot springs or onsens. I made sure I got a room with my own private onsen! There are often onsen facilities for all guests to use in ryokans too.
When you visit a ryokan, you should expect the pace of life to be a little slower than, say, running around Tokyo. They’ll probably give you clothing to wear and specific mealtimes. For more on what to expect in a ryokan, check out my in-depth guide to ryokans.
About the Aura Tachibana review
Now for the details. I absolutely loved my stay at the Aura Tachibana. I’ve stayed in several ryokans in Japan, and this was by far my favorite!
Location: Aura Tachibana in Hakone
The Aura Tachibana is in Hakone, which is a mountain town about an hour away from Tokyo by train. Think of it as a far-out suburb of Tokyo that feels very removed. In my guide to a two-week luxury trip to Japan, I said that it was ideal to use your miles to fly first-class into Tokyo and then immediately head to Hakone for your first couple nights at the Aura Tachibana. This is because you’ll have such a relaxing experience.
The town of Hakone is quaint and beautiful. There is an open-air museum you can explore with the mountains as a gorgeous backdrop.
Location-wise, the Aura Tachibana is about a 20-minute walk from the Hakone Yumoto station, which is in the middle of Hakone Town, where you’ll encounter some nice small shops and restaurants. Hakone Town is very walkable itself. And while you could probably walk from Hakone Yumoto Station up to the Aura Tachibana, I wouldn’t recommend doing so with luggage. You’re going to go up tons of steep hills with narrow roads. Pay the ~$10 for a cheap taxi.
The room
Our room was immaculately clean, and very large, as we had purchased a room with a separate tatami mat area and our own private onsen on our private balcony. I highly recommend doing this if stay at the Aura Tachibana. Remember, you’re unlikely to get a free upgrade, and in this case, it’s worth it to just purchase the room you want.
As with most ryokans, our beds were Japanese-style, meaning they’re futons on the floor with separate blankets for each person. If it’s important to you to have a “Western-style” bed, make sure you ask the hotel about it before you stay there! We thought the Japanese-style beds at the Aura Tachibana were very comfortable though.
The amenities provided in the room were pretty great, too! They give each guest a yukata, slippers, and toe socks. All were very comfortable. You also get in-room espresso and tea.
I’ve never seen this before, but it was a really great surprise: They give you a free smartphone to use while you’re staying at the hotel!
I didn’t take great pictures of our bathroom. It was immaculately clean and perfectly nice, but nothing special. As you can tell from the pictures, this is an older hotel with modern touches, but it doesn’t scream “luxury” at you in the furnishings. That was totally ok with us, as the bed and space were very high-quality. And perhaps most importantly we had our own…
Private onsen on our balcony
The highlight was walking out to our balcony that is extremely private and secluded, and sitting in our own hot spring!
Breakfast & Dinner: Aura Tachibana Review
Another major highlight of the Aura Tachibana? The incredible meals they provided as part of the rate. Two people got breakfast and dinner every day, and the offerings were different each time.
Note, some ryokans bring you these multi-course meals to your room, to be served on your tatami mat area. That was not the case here; you’re served in a common dining room. At first I was disappointed, but this turned out to be lovely. The dining room was beautiful, and you’re served individually, not buffet-style. Meals are coursed out as if you’re at a fine restaurant.
At breakfast, we were greeted with this menu, rolled up in a paper that said “Good Morning.” I loved how these were customized every day, with pictures too!
And the food at breakfast was delicious! We were served mackerel, vegetable dishes, rice, and tofu.
Note, you have to decide in advance what time you’re going to eat breakfast and dinner, so you can’t just show up “whenever.”
For dinner we got exquisitely fresh sashimi plus a local crab soup and dumplings.
Both days, the dinners and breakfasts were different from each other with different menus. However, the style of food was pretty similar: It’s traditional Japanese food with a big emphasis on fresh seafood and vegetables. We loved it! One thing to note is that food, tea, and water are all included in the rate, but you should expect to pay an extra ~$7 for a glass of wine with dinner.
This was a huge highlight of our trip. It was so nice to wake up to a lovely seated breakfast, then head into Hakone Town for a couple hours, and come back for some hot spring action before a lovely dinner. As you can tell, this was not the most “active” part of our vacation, and we loved it.
Hot springs: Aura Tachibana Review
I visited the ryokan’s public onsen facilities, in addition to using our private onsen of course. The Aura Tachibana makes a hot spring area available to guests, and it’s all gender-separated – meaning separate facilities for both men and women.
Both genders’ facilities were pretty similar. They consisted of an indoor area where you shower and a couple of indoor hot tubs. Then outside, there are a couple of hot springs like the one shown above. The surrounding area is gorgeous, of course, with the Hakone mountains, and everything is serene.
While lovely, the Aura Tachibana’s facilities aren’t huge. I checked this out, but mostly used the private onsen on my balcony, which boasted the same view and water. If you’re looking to experience a hot spring “theme park,” this actually does exist in Hakone! The Yunessun Spa even has an indoor wine hot spring.
Bottom line
Would I stay here again? YES! In a heartbeat. And even though I only paid $259 for this 2-night stay, I’d pay the full $1000. It’s worth it.
Note that this is a great place to stay for a couple of days if your objective is to relax. If you’re ready to visit all the museums and experience all the nightlife, Hakone isn’t the place for you. That’s why in my guide to an epic 2-week luxury trip to Japan, I advocated coming here first after getting off the plane. It’s a great way to decompress and get over your jetlag, so that you’re not falling asleep at 2p every day in Tokyo.
I loved this ryokan and hope you enjoyed my Aura Tachibana review! If you liked it, please share on Facebook and like my page!
That looks like an awesome place to stay!
Thanks 🙂 Glad you think so too! We loved it.