Mizno Hotel — Hotel in Fujikawaguchiko

Arrival: We arrived at Kawaguchiko Station by express train from Shinjuku. Upon arrival, and as directed by the hotel prior to arrival, we walked 1-minute over to the next building and asked Tourist Information to contact Hotel Mizno to pick us up. Within 10 minutes a friendly driver in a clearly marked spotless, modern, spacious and comfortable van picked us up for the short 10-15 minute drive to the hotel.

Check-in: Check-in was quick and efficient and the hotel’s lobby is a wonderful collection of art and art prints. The staff spoke English well and addressed our few questions quickly. The hotel shuttle provides complementary service to Kawaguchiko Station up to 6pm which is helpful if you are trying to get closer to more restaurants, 7-Eleven, etc. It should also be noted that the hotel has a washer/dryer which guests are free to use on a first come first serve base (Y500 for a full load that takes about 2 hours to wash and dry). This was helpful for us as we are a family of 3 and were traveling for a bit over 2 weeks. The hotel also provides adult bicycles though we did not take advantage of this.

Room: We stayed 3 nights in a spacious, clean and comfortable Japanese-style room (no Western beds). We enjoyed unobstructed views over Lake Kawaguchiko and distant Mount Fuji. The room featured a spacious bathroom and a separate shower/tub with complimentary body soap, shampoo and conditioner. We also enjoyed a Nespresso machine with capsules and water being refilled daily. The room featured a balcony with great views though as an avid photographer, I enjoyed the higher view from the terrace more (open 24/7 except during inclement weather).

Breakfast: Our rate came with breakfast which was varied and plentiful. It is served a la carte and consisted of coffee/tea, juices, yoghurt, salad, eggs, bacon, potatoes (hash brown or tater tots), bread and pastries. The service was reliably great, all with great views of Fuji.

Terrace: As an avid photographer, I found the very spacious terrace to be the perfect place for sunrise/morning and sunset photography. There is more than enough room for everyone and although the hotel was full, there only ever were a few people on the terrace. The views are best in the morning as Fuji was unobstructed, the top is covered in clouds from late morning to mid-afternoon and then clear again in the late afternoon/sunset (at least in late December that was the pattern).

Staff/service: I cannot emphasize enough how grateful we were for the staff. From the friendly check-in to the prompt service at breakfast, to getting a quick tutorial on how to use the washer/dryer, to the many complimentary shuttle rides we enjoyed, to organizing a 7am pick-up by taxi and explaining to the driver that we wanted to photograph Honcho Street just after sunrise and then be dropped off at the bottom of Chureito Pagoda, everything worked perfectly. A special shout-out to Yoshi and the staff for doing everything humanely possible to drive me back to the hotel from Kawaguchiko Station when I had realized I left my phone in the room, to then giving me a complimentary ride back to the Station with one minute to spare before the bus left for Tokyo, I am very grateful for the many rewarding and positive interactions I had with the staff at...

TLDR: I had a great time at Mizno! The staff went above and beyond to make my stay very hospitable. The onsen was great and the room was comfy. The views were foggy and cloudy in January, so would recommend a different time of year. Would come again! I messaged the staff a few times before I arrived and they were quick to respond. They informed me about the best way to arrive from Tokyo and again when I left to Osaka. They were super informative and it gave me a sense of security when arriving. When I arrived at the bus station, I was instructed to tell the tourist desk and they called the hotel to send a bus to pick me up. Within 10 minutes, the bus arrived. The driver spoke a little English and made sure that my name was on the list. Another 5-10 minutes later, we drove up the hill by the lake and we were at the hotel. A receptionist welcomed me at the bus and escorted me to the front desk. Everyone was able to speak English and I was given a key to my room. They also served me a nice cup of, I think, yuzu tea. Got to the room and there was a nice huge bathtub, comfy twin beds, a nice seating area inside, and also a balcony area with a great view of the lake. The view was foggy and I couldn’t see Fuij-san, but I know that if it was a different season, the views would be immaculate. The dinner service was quite good overall. Honestly, my favorite course was the Mushroom soup, SO good. If you wanted to eat at the restaurant (which I recommend because there aren’t many places around the area), you had to reserve with the staff prior to your arrival. So hopefully they continue that service because they messaged me to make sure I reserved a spot. The onsen was great. For the male onsen, it faced the lake view and had an indoor AND outdoor place for you to sit and relax. Just like all onsens, there is a place for you to rinse off and shower beforehand. A really nice place to relax. When I was there, I was the only person. I also decided to get the massage service which I ordered from the front desk. The masseuse came to my room. I laid on the bed and she worked her magic on my knots. It lasted for about 30-45 minutes. It wasn’t the best massage, but it definitely felt good to just relax, especially after your muscle relaxes from the onsen. The breakfast was quite good with a traditional Japanese meal. Nothing amazing per se, but still delicious nonetheless. Afterwards, it was already time for me to check out. The front desk helped plan my bus back to the bus station, which comes and goes about every 30 minutes until about 11am. Definitely would come back again if I get the chance though I would be curious on how other...

First of all, I would stay at this hotel again. The hotel employees were all great maybe except for one older guy in the morning. His information was not very consistent or he was just not as flexible as other more experienced staff, but I got an impression that he was new or just not as experienced, so that's ok with me. Over time he would get better.

We had a room on the second floor where we had a clear view of Mt. Fuji. We were lucky to be there on such nice and sunny days. The sunrise was around just past 5am and we could see the mountain beautifully. Mornings are generally better for the nice and clear view of Mt. Fuji.

The hotel employees were nice, and they came to the train station to come and pick us up on the first day and when we left to go to another station. They also take you to the tratin station when you need it as well as when you check-out. They basically have a small shuttle bus every 30 minutes like 8am, 8:30am then 9am, and so on, in the morning until 1pm or so (check that with them) then after that you just have to let them know what time you'd need a ride to the station or back to the hotel from the station. From the station you just need to call them to let them know you are at the station. The ride is about 5 mins so it's very quick. Regardless of the timing, you just have to let them know when you need a ride. You just need to communicate with them. That's all it takes. Nice and easy.

You can also borrow an electric bike from the hotel for free. You just need to go to the reception and ask for it. First come first served but I think there were like 10 of them. I think riding a bike was one of the highlights for us to enjoy the town. We also borrowed them to go to a nearby restaurant/izakaya. They also recommended some places they like, which helped us a lot.

The onsen/o-furo had a little outdoor area where you can see the mountain too. It's a little area just outside the indoor public bath, but I still found it very nice to feel the nice and cool air outside while being in hot water.

The room was clean enough and the bathroom/shower was also clean with a very good water pressure with the shower head.

I honestly didn't find any inconvenience at the hotel. They took care of everything nicely and professionally. We totally enjoyed our stay there.

The hotel is located on the hill. That might help you have a better view of the Mt. Fuji, although you could still see it from the street level when the sky is clear.

Thank you so much everyone there for the great time! They also...