Hotel Route-Inn Gotemba Ekinan

A 4-minute walk from JR Gotemba Station, convenient for sightseeing

Hotel Route-Inn Gotemba Ekinan is a business hotel close to the station, about a 4-minute walk (roughly 300 m) from Gotemba Station on the JR Gotemba Line. It is also easy to reach by car from the Gotemba Interchange on the Tomei Expressway, which makes it a good base for family trips to Gotemba Premium Outlets and the leisure spots around Mount Fuji. On clear days you can see Mount Fuji, one of the pleasures of staying in Gotemba. Check-in is at 3 p.m. and checkout is at 10 a.m. Its Rakuten Travel rating is 4.11 out of 5 (1,177 reviews), a steady score across a large number of reviews, and guests value its straightforward appeal: a location near the station, a communal bath and a free breakfast. It suits families who plan to spend their time sightseeing and are happy to treat the hotel as simply a place to bathe and sleep.

An artificial onsen communal bath to ease a day of travel

The hotel has an artificial onsen communal bath, free for staying guests. It is open from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. the next morning and from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. Guest rooms are business-hotel style, mostly with en-suite bathrooms, so a communal bath where you can stretch out your legs is a welcome feature on a stay with children. Nothing is published about bath items such as baby baths or baby chairs being available to borrow, so if you need them, please check directly with the hotel when you book. Under guidance shared across Route-Inn Hotels, children who are not yet out of diapers (not yet toilet-trained) are asked to refrain from using the communal bath, so they bathe in the room's en-suite bathroom instead.

A free Japanese-Western buffet breakfast with more than 30 items

The buffet breakfast is Route-Inn's signature service, with a Japanese and Western spread of more than 30 items, free for staying guests. The lineup works whether your family prefers rice, bread or something light, and it is easy to find dishes children will happily eat. Sitting down together for a proper breakfast in the restaurant and then heading straight out sightseeing is one of the strengths of a business hotel near the station.

Free Wi-Fi and WOWOW in every room, with Tempacy mattresses

The guest rooms are designed mainly for business travelers, and every room has free Wi-Fi and free WOWOW viewing. Every bed has a Tempacy mattress for a more comfortable night's sleep. The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day and there is a coin laundry, which helps on longer stays or when laundry suddenly becomes necessary with children in tow. Nothing is published about whether cribs, baby futons or similar items can be borrowed, so the surest approach is to check with the hotel in advance about anything you need.

Staying here with children

Co-sleeping is free for children under school age and 2,000 yen including tax for elementary school children. Both are additional charges that apply only when the number of guests exceeds the room's capacity; within capacity, nothing is added. Parking for 52 cars is free, on a first-come, first-served basis. The hotel lets you put together a good-value, easygoing Gotemba stay: play at the outlets or around Mount Fuji, soak in the communal bath after check-in, enjoy the free buffet the next morning, and get around easily by train or by car from a location near the station. Checkout is fairly early at 10 a.m., so leave yourself some time in the morning.