La Vista Fuji Kawaguchiko

A Kyoritsu Resort Provence-style retreat on high ground on the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi

La Vista Fuji Kawaguchiko is a resort hotel on high ground in Kawaguchi, Fujikawaguchiko-machi, on the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi. It is the Mount Fuji-area property in the La Vista series run by Kyoritsu Maintenance, and the design throughout is unified in the style of Provence in southern France. That single theme carries through the guest-room walls, the furnishings and even the terrace railings, and beyond the windows lies a spectacular view of Mount Fuji rising above Lake Kawaguchi.

83 rooms, most of them with a view bath

There are 83 rooms in all, in four types sleeping 1 to 4 guests: Twin, Double, Triple and Fours (a 4-person room). Each type comes in either the Provence-style La Vista line or the Rose line, decorated with a rose motif. Rooms range from 19 to 56 sq m, and most have a view bath by the window or on the terrace, designed for half-body bathing. All rooms are non-smoking and come with an air purifier with a humidifying function, a refrigerator, a safe, Wi-Fi and a television. Babies and children under school age can only stay by co-sleeping with an adult; bookings for bedding alone are not accepted. Children ages 0 to 2 stay free, while children ages 3 up to those who have not yet started elementary school are charged a facility fee of 2,200 to 3,300 yen including tax even if they need no bedding or meals. Cribs are available to borrow free of charge and can be requested when you book.

The natural onsen communal bath closest to Mount Fuji, plus 4 free private-hire baths

Minagiyama no Yu, the communal bath, sits at the point in the building closest to Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi. It is fed by natural onsen water that rises on its own from beneath the grounds, a calcium-sodium sulfate spring, and has separate indoor baths and open-air baths for men and women. Hours are from 3 p.m. to 11 a.m. the next morning, and it is unavailable between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. for cleaning. There are also 4 kinds of private-hire bath you can use free of charge (stone, brick, mosaic-tile and bamboo) and a chair-style ganbanyoku (heated-stone sauna), all available 24 hours a day. They are not reserved in advance: you check what is free on the electronic display board in the building. No towels are set out at either the communal bath or the private-hire baths, so guests bring the yukago (bath basket) from their room, which holds a towel and a bath towel.

The restaurant serves a Western full-course dinner and a breakfast buffet, with low-allergen options

Dinner and breakfast are served at Petit Poche, the restaurant inside the hotel. Dinner is a Western full course in two seatings, at 5:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., and the seating cannot be chosen in advance; breakfast is a buffet from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Children's chairs are available in limited numbers, and the restaurant will warm baby food and lend tableware. A dinner for children who have not yet started elementary school (4,400 yen including tax) must be reserved at least 2 days before your stay. For food allergies, a low-allergen menu excluding the 28 specified allergenic ingredients can be prepared if you get in touch at least 2 days in advance; at the buffet, only the 8 specified ingredients are labeled. The hotel also has the lobby bar Fuji*Sun (9 p.m. to midnight), the souvenir shop Colline (open 24 hours), and BARAKA SPA (3 p.m. to midnight), which is entirely private.

Access and parking

About 11 minutes from Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyuko Line by free shuttle bus, which requires advance reservation. It is about 14 minutes by car from the Kawaguchiko Interchange on the Chuo Expressway, and about 16 minutes from the Fujiyoshida Interchange on the Higashi-Fuji-Goko Road. There is free parking for 70 cars, but the surrounding roads get congested in busy periods, so coming by train is recommended. From around December through March there may be snowfall and icy road surfaces, and winter tires or chains must be fitted or carried. Check-in is from 3 p.m., and checkout is by 11 a.m.