Lake Land Hotel Mizunosato — Hotel in Fujikawaguchiko

The worst hotel I’ve ever been to. The dinner is not good at all, so I asked the hotel for a refund for the upcoming dinner and breakfast. The hotel refused to refund and said that the next dinner and breakfast would be better, so we agreed with them because we were okay if they didn’t want to refund and they also told us they would do better. Then one of our family members who were not with us at first joined us the next day. We ask for an extra bed(futon) for 1 person so they charge us like normal, but we ask them that we don’t want the breakfast and dinner for that person. So then hotel agree to discount us for 2000yen per day so in total it’s a discount for 4000yen. Then during the dinner we’re having a dinner in a private room that they arrange for us (fyi the dinner&breakfast are a “food set” not buffet) so the total food set were 8 set but we have 9 people, so one of us (which were my uncle) stay in the room without eating because his Son and wife were in the room also. He didn’t touch any of the food but even if he eat any food it’s not against anything we paid for a set amount of food not a buffet. Owner of the hotel come in and count the number of people and blabbers about why my uncle’s there then he pointed at my uncle and said something in Japanese then we said “what?” one of the employees said “8 set?” then we said “yes” the she pointed at my uncle and we said “he’s not eating” then the elderly guy who’s one of the family member of the owner said “no eat go your room” and pointed at my uncle and signal him to leave the room. So then we all stand up angry but we all walked out without causing any problem at the same time because we don’t want to deal with him anymore and it was very disrespectful we’re enrage. Because we’re in a foreign country we don’t want to cause any ruckus, but then the elderly man walk towards my father aggressively when saying something in Japan with an aggressive voice so then my brother walk towards my father and block that man from our father. He then proceed to said that my brother hurt him and we all see what happened is that my brother simply use his body to block him and he’s the one who continued walking and bump into my brother. Then everything go bad we all not okay with this hotel anymore so we call for one of our friend who’s local and can translate Japanese to us and in the end we ended up with no recharge for the room but we’re fine with that, and also pay for the extra bed for my uncle 100,000 yen for the night, in total it’s almost 700,000 yen and we ended up leaving without staying there one more night. One more thing, while out friend who speak fluent Japanese she said that the elderly man told her that they will call police and proceed to said that we will not be able to sleep for the night because they will have to investigate in the matters for a very long time. I was like what????? We didn’t do anything wrong at all but you were threatened us with police? We have grandma with us which was not good for her health at all for her to stay awake for the whole night. So we just proceed the payment peacefully but didn’t say sorry at all because as I said we didn’t do anything wrong. And at the end we ended up paying for the night without sleeping there cus we’re not comfortable on staying there. (FYI the situation just happened as I was writing this review it was at about 20:44 in...

When staying near an icon like Mount Fuji, one expects a premium price—and we knew accommodations in this area wouldn’t come cheap. Booking six months in advance, our choices were already limited, so we settled on this hotel for its lake view (naturally, at an additional charge). We also opted for the Japanese futon experience, which turned out to be quite comfortable after layering a second futon for extra softness. The onsen area was a definite highlight, with three pools: an ultra-relaxing indoor bath and two outdoor options, including a smaller, warm soak and a bubbling tub. The post-bath skincare selection was a thoughtful touch, and I truly had the best sleep that night.

Breakfast deserves a nod as well—the menu changes daily, offering a diverse spread of traditional Japanese dishes, and surprisingly, the coffee is better than what you’d find in many nearby cafés. It’s the kind of detail that shows promise, but unfortunately, other aspects didn’t quite match up.

The room was spacious, yes, but stepping inside felt like entering a time capsule from the 1980s—and not in a nostalgic way. Stains on the walls, scratched floors, and a musty-smelling toilet room set an uninspiring tone. The balcony couldn’t be opened without risking an insect invasion due to torn mosquito netting that’s clearly decades old, leaving the air stuffy and stale. To make matters worse, cleaning was subpar: visible dust, mold on window frames, and a generally neglected feel.

That said, there are signs the hotel is trying to improve. I caught a glimpse of rooms 428, 429, and 430 in the left wing, which looked notably fresher, suggesting renovations may be underway. Small details like fresh flowers in the lobby and the availability of wheelchairs show an effort to create a welcoming atmosphere. The rooftop terrace is another plus, offering a truly spectacular, unobstructed view of Mount Fuji—easily one of the hotel’s best features.

However, the building itself reveals an unfortunate contrast. While some spaces are charming, others, like the elevators with their torn signs, feel neglected. This mix of effort and oversight is a recurring theme throughout the property.

Interactions with the staff also left much to be desired. While they spoke only basic English (understandable), their tone often felt more instructional than welcoming. For instance, when I asked for a different breakfast table, the conversation quickly shifted to questions about our departure time, as though they couldn’t wait to have us leave.

At nearly €300 per night, I’d hoped for more than just proximity to Mount Fuji. The onsen, futons, and daily breakfast stand out as highlights, but the dated facilities, uneven upkeep, and lackluster service make it hard to justify the cost. If the ongoing renovations extend across the hotel, this place might live up to its price—but until then, it feels like a missed...

The Japanese speaking elderly front desk staff members lack the basic hospitality and genuine human touch. Perhaps they would rather not serve non Japanese customers. Check in was strictly enforced at 3pm, and lights at the lobby are off before the designated check in time. This feels more like a military base or a retirement home, not a hotel that charges close to USD $500per night. The closet looked like a relic from the past with no clothes hanger but a spartan metal hook to "hook" my clothes. The air conditioning was close to breaking down making strange noises, on further inspection, you could see the filter net caked in a thick layer of dust which almost made me want to check out immediately. Given the difficulty in booking rooms in the over touristed Mt. Fuji area, I removed the netting and dusted off all the caked dust from the netting. What a way to welcome your guest. The towels, in room attire all reek of age and stain. Makes one wonder if the hotel has been left to rot and under maintained. Asked to place a dinner reservation for a local restaurant on my behalf and the reply was "maybe you reserve by yourself". Short, blunt and rude. And my phone call was also charged in my room, just a mere JPY22 and they had to charge. Was told to return my key to the front desk on the first day before dinner so staff could make the futon bed on the tatami floor for us, but returned to a room not made and had to make the bed myself. Terrible lack of professionalism. Left my stuffed toy on the futon before leaving for sightseeing the next day and returned to find the stuffed toy flung at a corner of the room instead of in its original place. How dare you. For close to USD $500 a night, this feels more like a scam. The warm and attentive attitude of the foreign trained staff and the elderly ladies in the dining hall are the only consolation if any. Terrible and over touristed,...