Hotele niedaleko Lake Motosu, Fujikawaguchiko

It was my first time to stay here, and I was a little worried because I hadn't seen other reviews before. But I really didn’t expect it. The experience here was completely beyond my expectation! Each small villa is spacious and comfortable, with complete facilities. Even the bathrooms are so luxurious, which surprised me. And although the nearby hot spring is not big, it is kept clean and tidy, and the bar next to it is a plus! Every dish at dinner was unique, especially the meltingly tender steak, which made me hooked. Also, the hotel is really close to Mount Fuji. The fresh air in the morning and the authentic breakfast made me feel even more happy. In short, I was pleasantly surprised by my stay this time. The price/performance ratio is really high. I will recommend this hotel to everyone without hesitation!

This lovely hotel (its a bit dated, but everything is clean and very nice) is right on the lake, and very quiet. Its 10 minutes driving distance from the Kawaguchi-Ko bus stand/train station and there is a free hotel shuttle every hour. I would definitely go for rooms with a view - either of the lake, or of Fujisan. We went for rooms with lake view, and very much enjoyed it. The rooms are big and very comfortable, with a desk, an armchair and a sofa. There is also a small balcony, with amazing views of the lake. Its so peaceful, especially in the early morning or during sunset. The hotel is located in a large garden. There is an indoor and lovely outdoor onsen, where you can bath in the warm water whilst seeing bamboo and hearing birds. Breakfast is a good buffet. The restaurant for dinner is rather expensive, so i would recommend eating in one of the few restaurants in the small town.

We stayed in the hotel for two nights and had already informed the receptionist when we checked in that two friends would come visit on the next day where they stayed in another hotel closer to FujiQ. When our friends came, one of their staff blocked our way and accusing us that we had more people staying than we booked in an unfriendly, rude and arrogant manner as if he was a cop and caught us did something bad. We explained to him in both English and Japanese translation that our friends were just here visiting. We showed him their other hotel booking confirmation but he said no guests were allowed to come visit in any hotel and this is their some Japan hotels authority’s rule! We asked him proof of such rules which of course there isn’t any. No proper apologies and poor attitude remains from that staff. Very bad experience with the staff here. Other than that, the hotel property and facilities were great.

The overall arrival experience was great, the hoteal can arrange a shuttle van to pick you up from Kawaguchiko station, but it should be noted that this is available only after 2.30 pm. We booked the 4/5F Mt. Fuji view room, but even on 4th floor, there is still electric cable outside. The service was great and the staff was very attentive to your request. The breakfast was excellent with plenty of options, both western and japanese, to choose from.

I stayed in a room with a hot spring bath on the Mt. Fuji side of the East Building. Blessed with the weather, I took a long view of Mt. Fuji from the evening to the next morning and soaked in the hot springs many times. (Laughs) The quality of the Kawaguchiko Onsen at this hotel is a neutral calcium, sodium-sulphate, and chlorine-based disinfection is heated and circulated, including a large communal bath and a private room bath. It is not a source hanging, but it is well managed including the spring temperature. It warmed up well. It seems to be a room meal, but I stayed at 々 at the end of the year 12/29 night, probably because there were many guests, in the dining room on the 7th floor, dinner was a course kaiseki dish, breakfast was a buffet. The beef stew that I expected was also served on the course because the amount was small, but it felt like a taste. Each was carefully cooked in a small amount, and the quality and quantity were satisfactory. I stayed until 11:00 in the morning, and I took a bath 5 times in another 々 large communal bath once, 3 times in the room bath. In addition, the large communal bath has a waterfall and an open-air rock bath in the foreground, and a large cypress bath in the back. I think the impression will change depending on the way Mt. Fuji looks, but I was lucky 々. Since it is the year-end and New Year holidays, the high accommodation fee is natural, but it was a satisfying content for the room, meal, bath, service, and environment that matched it.

