There is a bus stop directly in front of the hotel with a direct connection from Fujikawaguchiko. From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by the area. The hotel may look unassuming from the outside, but inside it’s an old, incredibly charming, and immaculately clean place. The hotel owner is extremely friendly and accommodating. We were able to reserve the private onsen right away. The rooms are enormous, designed in a traditional style, and truly spacious, with seating areas that offer direct views of the lake and, of course, Mount Fuji. It’s absolutely breathtaking. The onsen is also a dream, offering a direct view of Mount Fuji. The kaiseki dinner was the most beautiful and freshest we’ve ever had. All in all, during our 7-week trip through Japan, we didn’t stay at a more beautiful hotel!

Nothing

Boasting incredible views of Mt. Fuji and Lake Shoji, we were beyond grateful to have found the Yamadaya Hotel and to be staying there on such a remarkably clear day. The traditional Japanese rooms were a welcome change of pace from the Western-style hotels we had been staying at and, even though the hotel is certainly an older one, the facilities were well-maintained, comfortable, and had a true ring of authenticity. Those themes only continued during our kaiseki dinner and breakfast, which was prepared with incredible care and offered one of the most memorable meal experiences of our trip. Accessing the onsen baths was straightforward and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience in both the private baths — which are available for reservation throughout the day — and the public baths — which are open from 3:00pm-10:00am overnight, so if the idea of a public bath is initimidating, late night is always an option. We will forever remember our experience at the Yamadaya Hotel and are grateful to the owner and staff for their diligent work in making our stay as incredible as it was.

The people. The hosts are absolutely wonderful and go above and beyond to help you. My husband and I climbed Mt.Fuji and did not realize how expensive and cash heavy it is (it’s 700 yen per water bottle and 200 yen per bathroom trip per person each time) so we ran out of cash by the time we got to the hotel. They helped us locate busses with tap pay and researched for us the best routes to get us back where we needed to be. Our room was clean and the sleeping was extremely comfortable- not to mention we had the best Fuji view from our room! They gave us hot tea and Fuji cookies upon arrival! The onsen was delightful and much needed after such a physical experience. The food is absolutely incredible I tried so many new foods and the food is expertly prepared and it feels like a Michelin style meal. They really made the best restful experience ever and I cannot recommend this hotel enough!

I loved the entire hotel- it is older and some may not like that but to me it added to the charm of the place!

The room, view and private open-air onsen were great. Absolutely the highlight of my stay here. The provided green tea kit (with thermos hot water) and the Mt. Fuji cookies were a nice touch. Air conditioning worked great, the temperature was constantly perfect. The staff was super friendly and helpful, I did not have any issues communicating in English and my basic Japanese was not needed. The kaiseki dinner+breakfast was excellent, both in taste and in optics. The traditional Japanese bedding was fine, I slept well, even though I'm used to western beds.

The shower area inside my room was rather uninviting, I think the walls were a bit moldy. I stayed out of that room (which had a proper door separating it for the rest of the room). It did not bother me much, as the onsen facilities were a good substitute. Public transport accessibility is definitely an issue, as there are a very limited number of buses that run by the hotel each day. One should research a bus timetable beforehand, in order to avoid getting stranded (both in Kawaguchiko and at the hotel). One small nitpick of note is that if you stay multiple nights, you have to reserve your 30 min private onsen slots with the front desk for each day. I missed out on one slot because I was unaware of this.

Value for money for a hotel with Mt.Fuji view

If you book for a dinner and breakfast at the hotel,you should be there no later than 6 pm cuz they serve dinner at 6 or 6.30 PM.My family checked in at 6.50 PM.They told us that they couldn’t serve our dinner cuz we late check in but we got charged for it anyway which is very weird

Loved the traditional ryokan dinner and breakfast. Dinner was quite extensive. There was a choice of beef or pork, with fish/prawn sashimi and many other fanciful side dishes. Staff was very friendly and approachable. Mount fuji view from the room.

Room was quite dated and toilet area was old and worn. No shower or bath facility in the room I was in, but we showered at the common private bath you could book at the rooftop for free. Even though we arrived to check in at 3.30pm, some of the premium sunset or sunrise slots were already taken up.

Obviously an amazing location for viewing Mt. Fuji. Right at the lakefront and a hike to a lookout nearby, we were lucky to get an afternoon with clear weather before it got snowy. Outdoor onsen with a view was amazing even if Mt Fuji was covered by clouds at that point and the breakfast and dinner served at the hotel was great. The room was spacious and very comfortable with a lovely view. Even if we didn't get to see Mt Fuji at all, it still would have been a very nice stay

Had to be mindful of the bus schedule as transport to and from the hotel can be tricky, especially if it's snowing. Staff were very helpful with making sure we got on the bus after check out so it all worked out great.

This is the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at. My boyfriend worked at 5-star hotels in the past and even he said the service at this hotel was impeccable. We were very lucky to see Mt Fuji from our room and the private onsen. We also loved the traditional Japanese room, the dinner and breakfast selection and being able to wear the yukata provided by the ryokan. Definitely the most authentic Japanese experience of our trip. We wish we had stayed longer than just one night. We will be back at this ryokan every time we visit Japan from now on.

Nothing we didn’t like.

The best unobstructed view of Mt Fuji from the room and onsen!! Room is spacious, daily housekeeping, fresh yukata and toiletries. Automatic toilet. Tea set and nice chair and table by the window. Traditional dinner and breakfast were delicious!!!

A bit far from central (Kawaguchiko) so need car hire. But that’s what makes it worth it for unobstructed Mt Fuji view. The bus runs 4x a day to Kawaguchiko. Bus stop is just outside the hotel. There’s one bus to Shin Fuji for Shinkansen just need to check timings.

You pay for the views of the mountain!! It’s a stunning view in the morning and in the evening. The traditional sleeping was actually comfortable, the room was very spacious and I liked the vibe of it. I think it is a family business and the owners had limited English but were very welcoming and nice. The food was delicious too! & the private onsen was a great experience!!

The toilet flooring was a bit weird but aside from that nothing else.