Sunnide Resort Hotel & Lakeside Villa Senichikei

A lakeside resort on Lake Kawaguchi's northern shore, on the Shimazu dukes' villa grounds

Sunnide Resort is a 28-room lakeside inn on the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchi, in Oishi, Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Yamanashi. It stands on scenic ground where the Shimazu dukes of Satsuma in Kyushu once kept a villa, and its greatest draw is the view, which borrows Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi as its backdrop. It is about 20 minutes by car from Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyuko Line, with parking for 30 cars on a first-come, first-served basis.

Rooms - from the main building's tatami rooms to Senichikei, where every room has an open-air bath

Rooms come in three types: the hotel main building, the Western-style building, and the lakeside villa Senichikei. The main building has 10-tatami Japanese-style rooms sleeping up to 4, and 10-tatami-plus-6-tatami Japanese-style rooms sleeping up to 6; the tatami rooms, where everyone can stretch out on futons, suit family trips well. The lakeside villa Senichikei comes in two types, the Grand Suite (a 60 sq m Japanese-Western room for up to 4 guests) and the Premium Suite (a 70 sq m Japanese-Western room for up to 5 guests). It is a high-grade building where every room has a 10-tatami Japanese-style area, a bedroom, a terrace and an open-air bath with Mount Fuji views. With an open-air bath in your own room, parents and children can bathe together without worrying about other guests. Guest rooms have air purifiers with a humidifying function (in Senichikei and most of the main building) and toilets with a washlet function, and humidifiers are also available to borrow.

A view bathhouse with an open-air bath facing Mount Fuji

The view bathhouse is made up of an open-air bath, a view bath, a ceramic bath, an octagonal bath and a communal bath, and through the rising steam you can see Mount Fuji across the lake. The water is a natural onsen, with types of spring water including calcium-sodium sulfate spring. Hours are from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. and from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. the next morning. Do note that guests wearing diapers cannot bathe there, so families with a baby still in diapers can book Senichikei, where the room has its own open-air bath, with peace of mind.

Meals centered on Japanese cuisine in the lakeside dining room

Dinner and breakfast are served in venues including the main dining room on the first floor of Senichikei, with original dishes centered on Japanese cuisine made with local ingredients. The wood-toned restaurant faces the lake, so you can look out at Mount Fuji through the windows while you eat. Menu changes for allergies or disliked ingredients cannot be accommodated, so families with a child who has a food allergy should inquire in advance.

Staying with children

Children co-sleeping without futon bedding, ages 0-3, are limited to 2 per room. Children aged 4 and over who need bedding are booked under the rate category that includes futon bedding. Check-in is from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and until 6 p.m. on plans that include dinner - fairly early, so if you are staying with dinner it is best to allow plenty of time for your arrival. One booking covers up to 3 rooms and 3 nights, with a maximum of 20 people per group, which also works for three-generation trips and extended-family stays. With a Rakuten Travel rating of 4.47 out of 5 (245 reviews), the inn scores highly across the board for its food, location, views and hospitality.