For more general details about Fufu Kawaguchiko, please read my review from October 2020... We decided at the last minute to pay a visit to the Fuji Five Lakes area because the weather forecast called for a clear day (and hopefully a clear view of Mt. Fuji.) Thankfully, one room was available, and it was the exact same room as the one we stayed at the first time (Fufu Luxury Premium Suite, Room #408.) It's a top-floor corner suite with a separate bedroom/living room along with an expansive balcony and a free-flowing, open-air Onsen (natural hot springs) bath. As rooms go, it's pure bliss. Modern, tastefully furnished and decorated, bright and airy, and has all of the amenities and features one would expect when staying at a relatively new high-end property. We still feel that Fufu doesn't make the best use of its space - it's a bit busy, and consequently seems a bit less spacious than its specifications suggest (it's officially 136 square meters, although someone we can't help but feel that they're counting the balcony space as part of the overall room size.) It's really less of a ryokan and more of a hotel with ryokan-style elements. Shoes don't need to come off (although you're advised to do so in the guest rooms), they provide ”Samue” (sort of spa pajama/style) outfits rather than the traditional (and albeit more pretty but less comfortable) Yukatas, but still retain some of the common ryokan charms (and a few drawbacks.) The staff are relatively young, hip and ”pretty”, and more casually friendly than the typical traditional ryokan, which is good or bad, depending on your perspective. We enjoyed the high-energy vibe of the place, although we also do enjoy the finesse and quaintness that top traditional ryokans exhibit as well (Asaba is a perfect example of this.) The clientele are also more youthful than most other properties that we've stayed at - this is where the young, wealthy and beautiful go to see and be seen, that's for sure. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, but just a FYI. Not much has changed from our last stay, although I will say that we enjoyed the food offering a bit more this time. We learned that they brought in a new head chef, and while it's not a night-and-day difference, we did notice a quality and creative improvement from last time. A few specialty dishes were once again served, including a unique cheese gratin with Natto (fermented soybeans that is slimy and has a pungent odor) for breakfast - we enjoyed the dish, but not sure how many Westerners can handle Natto, which is a very acquired taste. While we wish there was an option to have meals served in one's own room, we do think that Fufu needs to have more ”ko****su” private dining rooms in the restaurant. They only have a handful of them, and priority goes to large groups or families with small children. When we go to a high-end ryokan, we prefer not to dine in an open, restaurant-style environment. We requested a Ko****su in advance, and were only told we wo

I stayed at the Kogetsu for 2 nights in May and it was an unforgettable experience. Every detail was beautiful and thoughtful. I booked rather late and was not able to book the same room, so the first night I stayed in a Standard Western Style twin w open-air bath; and the second night in a Standard Japanese Modern w open-air bath (Triple). Both were on the 3rd (of 5) floors and both had stunning views of Mt Fuji. Both incorporated both Japanese and Western style. The first room had wood floors throughout and half-shoji screen doors so you could separate the bedroom and dining areas. It also had a small walk-in closet. The outdoor onsen was quite large (could easily fit 4 adults) and the patio was wider than in the Triple room. I posted pics of the Standard Western Style Twin and will post the pics of the Triple separately. In contrast the Triple room was larger and there was a gorgeous daybed (which becomes the 3rd bed) with windows on either side overlooking Mt Fuji. The onsen was a bit smaller (could easily fit 2 adults). The bedroom was carpeted, dining area had tatami-style mats, and hallway had wood floors. There was a wardrobe rather than walk-in closet in this room. Both rooms had a wet area for washing up before the onsen, a separate powder room, and separate toilet room. Honestly, you can’t go wrong - both rooms were gorgeous. I felt lucky to be here. One thing to note is that there is a boat launch beside the ryokan, so my open-air onsen on 3rd floor was not super private (there’s a screen to pull down if you want privacy, but it obscures the view). The 4th/5th floors would have more feeling of privacy. The kaiseki meals were beautifully displayed and delicious. The 2 nights’ menus were different but followed a similar (but not identical) format: 1) Aperitif, 2) Seasonal appetizers, 3) Soup, 4) Sashimi, 5) Main course (hot), 6) Steamed fish, 7) Grilled fish, 8) Palette cleanser, 9) simmered dish, 10) rice dish, and 11) dessert. My nakai, Fumiko-san, was lovely - friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Breakfast was also included - it was half- buffet, with an elegant bento box with appetizers and tamago. It also included delicious tempura, made to order and delivered to your table. The hotel has a happy hour from 2:30-6:30 where a limited selection of tea, coffee, nonalcoholic drinks, beer and wine are free. You can enjoy them on the gorgeous terrace overlooking Mt Fuji with your feet soaking in the footpath (just not in your room). Lastly there are shuttles every morning to Kawaguchiko Station or any of the tourist sights on the way, and the hotel will send a shuttle to pick you up when you are ready to come back. The location of this ryokan could not be better - close to some great museums and on the North shore of the lake, which has the best views (and away from the touristy South shore).

