Hoshinoya Fuji

Everything about our stay once we reached the hotel was perfect. The staff were more than happy to answer any and all questions and we felt truly spoiled during our stay there, from our luggage being delivered to and from our room on check-in and check-out respectively, and being gifted tea-bags that were not for sale but that we had tried in our rooms on one night (they were complimentary). More than that they really nailed the entire glamping experience at Hoshinoya Fuji. Admittedly we had opted for a lot of their activities, mainly having all of our breakfasts and dinners at the hotel, and were therefore able to immerse ourselves in its atmosphere. We tried the dutch-oven dinner on our first night, which is held in a covered podium in the middle of the woods, and ended up having the most fun and delicious meal of our 14 day stay across Japan from Tokyo to Fujikawaguchiko, Hakone, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and Wakayama. The attentiveness of the hotel really shows from the aprons they give you, to the creativeness of the dishes which all have a matching, hunter-gatherer theme to them, and to the ways they serve the dishes which almost always involve you creating or serving the dishes for yourself and your companions. The hot pot in-room dinner option was also a great way to enjoy the amazing balcony-lounge area in our room and the food was, once-again, super high-quality, healthy and very delicious, with a copious amount of vegetables, mushrooms and beef and pork, as well as a local noodle dish named Hōtō. During the daytime, the cloud-terrace area was an amazing place to relax and enjoy the fresh air while cooking up smores near the campfire (yes, there is a campfire that is constantly lit) and enjoying a fresh cup of fruity herbal tea. I can only describe our experience at Hoshinoya, but words really don't do justice to the entire experience.

The only truly convenient way to reach the hotel from Kawaguchiko station is by taxi, which can get quite expensive if you intend to explore around the town or go to nearby attractions such as Fuji Q amusement park.

The view is unbeatable. The room we stayed in with a balcony was gorgeous! There was also a view from the bathroom. They brought us a complimentary fruit platter for our anniversary, which was a nice gesture! The kayaking was fun but expensive. The little exploring backpacks were nice and came with a free water bottle and snacks.

Didn’t like that breakfast or any food is not included in the rate of the room. They definitely overcharge for everything. It’s easy for bugs to get into the room, so make sure doors aren’t open for too long.