精進マウントホテル — Hotel in Fujikawaguchiko

From this hotel you can see the glorious Mount Fuji in its perfection. There's just a special feeling of waking up and seeing Fuji-san first thing in the morning, and/or while having breakfast. It's just magical. ||||From Kawaguchi-ko train station, ride a bus (bus no. 4? not sure) and alight at the Fujisimo bus stop. Bus fare was 1020 YEN per person and travel time was about 45mins. There's a tourist office outside Kawaguchi-ko station wherein you can ask for maps, bus schedule, etc. Please check there for additional information.||||We were in room 505 and it was facing Fuji-san. The first thing I did was open the balcony window and took lots of pictures. ||The room had an old smell to it because it was really old. The place was clean though. They provided towels, Japanese robes, slippers, bath gel, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, and tissues. Please bring your own toothpaste-- they provided a small one but it's only for one or two usage, it was really small. ||||The owner and the staff had very limited English so please be patient. We got through using hand movements though there was a miscommunication on my husband's dinner order but it's OK, food was great so no problem. These people are so kind and hospitable and attentive so we were OK with the setup. ||||If you are going to eat in their dining area, please order food in advance. Like if you're eating breakfast the next day, order the day or night before. There were no stores or restaurants near the place so you have no choice unless you've brought food like we did. We had dinner here and breakfast the next morning.||For breakfast, we were given an option of ham, and another one that I can't remember. We chose the former and were told that it cost somewhere upwards of 1000YEN. I thought it was too expensive thinking it was a ham sandwich, but since we had no other option, we went with it. Lo and behold, in Christmas morning, we had the best breakfast ever! I attached a picture of our breakfast, everything was included plus coffee w/ fresh milk. ||||They also have an onsen (hot bath from hot springs) inside.There is a separate place for men and women, and there's also a schedule where men and women can bathe at the same time. There were two rooms but they interchange the men and women room depending on schedule so please ask the hotel staff so as not get confused. Also, please be respectful of the Japanese culture-- you are not supposed to wear anything while bathing here. This was my first time experiencing this and it was quite scary and liberating at the same time. Mind you, the temperature of the water was about 40 degrees Celsius, I got light-headed due to extreme heat but I was able to stay there for a good 30-40 minutes. I soaked my body little by little starting from my feet until I was able to fully submerge my shoulders. After I was done, I felt my blood rushing through my body and still a bit light-headed but it went away after I was done relaxing in the massage chair. I slept really well that night. ||||There was a lake across the street so feel free to explore. The water was so clear that you'll see the rocks and little plants below the surface. We went there again in Christmas morning and took lots of pictures and videos with Fuji-san as our background.||||||NOTES:||||- BRING CASH (Japanese Yen), I can't remember if they accept anything other than cash.||||- FREE access to in-house onsen. Please ask the owner about the time for combined (men and women) and separate men from women schedule. Also, please observe onsen rules so as not to offend other guests.||||- FREE WIFI at the reception area||||- FREE massage chairs at the reception area ||||- I recommend that you try their breakfast. I had the best corn soup that morning.||||- Be mindful of the bus schedule. There are days wherein the bus only stop twice a day so schedule everything in advance. This place is about 45mins from the central train station and your only option would be to hire a local cab to get you. Since a one-way bus ticket costs 1020 YEN, I really think a cab fare would be really expensive. ||||||I recommend this hotel to anyone who wants to see Fuji-san and stay in a secluded, peaceful place great...

