Hotel Crown Hills Fujinomiya

The staff were friendly and incredibly helpful, and the hotel is right outside Nishi Fujinomiya station, which made hauling our big luggage easy. Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine and the Mt Fuji Cultural Heritage Center are within walking distance. We also walked about 20 minutes to the Fujinomiya Station bus pickup for the Fujinomiya 5th station trailhead, and summitted Mt. Fuji. Our room was clean, the bed comfortable, and the minisplit let us turn the A/C way up on hot days instead of relying on central air. Breakfast was included, with Western options like sausage, eggs, toast, and coffee as well as Japanese dishes such as sunomomo, cooked mackerel, rice, and miso soup. One night we also tried the lobby's free alcohol mixing machine and had Whiskey high balls. We love Hotel Crown Hills Fujinomiya, which Google calls Fujinomiya City Hotel. I don't know why the names differ, since the building literally says Hotel Crown Hills. For North Americans, Japanese hotel rooms and bathrooms are MUCH MUCH smaller than those in North America. These seemed average for Japan, and Tokyo rooms are smaller still, so adjust your expectations for the culture you're visiting. We're 5'4" and 5'6.5" and had no trouble with the space. We speak Japanese, so I can't say how easy it is to check in or get help in English. If we're in Fujinomiya again, we'd happily stay here.

The cleaning staff were one of the best parts of the hotel, and they did their jobs well. The managers, though, were very angry and showed no hospitality. The whole experience wasn't the worst imaginable, but it came close. I wouldn't stay here again because of management. I hope they read this and start actually serving people. This is a service industry, but they don't seem to understand that. There were two exceptions, gentlemen from another country who understood how important service is in this industry.

The big, comfortable bed and spacious room made for a really enjoyable stay. Breakfast was served every morning, and the buffet was pretty decent. Weekend staff spoke English, though the weekday staff seemed not to. It's a great base for visiting Mount Fuji viewpoints like Shiraito Falls and Lake Tanuki, and the Nishi-Fujinomiya train stop is across the street. I'd definitely stay here again if I return to Fujinomiya.

The rooms are old, but not too uncomfortable for me. There's a small bathtub in the room, and you can use the public bath, the "Daiyoku-jo," on the 2F. That one's small too, though. Free drinks and alcohol, free laundry, and you can have dinner at the "izaka-ya" here. Good.