I Looked Into Royal Hotel Kawaguchiko

On this blog, I keep researching potential destinations for those times when I was planning to go camping but then decided "let's skip that and do a hotel-cation instead." It's become something of a series.

This time, I looked into Royal Hotel Kawaguchiko, located on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi. When I found out there are several room types ranging from Japanese-style rooms to modern Japanese-Western rooms, I thought that as an indoor type of person, just choosing a room could be fun on its own, so I decided to dig in.

The Short Version

My impression was that this hotel offers a wide variety of room types—Japanese-style rooms, modern Japanese-Western rooms, Hollywood twins, and more—so you can pick a room to match your preferences.
Rakuten Mobile signal came back as a C rating on the official tool, so if connectivity matters to you, it's probably worth checking in advance.

I've summarized the details below.

What Kind of Hotel Is Royal Hotel Kawaguchiko?

This hotel is located in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, and based on the official website, it appears to sit right next to Lake Kawaguchi. I also found a site that used to run on a different domain, but that one seemed to have gone unupdated for a long time. It looks like the current official site, which was apparently renewed in October 2024, is now the most up-to-date source of information.

As for reservations, clicking the "Book Now" button on the official site seems to redirect you to an external booking site—I couldn't find an in-house reservation system. Apparently you can also book by phone. Regarding rates, I couldn't find any specific pricing on the official site itself, so it seems you'd need to check an external booking site for that. Parking is free with space for 60 cars, which seemed convenient for anyone visiting by car.

Komorin

I'm someone who doesn't drive, so hearing that there's apparently a free shuttle bus running between Kawaguchiko Station and the hotel was really reassuring news. That could be a nice point for anyone who travels by train.

Room Types Ranging From Japanese-Style to Modern Japanese-Western

What stood out to me while researching was just how many room types there are. According to the official site, the following rooms seem to be available.

Japanese-style room: capacity of 6, 25 sq meters
Renovated Japanese-style room: capacity of 6, 25 sq meters. Apparently the shoji screens were removed to give it a more open feel
Modern Japanese-Western room: capacity of 3, 23 sq meters. It seems to combine two mattress beds and one futon set on tatami flooring
Renovated twin room: capacity of 2, 17 sq meters. This one also apparently has two mattress beds on tatami flooring
Renovated Hollywood twin: capacity of 3, 22 sq meters. It was apparently renovated in January 2024, but the site clearly notes it's a second-floor room with no view
5th floor room: a Japanese-style room for up to 4 people. It apparently reopened after renovation in July 2024, though I couldn't find any listed square footage
Japanese-style room for 12: capacity of 12, 51.24 sq meters. Seems geared toward families or groups

As for amenities, it sounds like rooms come equipped with free Wi-Fi, a TV, an electric kettle, a tea set, a fridge, and air conditioning, plus a full set of body soap, shampoo and conditioner, a toothbrush, a razor, towels, a yukata, a padded kimono robe, and indoor slippers. As someone who's an indoor type, my impression was that there wouldn't be much to worry about equipment-wise if you just wanted to hole up in your room.

The "Kaiun no Yu" Hot Spring and How Indoor Types Can Spend Their Time

This hotel has a hot spring called Kaiun no Yu, with two baths each for men and women, for a total of four bathing areas. There's an indoor bath made of granite as well as a garden-style outdoor rock bath. The water apparently comes from a Mount Fuji spring source and sits at around 40 degrees Celsius, with the outdoor bath deliberately kept a bit cooler. Guests can apparently use it as many times as they like at no extra charge, which seems well suited to a relaxed style of going back and forth between your room and the bath. Day-trip bathing also seems to be available, with plans such as a two-hour hot-spring-only visit or a three-hour visit that includes a paid private room.

Meals are served at a restaurant called Kaiun-tei, and it seems reservations are required in advance for both dinner and breakfast. Dinner is apparently a seasonal Japanese set menu, with a kids' menu also available. As for whether there's a sauna or whether pets are allowed, I couldn't find any mention of this on any page of the official site, so I wasn't able to confirm it during this research. Accepted payment methods reportedly include VISA, JCB, American Express, Mastercard, and UnionPay.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this facility's location using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, the overall rating came back as a "C".

This result is something I actually confirmed by using the tool myself, so I'll share it as-is. Since free Wi-Fi is apparently available throughout the entire hotel, my impression is that you'd likely end up relying on Wi-Fi for most of your connectivity during your stay.

Komorin

I personally use Rakuten Mobile, so that C rating is a bit of a concern for me. If I were staying there, it seems like a good idea to prepare with the mindset of relying on the in-house Wi-Fi.

See Rakuten Mobile Details

Looking Into Nearby Attractions

According to the official site, there's a park called Oike Park right next to the hotel. As for other nearby attractions, the access page on the official site mainly focuses on train, car, and highway bus route guidance, and I couldn't find any mention of distances or travel times to nearby spots. From general sources, it seems the Kawaguchiko Kitahara Museum and a Fuji museum/local history museum are within walking distance, and Fuji-Q Highland is said to be about a 10-minute drive away—though it's worth keeping in mind that this isn't information from the hotel itself.

In terms of access, the site describes routes from Shinjuku using the JR Chuo Line limited express plus a bus, or a highway bus. By car, it's apparently about 10 minutes from the Kawaguchiko interchange on the Chuo Expressway. There's a free shuttle bus from Kawaguchiko Station, and it seems that if you contact them in advance, they'll shuttle you between the station and the hotel. As someone who doesn't drive, having this shuttle available felt pretty reassuring.

Wrapping Up

To sum up, my overall impression of Royal Hotel Kawaguchiko is that it offers a wide range of room types, from Japanese-style rooms to modern Japanese-Western rooms, making it a hotel where it seems easy to combine relaxing hot spring time with cozy room time on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi. The free shuttle bus was also a welcome point for me, since I don't drive.

On the other hand, Rakuten Mobile signal conditions came back as a C rating, so if connectivity is important to you, it might be reassuring to check with the official tool in advance.

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