Fuji Shoei kaikan

We spent a week here as a family and would come back. It’s a lovely place, and the owner was great about helping with whatever we needed. Fresh linens and towels came daily, and everything felt very clean. The free parking was a nice bonus, and there seemed to be go-karts by the lobby entrance that guests could use. The location worked well for us: Fuji International Speedway (FSW) is under a 6-7 minute drive, with Lawson, 7-11, a good bakery, and laundromats only a couple of minutes away on foot or by car. Gotemba Premium Outlets and Yamanashi are also not too far. A good option for staying in Gotemba or Shizuoka.

Really loved the place. The rooms were great, too.

I barely slept, with engine noise from cars in the parking lot, other sounds outside, doors opening and closing, voices, and footsteps all carrying into the room. The rooms are close together and don't seem soundproofed. Check-out is just dropping the key in a tray, and there didn't seem to be many staff around. The public bath is small and shuts at 10pm, which gave me the impression the hotel doesn't put much effort into it. The guest room toilet has no shower, and the flimsy doors and locker-like keys feel dated. The place comes across more as an old resort than a hotel. Some of the spaces feel unnecessarily luxurious, which I found puzzling. The exterior, though, is very nice.

We stayed here on a summer holiday with the family, and it was comfortable for what we paid. The service felt more casual than at a typical hotel, but we had no complaints. Quite a few of the staff were foreigners. Our room had its own bathroom with a separate toilet, and there was a large public bath as well. At night we had fun playing Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch we brought along. We'd stay here again on a future visit to Gotemba.