La Vista Fujikawaguchiko

This is a great 'four star' modern hotel used almost exclusively by Japanese people with very few Western tourists. Every room has an excellent view of Mt Fuji and each has a open bath on the veranda fed by the hot springs. This is in addition to a fully functioning and adequate bathroom. The bedroom it self is slightly larger than many Japan rooms and has storage facilities. You can literally wake up on the morning and look at Mt Fuji whilst still in bed (provided of course that the mountain is not covered in cloud!) The hotel utilises hot springs not only for its more public Onsen, but also four small private Onsens, in different themes, for those that wish to be more discrete. These are ideal for one/two people. They are all on a first come, first served basis. We tried both the public and private and they were an excellent cultural experience. The hotel is some distance for the main train station and the hotel, like many others runs a shuttle service. This shuttle ends at 6pm, so if you want to stay out you need to finds your own away back. For this reason, the hotel is based around half board (breakfast and dinner) in the restaurant. The breakfast was an extensive buffet style approach which was very good. Dinner was quite an experience. You can have either Japanese or Western style meal at tone of two set time settings. The food was quite exceptional. It's basically similar to a good seven course 'tasting menu.' We stayed for two nights and the food was different each night, but equally as good.

The hotel was very nice, with a lovely European aesthetic. They have very nice public baths, which are large and offer fantastic views of Mt. Fuji. We personally didn't use the public baths, but we did have a look at what they were like. Additionally, they also have private baths with a variety of themes to enjoy, which again, we just had a look at. We stayed in one of their best rooms, which has a private hot tub available on the balcony of the room, which also offers fantastic views of Mt. Fuji. That is why we opted to not use the public baths during our stay. The room itself was very nice and cosy, sticking to the European aesthetic of the hotel as a whole. Everything was tidy and clean, and the furniture; comfortable. The staff adhered to my special request, and made great effort in carrying it out. For breakfast, they have the usual Japanese onsen hotel buffet set-up. The food was all very nice, and there were both plenty of options and plenty available for guests. The dinner was not too bad, as the food was perfectly fine in flavour, and was well presented. However, it lacked the 'Wow Factor' as they stuck to purely local, seasonal ingredients, which is perfectly fine. But for the atmosphere they are aiming for, that of a fancy French restaurant, it didn't quite hit the mark. The available amenities were very nice, as they offered a variety of "free" items, including wine during a specific time period, as well as ramen for a late night snack/guests arriving to the hotel late at night. Additionally, during the daytime, there are hot drinks available. Overall, I highly recommend the hotel, especially for couples.

The view of Mt. Fuji was absolutely amazing from our balcony. And the private onsens were amazing and we were all able to use them. They even give you clothing for the insen and provide popsicles in the spa area for free. And they also have free amenities to use as needed near the spa area. Finally the breakfast was definitely worth the extra money because it had both traditional and western breakfast buffet that was spectacular.

Nicely decorated everywhere with supreme quality of amenities. Love the body wash and shampoo! The free drinks and nighttime ramen were bonus to the stay. The souvenir shop was attractive. Though small, they sold a wide range of goods. Highly recommend the 9ml cologne and appetisers of beef and clams that we had also tried in buffet breakfast.

The room and balcony bathtub with a breathtaking view of Mount Fuji. For the best soak and relaxation, nothing beats a soak in the tub.  Due to the heavy rain on the day of our arrival, we do not anticipate seeing Fuji. Luckily, the following day the sky cleared, and we are really fortunate to have a view of the mountains from our room. After a long day of travel, the public onsen is a nice, roomy place for us to relax. It has a sauna and onsen both indoors and outside. Additionally, there are five separate private onsen that are available for use whenever nobody else is using them. They are free to use and do not require reservations.