Fuji Premium Resort

The best thing about Fuji Premium Resort was the staff. Everyone was genuinely kind, pleasant, and helpful. We also looked forward to the buffet breakfast each morning, with so many choices. We stayed 10 nights, and the rooms were clean and very spacious. The resort is in a lovely wooded area, peaceful and beautiful, around 15 minutes from downtown. We really appreciated the free daily shuttle to places in Kawaguchiko. Hope we can come back before too long 😁

The food was excellent, and the hotel is older but clearly well maintained. It has a traditional style, which gives you the chance to experience that kind of stay. At dinner you must wear the kimono, and of course there is the onsen. They take your bed out of the cupboard and set it up while you're dining. From being shown to the room at check-in to the restaurant service, everything was exemplary. I sometimes find it hard to communicate in Japan as a foreigner, but even with that challenge things went smoothly.

Getting to the onsen meant walking for 5 minutes through the dark winter cold, and after a relaxing soak you had to face that bitter cold again on the way back. I ended up wishing I hadn't gone. I wouldn't recommend it. Our family of 3 had to sleep in separate rooms because the rooms were dated and confusing. The one I got had no window and was very stuffy, mostly because there was no air circulation at all and only traditional heating elements. The mattress springs were weak too, so every little movement was noticeable.

I've stayed here twice, but after this kind of treatment I won't be back. A month ago I emailed to ask about extending our checkout time and never got an answer. The receptionist had trouble understanding spelling, answers, and even the date for a bus reservation. I had to repeat everything so many times, and communicating felt almost impossible. They acted like they knew it all, but we couldn't get clear answers to any of our questions. I've lived in Japan for 30 years, and my Japanese is certified by examination.