Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora or Laforet Hakone Gora Yunosumika?
Every Hotel Indigo room has a private natural-spring bath; at Laforet Hakone Gora Yunosumika, the room category determines whether it has one.
Checked: September 27, 2026
Both properties sit in the Gora area and have a contemporary feel, but their room pricing starts from different promises. Indigo’s standard rooms already have private onsen baths. Laforet’s main-building standard rooms are a more conventional choice, while selected Premium rooms and the separate Ayano wing add private spring water. That makes Laforet more flexible if you do not need a room bath, and Indigo easier to shop if you do.
The room category changes the comparison
Hotel Indigo says every room has a tub supplied with natural hot-spring water. Its standard rooms are about 37 square metres; Riverside rooms with private outdoor baths are about 38 square metres, and the Premium Corner King is 49 square metres. The meaningful upgrade is therefore the bath’s setting, view and extra space—not access to onsen water itself.
Laforet’s main building has standard Japanese-style and Japanese-Western rooms, plus a separate set of Premium rooms explicitly listed with hot-spring outdoor baths. The standard category is not a substitute for Indigo’s spring-fed room bath. If private natural water matters, compare Indigo’s standard room with a Laforet Premium room, not with Laforet’s lowest-priced room.
The Ayano wing is the clearest option at Laforet: its Premium rooms have an outdoor hot-spring bath and terrace. The standard room is 40 square metres including the terrace, with listed capacities of two to three or two to four guests depending on category. There are also dog-friendly rooms, which require travelling with a dog. Availability and exact room names vary, so use the hotel’s live room description rather than a booking-site shorthand.
| If your priority is… | A useful starting point |
|---|---|
| A private natural bath without a room-category puzzle | Indigo Standard |
| A lower room tier and shared bathing is fine | Laforet main-building Standard |
| An outdoor spring bath in the room | Indigo Riverside or Laforet Premium/Ayano; compare the exact layout |
| A terrace and private outdoor spring bath together | Laforet Ayano |
| A mixed group that wants to soak together | Indigo’s swimsuit-required Thermal Spring |
Shared bathing is a separate decision
Indigo’s Thermal Spring is a shared, swimsuit-required bathing area, so couples, friends and mixed-gender family groups can use it together. It is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; hotel guests can use it without an admission charge, while swimsuit rental costs ¥500. Children under 12 need an accompanying adult. The hotel says day-use access can be restricted when busy, so contact it before making a separate visit around the facility.
Laforet’s main public bath is gender-separated and includes an outdoor bath and sauna. It is open 6–10 a.m. and noon–midnight, with a Thursday start at 3 p.m.; the sauna has a shorter evening window. Laforet does not list a bookable family bath. If everyone in your party wants to bathe together, the room itself is the practical option there, which means choosing a spring-fed room in advance.
At Laforet, guests may use the public bath if two 8 × 10 cm cover seals fully conceal their tattoos. If they will not, check whether your room’s bath suits your needs. Indigo’s swimsuit-required Thermal Spring and its private in-room baths have separate rules; contact the hotel about the specific bathing option you intend to use.
Their locations serve different arrival plans
Indigo offers a free shuttle from Odawara Station, with departures currently listed at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Seating is limited. It also offers a Gora Station pickup on request between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The hotel specifically warns that the walk from Gora involves steep slopes and stairs, so dragging a large suitcase uphill is a poor fallback. A local bus to Miyagino-bashi followed by a short walk is another option.
Laforet is reached by the Hakone Tozan Cable Car to Naka-Gora; use the right-hand exit, then walk about five minutes. From Gora, the hotel also lists a local bus to Himeshara-rindo-iriguchi, followed by a five-minute walk. It is closer to the cable-car line towards Sounzan and the ropeway, while Indigo’s Odawara shuttle is useful when you want a direct transfer from the train station. The cable car and road schedules, not a map’s straight-line distance, should shape the arrival plan.
For a wider look at where to stay around Hakone, see the area-by-area base guide. If you are travelling without a car, the Hakone onsen hotel access comparison weighs station walks, shuttles and bus stops across more properties.
How to compare rates without buying the wrong feature
Set the same dates, party size, meal plan and cancellation terms on both booking pages. Then compare the room name and the bath description. At Indigo, decide whether the indoor private onsen is enough or whether an open-air layout is worth the increase. At Laforet, decide first whether you need a private spring bath at all; if you do, filter out the main-building Standard rooms before looking at price.
The two hotels are not a simple “luxury versus value” choice. Laforet can cost less when a shared bath and a larger standard room meet your needs. Indigo’s entry room already includes a private spring bath, so it may be the clearer value for someone who would otherwise pay to upgrade at Laforet. The Ayano wing is a different product again, with an outdoor bath and terrace built into the room category.
If a private bath is the only reason to stay overnight, compare these with the other properties in the Hakone private-bath ryokan guide. The room label, not the hotel name, is what settles the question.
Official room, bathing and access information
- [Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora: rooms and suites](https://hakonegora.hotelindigo.com/en/rooms-suites), [in-room onsen](https://hakonegora.hotelindigo.com/en/onsen-fitness/in-room-spas), [Thermal Spring](https://hakonegora.hotelindigo.com/en/onsen-fitness) and [access](https://hakonegora.hotelindigo.com/en/access) - [Laforet Hakone Gora Yunosumika: main-building rooms](https://www.laforet.co.jp/gora/room/main.html), [Ayano wing](https://www.laforet.co.jp/gora/room/ayano.html), [onsen](https://www.laforet.co.jp/gora/hotspring/) and [access FAQ](https://www.laforet.co.jp/gora/faq/access/) - [Jalan guest reviews: Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora](https://www.jalan.net/yad365401/kuchikomi/) and [Laforet Hakone Gora Yunosumika](https://www.jalan.net/yad333954/kuchikomi/)Tags: Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora, Laforet Hakone Gora Yunosumika, Hakone hotel comparison, Gora hotels, private onsen room, Hakone open-air bath, Ayano wing, Hakone hotel access
