Villas w: Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

I booked this hotel because the promotion made it seem luxurious, but the surroundings feel odd, almost like all the trees have been removed by purpose, littered with dry leaves and fallen branches. It feels dirty and poorly cared for. I was expecting a neatly landscaped area with grass and trees, but instead, the outside feels like a barren, lifeless space. That said, the inside of the room looks very good. The accommodation consists of two separate large caravan‑style rooms. They are not very spacious, but they are sufficient for a family of four. One of the rooms has slightly less living space because it includes a larger bathroom, with a full‑size bathtub. This is something you rarely find in Tokyo, where most bathtubs are quite small, so this was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, we struggled with the bathtub controls as it was written in Japanese, we couldn't use it after all. Also, the heating system are all labeled in Japanese, and there were no clear instructions in English. As a result, we didn’t figure out how to use the heating until the second night. We stayed for two nights in total. There is an outdoor spa area, which is interesting and enjoyable. We used it and found it quite good, although it is small. It works best for two people, three is a tight squeeze, and four would be uncomfortable. The sauna is decent and operates daily. Breakfast is served at set times rather than as a buffet, likely because the hotel only has 14 rooms. Guests must choose a time slot, such as 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:30. We chose 8:30. Breakfast is a set menu rather than self‑service. Each morning includes a starter, a main dish, and some small item to finish, well enough for us. The first day was Japanese‑style, with a rice‑based dish. The second day was Western‑style, with a sandwich as the main course and fried eggs with pork belly. The food tasted good, but we would have appreciated more water. We did not ask for refills, as staff left the area after serving. Finding the hotel is a bit difficult. The entrance sign is blocked by a car park sign, making it very easy to miss. You need to drive very slowly, or you will pass it without realising it. We spent several minutes searching before realising this was the place. Be prepared to see a car park with two signs, where one directly blocks the hotel’s entrance sign.

Overall, the stay was good and everything met expectations. The room and facilities were comfortable, and the experience was generally pleasant. The only point to note is that the check-in and check-out times need to strictly follow the hotel’s schedule, unlike some hotels that offer 24-hour flexibility. This may require some planning when arranging travel. Other than that, everything was great and I had an enjoyable stay. I would still consider staying here again in the future.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. The property was comfortable, clean, and in a quieter location which we really liked, as it was away from the main town centre, but close to the lake that offers stunning views of Mt Fuji. And, there’s even a good view of Mt Fuji right from the property’s bathtub! The free arrival and departure shuttle (by request upon booking) was so helpful in accessing the property from the main train station. Bikes are provided with the property and there are local shops for purchasing food, plus good restaurants, all within walking distance. The owners respond quickly to questions. The house is equipped with wall-mounted smart controllers for running the hot water system, filling the bathtub etc, for which manuals are provided, but to save time we used Google translate to quickly identify the various control buttons. Also useful for operating appliances and remote controls, etc. Highly recommend this property and area.

The location is super convenient, the facilities are brand new, and it's spotlessly clean with a fantastic view of Mount Fuji. My only minor complaint is that the double bed was made up of three separate mattresses. The middle one was really firm while the ones on the sides were super soft, making it quite uncomfortable to sleep on. It's such a shame; if they could just get a proper bed, it would be absolutely perfect.

The staffs (especially Hirosan) are warm welcome and so helpful. You can see Fuji while doing onsen. Kitchen is full of culinary equipments e.g. rice cooker, coffee dripping machine, stove, pots and pans. Walk 5 mins to the sakura walk way.

This hotel opened fairly recently, so all the facilities are brand new. We stayed here for two nights as part of a chartered car tour, and it was excellent. The Japanese bathing culture, in particular, is something truly worth experiencing. Don't worry about transportation; you can ask the front desk staff to help you call a taxi. They are very friendly and polite, so even if there's a language barrier, it's not an issue at all – just use your phone to translate and show them you need a taxi, and one will arrive in about 5 minutes. You can also cook here, which was great for our family of three on a parent-child trip as we bought lots of ingredients. The only thing we couldn't quite figure out was the trash separation, but it wasn't a huge hassle. If you don't know how to sort it, just bag everything together by material and leave it on the deck outside your door. For anyone staying in a homestay in Japan, definitely do your research beforehand! It was a perfect experience.

This is a total hidden gem in Mount Fuji area! The host was very very kind - She showed us how to use all the facilities including the onsen and sauna when we checked in with great details. She also kept in touch with in via email, assisting us in every way she could. She even welcomed us with drinks and snacks! As for the villa, it was very clean, spacious and cozy. It's also very well equipped with kitchenware and all the necessary amenities! They also have a family-owned restaurant which is just steps away from the villa. We enjoyed a shabu shabu dinner during our stay and absolutely enjoyed ourselves! Thank you so much Kim for making our family vacation so enjoyable and memorable!

Received the instructions to check in days before our stay, and instructions are super clear. The house is very clean, and comes with everything we need - stove, washer and other basics. Ground floor is the living hall and bathroom, upstairs there’s one bedroom and outer area where are floor bed are placed. We went there with average temperature of 4 degrees so the floor were freezing cold and it took a while to activate the heat. Location wise pretty good, right opposite there’s a 7-11, and down the street 10-15 mins walk there’s the Hikawa Clock Shop, but we don’t see any restaurant nearby maybe because we were there during New Year closure

We had wonderful stay here, our favourite place in Japan so far! The owner was very hospitable, and made sure we were very comfortable. Thank you very much for such a lovely stay, and of course, the views of Mt Fuji from here were spectacular! Highly recommended! Arigato Gozai Masu 🙏

Me and my cousin had a great time at Villa Ensoleille with well-stocked kitchen, and stunning view from jacuzzi. Staffs are so friendly and welcoming, special thanks to Manager Mr. Hiroyuki-san for your hospitality. The villa is with an amazing view of Mt. Fuji and the environment is peaceful as well. We got an amazing time with an incredible Mt. Fiji view. Highly recommended Villa Ensoleille.