Looking into Fuji Lake Hotel

I've been slowly researching campsites, day-trip hot springs, and places to stay as a series, and this time I'm taking a look at a hotel.

This time it's Fuji Lake Hotel. It's within walking distance of Kawaguchiko Station, so even someone like me, who has a license but doesn't drive, could easily put it on the shortlist. That's what got me curious.

The Short Version

It's within walking distance of Kawaguchiko Station, and apparently there's a free shuttle bus too, so it looked like an easy hot spring hotel on the shores of Lake Kawaguchi to reach without a car.
The Rakuten Mobile signal came out as "C" on the official tool. If a good connection matters to you, I'd recommend checking ahead of time.

I've put the details below.

A lakeside hotel said to date back to 1932, within walking distance of Kawaguchiko Station

This hotel is on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi in Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi Prefecture. The official website seems to say it was founded in 1932, so my impression was of a long-established resort hotel. Based on the official website, here's a rundown of the basics.

Access (public transport): about a 10-minute walk from Kawaguchiko Station, apparently
Shuttle: there's a free shuttle bus from Kawaguchiko Station. Once you arrive at the station, you call the hotel and they come pick you up in about 5 to 10 minutes. The pick-up point is Bus Stop No. 10, which is reserved for inns and hotels
Return shuttle: if you ask at the front desk, it seems there are shuttles to the station every 30 minutes starting at 8:15 each morning
Access (car): about 10 minutes from Kawaguchiko IC on the Chuo Expressway. Parking is free for 50 cars, and no reservation is needed
Check-in/check-out: 14:00/11:00 for the East Wing, and 15:00/10:00 for the West Wing, it seems
Price guide: the top page lists the lowest per-person rates, with examples like the renovated lake-side room plan from 28,600 yen, the West Wing Japanese-Western room or standard room child-friendly plan from 26,400 yen, and the room with open-air bath and in-room dinner plan from 37,400 yen. Prices apparently vary by season and plan, so it's best to check the booking system for the latest rates
Reservations: besides online booking on the official website, you can seemingly book by phone too. Phone hours are 10:00 to 17:00
Number of rooms: I couldn't confirm this on the official website

Komorin

As someone who doesn't drive, I really liked the idea of calling from the station and getting picked up. I want to remember that the first thing to do on arrival is to make that call.

Three ways to enjoy the hot springs: the large communal bath, suites with open-air baths, and private baths

The large communal bath apparently uses water piped in from Kawaguchiko hot spring. The spring type is Na-Ca sulfate, and the source reportedly wells up from 1,500 m underground. The official website also seems to state clearly that the water is diluted, heated, recirculated, and filtered.

Large communal bath: it has a sauna, a jacuzzi, and a massage bath. The open-air baths are a rock bath for men and a cypress bath for women, apparently
Communal bath hours: 14:00 to 24:00 and 5:00 to 10:00, it seems
Suites: every suite has its own open-air bath, filled with water piped in from Kawaguchiko hot spring
Private baths: the Hinoki (cypress) bath with a view of Mt. Fuji is 3,850 yen for 50 minutes, and the Lake View private bath is 4,400 yen for 60 minutes. Reservations are taken at the front desk on the day, and it seems you might not get the time slot you want
Private bath hours: I couldn't confirm this on the official website

It doesn't seem possible to use only the private baths, as they appear to be for overnight guests. I also couldn't find any mention of day-trip bathing on the official website, so using it just for a day-trip soak looks a bit difficult. There was also a note that the baths in the view-bath rooms are not hot spring water, so if the hot spring matters to you, it's a good idea to check the room type.

Spending time indoors, and the barrier-free situation

Since I like relaxing in my room or inside the hotel, here are the facilities that caught my eye.

Lounges: a free lounge exclusively for guests (14:00 to 21:00) and a workation lounge (15:00 to 10:00 the next day), apparently
Scenic spots: a lake terrace and a Mt. Fuji observation deck on the West Wing roof. There are 38 steps up to the deck
Dining: a dinner buffet, a Japanese dining restaurant called Akafuji, in-room dining, and a breakfast buffet were listed. There's also a bakery in the hotel called Le pain de Daniel
Treatment salon: open 15:00 to 23:00, by reservation only
Outdoor pool: 10 m by 4 m and 1 m deep, open in summer only. The official website says, "The 2026 season has ended. The 2027 operating dates have not yet been decided."
Rooms: suites, standard rooms (East Wing Japanese-Western rooms, West Wing Japanese-style and Japanese-Western rooms), view-bath rooms, renovated West Wing rooms, and so on. All the rooms listed are non-smoking
Coin laundry: there seems to be a notice that it's out of service

On barrier-free access, the FAQ apparently says the hotel is not barrier-free. You can get around with slopes and elevators, but there are steps at the entrances to the guest rooms and the baths. On the other hand, there's a barrier-free corner room (42 square meters, for four guests, with two reclining beds), and wheelchairs can be borrowed if you ask in advance. Some rooms and plans also seem to be certified under the Welcome Baby inn program. If you need these, it might be reassuring to check the conditions before booking.

Komorin

A workation lounge is an intriguing option for a holiday spent at a hotel. Still, I want to think about it together with the signal result coming up next.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I entered this hotel's address in Fujikawaguchiko Town into Rakuten Mobile's official tool, "my Area Connectivity Simulation." The overall rating came back as "C."

If you're thinking of using the workation lounge or working online from your room, it might be reassuring to check the connection ahead of time. As for Wi-Fi inside the hotel, I couldn't confirm it in this research.

Signal strength can also vary depending on where you are inside a building. If you're curious, please check for yourself with Rakuten Mobile's official "my Area Connectivity Simulation."

Komorin

The signal rating this time was C. Treating it as a trip for slowly enjoying the scenery and the hot springs might be one way to look at it.

See Rakuten Mobile Details

Wrapping Up

To sum up, my impression of Fuji Lake Hotel is that it's a hotel within walking distance of Kawaguchiko Station, with a free shuttle bus, where you can seemingly enjoy the hot springs on the Lake Kawaguchi shore and views of Mt. Fuji even without a car.

Besides the large communal bath, there are several ways to enjoy the hot springs, from suites with open-air baths to private baths. However, I couldn't confirm day-trip bathing on the official website, and the private baths were presented as being for overnight guests. There's also a note about steps in terms of barrier-free access inside the hotel, so if you need that, it seems wise to check ahead of time.

The Rakuten Mobile signal was rated "C" on the official tool. If you care about working or staying connected, it looks like a good idea to check and prepare in advance. For the latest plans, rates, and availability, please check the official website.

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