From this hotel you can see the glorious Mount Fuji in its perfection. There's just a special feeling of waking up and seeing Fuji-san first thing in the morning, and/or while having breakfast. It's just magical. ||||From Kawaguchi-ko train station, ride a bus (bus no. 4? not sure) and alight at the Fujisimo bus stop. Bus fare was 1020 YEN per person and travel time was about 45mins. There's a tourist office outside Kawaguchi-ko station wherein you can ask for maps, bus schedule, etc. Please check there for additional information.||||We were in room 505 and it was facing Fuji-san. The first thing I did was open the balcony window and took lots of pictures. ||The room had an old smell to it because it was really old. The place was clean though. They provided towels, Japanese robes, slippers, bath gel, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, and tissues. Please bring your own toothpaste-- they provided a small one but it's only for one or two usage, it was really small. ||||The owner and the staff had very limited English so please be patient. We got through using hand movements though there was a miscommunication on my husband's dinner order but it's OK, food was great so no problem. These people are so kind and hospitable and attentive so we were OK with the setup. ||||If you are going to eat in their dining area, please order food in advance. Like if you're eating breakfast the next day, order the day or night before. There were no stores or restaurants near the place so you have no choice unless you've brought food like we did. We had dinner here and breakfast the next morning.||For breakfast, we were given an option of ham, and another one that I can't remember. We chose the former and were told that it cost somewhere upwards of 1000YEN. I thought it was too expensive thinking it was a ham sandwich, but since we had no other option, we went with it. Lo and behold, in Christmas morning, we had the best breakfast ever! I attached a picture of our breakfast, everything was included plus coffee w/ fresh milk. ||||They also have an onsen (hot bath from hot springs) inside.There is a separate place for men and women, and there's also a schedule where men and women can bathe at the same time. There were two rooms but they interchange the men and women room depending on schedule so please ask the hotel staff so as not get confused. Also, please be respectful of the Japanese culture-- you are not supposed to wear anything while bathing here. This was my first time experiencing this and it was quite scary and liberating at the same time. Mind you, the temperature of the water was about 40 degrees Celsius, I got light-headed due to extreme heat but I was able to stay there for a good 30-40 minutes. I soaked my body little by little starting from my feet until I was able to fully submerge my shoulders. After I was done, I felt my blood rushing through my body and still a bit light-headed but it went away after I was done relaxing in the massage chair. I slept really well that night. ||||There was a lake across the street so feel free to explore. The water was so clear that you'll see the rocks and little plants below the surface. We went there again in Christmas morning and took lots of pictures and videos with Fuji-san as our background.||||||NOTES:||||- BRING CASH (Japanese Yen), I can't remember if they accept anything other than cash.||||- FREE access to in-house onsen. Please ask the owner about the time for combined (men and women) and separate men from women schedule. Also, please observe onsen rules so as not to offend other guests.||||- FREE WIFI at the reception area||||- FREE massage chairs at the reception area ||||- I recommend that you try their breakfast. I had the best corn soup that morning.||||- Be mindful of the bus schedule. There are days wherein the bus only stop twice a day so schedule everything in advance. This place is about 45mins from the central train station and your only option would be to hire a local cab to get you. Since a one-way bus ticket costs 1020 YEN, I really think a cab fare would be really expensive. ||||||I recommend this hotel to anyone who wants to see Fuji-san and stay in a secluded, peaceful place great...

I booked a family room at Shoji Mount Hotel, inspired by the recent hype from Netflix’s “The Hotspot.” Unfortunately, I made a genuine mistake and selected the wrong dates for my reservation. I fully acknowledge this was my own error, and I understand the hotel’s right to uphold their cancellation and change policies. I am not blaming the hotel for my mistake.

What disappointed me, however, was the way the hotel handled my attempts to resolve the issue. I tried to contact the hotel directly multiple times, but communication was extremely difficult. Only one staff member seemed able to speak English, and all communication had to be approved by a manager, who consistently refused to speak with me or respond to my requests. Written inquiries also went unanswered.

Even after involving Booking.com’s Japanese support staff to help facilitate communication, the hotel still declined to engage in any direct conversation or offer assistance. While I understand that policies must be followed, I expected a higher level of professionalism and customer care from a hotel in the hospitality industry—especially one that is currently enjoying increased popularity.

In summary, while the booking error was entirely my responsibility, the lack of communication, unwillingness to engage, and unresponsiveness from the hotel staff made an already disappointing situation much worse. I hope the hotel will consider improving its customer service and communication for...