Hakone, JapanGora
Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora
Digital onsen bathhouse
Gora Hakone, Japan
Opened
2020
Price
$$$
Rated for
Wellness Design LocalOutside the door
The house
IHGDigital onsen bathhouse
This lively alternative to the traditional ryokan swaps quiet contemplation for a communal thermal bathhouse animated by dynamic digital art.
“Rooms are thoroughly Western in style, which might come as a surprise for travelers in search of tatami, but you'll get your very own wooden soaking tub filled with onsen water”
What it’s good at
Listed
Geometric Yosegi-zaiku parquetry patterns accent contemporary rooms overlooking the Haya River.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler.
This is a modern, boutique-influenced hotel through and through, and it’s visible not only in the design, which makes liberal use of modern furniture, graphic art, and non-traditional colors.
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Riverfront paths run along the Haya River right outside. Gora Station and its mountain railway are a short drive uphill.
The rooms
Rooms have Western beds instead of tatami, and each includes a private soaking tub fed by natural hot springs.
Gym and lounge
Bring a swimsuit.
The 24-hour gym faces a wall-sized digital screen, and curved mosaic loungers sit just outside the baths.
The onsen
Soak slowly.
Communal hot-spring pools include a standing bath and jacuzzi, and an outdoor terrace counter offers riverside footbaths.
Restaurant
Riverside Kitchen & Bar
An open firewood grill cooks regional meats, and the curved bar pours custom craft beer brewed in Kamakura.
Hakone
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.