Where is it? Hakone is a resort area about 80km west of Tokyo, nationally famous for its healthy climate, park, mountains and hot springs.
So plenty of hot spring resorts? There is no shortage of places to stay but even the most upmarket properties tend to cater exclusively to the Japanese tourist trade. Consequently, they lack amenities usually expected by foreign guests, such as English-language TV channels and English-speaking staff. The new Hyatt Regency - the only international hotel in the area - takes up the slack.
What's it like? Like many new Hyatts in the region its interiors were designed by the chic Japanese firm Super Potato, so there's a contemporary feeling throughout. Appearances are fashionably minimalist: a log fire crackles away in the centre of the cosy living room, where guests sprawl post-tourist trail before drifting into the dining room for French provincial repast or to prop up the sushi counter. There are 79 surprisingly large guest rooms (above right) spread through the west, east and north wings. The last two offer the best views: hills and the valley from the east wing, with the top of Mount Fuji visible from the north wing. Layouts are 'contemporary residence' or Japanese tatami-style, or a mixture of the two. There are even half a dozen 'dog-friendly' rooms, serviced by specially trained staff.
What about the spa? The Izumi Spa and Onsen claims to be the largest in Hakone, with eight treatment rooms - four for couples - offering signature therapies including the ambitious-sounding Lunar Phase. Products used are a combination of the Yon-Ka brand from Paris and locally sourced herbs and other ingredients.
Two large on-site onsens adjoining the changing rooms offer traditional hot-spring immersion to hotel guests only.
What else is there to do? Hakone has been popular with the Japanese since the ninth century and is still one of the country's most visited health resorts. Tourist attractions include a cable car that passes over boiling sulphur pits, replica pirate ships that sail across Lake Ashinoko and a museum displaying sculptures by the likes of Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore. On clear days, a worthwhile excursion is to drive to Yamanaka to see Mount Fuji reflected in the town's boating lake.