The facilities are clean and the customer service is wonderful. The rooms are clean, and there is Wifi and USB port facilities for charging (Western room). The buffet-style meals are rich in variety such as local dishes and delicious. Very satisfied hotel depending on the choice of room. Strategy: Mt. Fuji, which you want from the large communal bath, is blocked by pillars, cherry trees, and it is a pity that you need to stand up from the open-air bath, and you can only see the indoor bath from a limited place while taking a bathtub. Therefore, you need to choose a room on the Mt. Fuji side to enjoy the view of Mt. Fuji from the hotel facilities. Hope: It would be even nice if there were Yoshida's udon noodles, seasonal local vegetables, fruits, and local products (milk, cheese, etc.). If you have already used it, the presentation will increase satisfaction as a traveler. I have tea and tea in the room, but I want coffee.

We enjoyed the gorgeous fuji view from the room which was exactly the same as the photo we saw online. The hotel provided free warm packs and snacks in the lobby which was caring. There were also welcoming snacks in the room. However, as far as we know, the hotel provides free shuttle service to/from Kawaguchiko station but it was disappointing that there were no way to book online. I tried to contact the hotel directly via email but received no response from them. Eventually, we took a bus from Kawaguchiko station and walked up the hill with our luggages, which was very inconvenient. Besides, the dinner style/menu was only available at dinner time so we couldn’t take it into consideration when we decided the date of our stay. Other than the above, the overall experience was nice with high CP value.

This is the second time staying in Fuji Ginkei, while the first time was in 2017. The reason I chose it when I went to Kawaguchiko the second time was the perfect location, service, and food when I stayed in 2017. First, I should thank the hotel staff. As you might know, it is tough for solo travelers to book a Ryokan room. As a search around the hotel list, which I think is perfect for the stay, Fuji Ginkei is one of a few hotels which said OK. I appreciate it. The location is perfect as you can see the lake and mountain simultaneously. For Kawaguchiko, only a few hotels have this kind of view. When you arrive at the Kawaguchiko station, don't forget to call them, and they will pick you up. However, when you live, if you want to take their shuttle bus, you need to check their shuttle bus schedule. I choose the Japanese-style room which a balcony since I want to take many photos from my room. It is worth it as the view from the room is perfect. I can stay in the room and watch Mount Fuji all afternoon. It even has an individual bathroom in the room, which is kind of rare. If you stay in the hotel in Winter, don't forget to use the outdoor onsen. It will be freezing to get in and out, but it is worth it as you will see a very clear sky and many stars when using the outdoor onsen. You will never forget it. Moreover, don't forget to go lakeside, which is only a few meters away. You can take perfect photos of the lake, Mount Fuji and the stars. It is impressive. Service is as good as before, which you can imagine. When you are having breakfast and dinner, the staff will talk with you, introducing the dish and telling you much exciting and helpful information. For once, I was discussing さかさふじ with them and really learned a lot. The dish is good. As I stayed for two nights, I think the first night's dinner was better than the second. For breakfast, I don't have too many things to say. Overall, the dish tasted good but not as impressive as in 2017, maybe because I tried some Michelin during these years, which increased my standard. Overall, it is an excellent hotel, and the price is not that high compared to other hotels around Kawaguchiko. Once again, is it worthy.