Hotel Senjojiki

For its location, they have everything needed for a comfortable stay. We were there for one night, and could use the lounge, which was quiet and cozy. It also had a good view of the mountains and Komagane City's shimmering lights at night.

The location is the one real plus, though it's hard to enjoy without suitable weather or gear, and the rental equipment selection is limited. Getting there is cumbersome, and we wished we'd gone walking in another region. We'd booked a special room, but the hotel said they'd received a phone call from us asking to downgrade the reservation. We don't speak Japanese, so that couldn't have been us. The rooms had already been booked out, leaving us to use the public baths. The staff apologized, but the issue couldn't be fixed, and our booking had effectively been lost without any confirmation email. The stay fell short of what we expected, especially for the price.

I came away very disappointed, especially given how expensive the stay was. I understand running a hotel on a mountain costs more, but it felt as though we were paying just for the location. If it were at ground level, I wouldn't pay 10,000 per night. My favourite part was taking the ropeway away from the hotel. The setting itself is lovely for photos, and with the right equipment you could go hiking. But the mountain views from the indoor viewing seats were poorly set up. A bright TV playing adverts and strong lights behind the seats made the glass reflect everything, so it was hard to see the mountains, including Fuji. Moving the TV and dimming the lights would help. A telescope or binoculars could be good too. The hotel gives you yukata and slippers, which was nice, though the slippers were very small and there weren't more sizes. We paid for the 'special room', and I was upset that it didn't face the mountains on the horizon, on the Fuji side. Snow filled most of the window anyway. The only special feature was a private bathroom, which was good. I liked the traditional Japanese room, where you sleep on the floor. The food was bad, both dinner and breakfast. It seemed like the same dishes were served every day, judging by the food photos in other reviews. In my opinion, it was European food prepared in Japanese style, and tasted like airplane food. Maybe I'd have liked Japanese food better. The Japanese guests seemed to enjoy it, though. The cafe closes at 3pm, which is a shame when you could sit by the Fuji viewing window with hot chocolate. I would have happily paid for that, but the cafe was shut. The vending machines had hot chocolate and coffee, but I didn't want those. The gift shop was nice, with quality looking designs from good brands. Prices were fairly high, though not outrageous. Getting there also took planning. There isn't much online about the route, and the website wasn't working at the time. You need to take a bus from the nearby bus station, where parking costs 800yen. The bus costs 800 one way, takes 30 minutes, and the last one leaves around 3pm, so go early. The ropeway leaves 15mins after the bus and costs 1600yen round trip. None of those costs are included in the hotel fee. Altogether, it takes about an hour from the bus station, so arrive early. We got there after dark and could hardly see the mountains. I wish this had been explained in the reservation email. Sit at the very front of the bus for the views, and stay more than 1 night if you want to see them. The manager was friendly and spoke decent English. The staff were all friendly too, and have a hard job working on the mountain. I wish them the best.

I stayed one night without a meal during construction, and knew there wouldn't be regular dining. The choices were to buy Curry w/Hamburger for 1,000 yen or bring my own food. I thought I had enough coffee, tea, and other drinks, but ran out. Then it was either sweet drinks from the vending machine or water. I suppose I should be grateful I had dinner at all. The hotel cafe closes at 15:30, no exceptions, and doesn't open again until 9:30 AM, after the 9 AM checkout. I wished I were at a business hotel in Matsumoto, where they leave a pot of coffee in the lobby for guests in the morning.