[Japan: Fujikawaguchiko] Hotel Review: Hoshinoya Fuji - A Luxury Glamping Resort

A date with Mount Fuji! We had the most delightful stay at Hoshinoya Fuji recently - a glamping resort overlooking the beautiful Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji! One of the biggest feature at this resort is that all of its cabins (guest rooms) have unobstructed views of Mount Fuji. In Spring and Autumn, you can even see cherry blossoms and maple leaves. I have always wanted to stay here and we were lucky enough to come on a day with fantastic weather. I have had wonderful experiences staying at other Hoshino Resorts including Hoshinoya Tokyo, Oirase Keiryu Hotel and Aomoriya, and Hoshinoya Fuji did not disappoint.

Full view of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi from our cabin

ACCESS:

Access from Tokyo is easy with plenty of trains and buses that will take you directly to Kawaguchiko Station. From there, simply take a taxi to the resort reception area located at the foot of the hill. After checking in and picking a backpack for use during the stay, guests are escorted up the hill to the resort by custom jeeps and transported into a luxury camping playground that is Hoshinoya Fuji.

The cabins

Each of the backpacks come with glamping amenities for your use during the stay such as a headlight, binoculars, biscotti and heat packs.

ROOM:

There are a total of 40 cabins with 4 different types of guest rooms. All of the cabins have marvelous views and also a balcony which is furnished with a fireplace and kotatsu (a low heated table with futon over it) in the winter time. Rooms are minimalistic so it can blend in with the surrounding majestic nature. We stayed in a standard T Cabin which came furnished with two twin beds, a sofa facing the balcony, and a bathtub overlooking Mount Fuji as well. 

The kotatsu table is such an ingenious invention in the winter time - we definitely spent a lot of time outside on the balcony admiring the view while snuggled inside the kotatsu!

After dark, one of the glamping masters came by to light a fire on the balcony so we can have a campfire experience in our own cabin.

FACILITIES:

The main gathering spot at the resort is the Cloud Terrace - a series of platforms connected by stairs that have been built along the slope in the forest. Guests are encouraged to spend time here among the nature with plenty of relaxation areas, sofas and even hammocks. The Library Café at the top serves as a lounge area where one can get coffee and tea while the Takibi Lounge offers a bonfire that guests can gather around at. A variety of activities are available on each platform from theater in the woods, concert in the forest and more!

Movies playing on a projector

Guests can play board games while sitting in the kotatsu tables

ACTIVITIES:

There are many complementary activities available at the Cloud Terrace that evoke traditional camping experiences - one of which is wood chopping! Glamping masters are on hand to show you how to do it safely and correctly. 

The Outdoor Sweets Time is where you can enjoy seasonal sweets inside the Library Café or outside by the bonfire. You can make your own s’mores - the ever classic campfire treat! 

Grilled apple with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream

At night, guests can order alcoholic drinks at the Takibi Bar while listening to a Forest Concert where various artists perform every night for 30 minutes. 

Paid activities include Early Morning Canoeing, Food Smoking Woodshop, Private Electric Bicycle Tour and more! We had signed up to do canoeing at Lake Kawaguchi initially, but unfortunately we got hit with a severe snowstorm on that morning and had to cancel it. I guess that just means we have to come back to do it next time!

DINING:

In tune with the camping theme, the cuisine at Hoshinoya Fuji is prepared with local ingredients found in the wild including game meat captured by local hunters and seasonal vegetables. Guests are offered three dining options - alfresco dining prepared by Dutch ovens in the Forest Kitchen, Dining Hall with a large grill station, or in-room dining.

Dining Hall

We opted for the Dutch Oven Dinner which is a rustic outdoor dining experience where you can cook your own food in a Dutch oven with a glamping master guiding you every step of the way!

From the entrance, we were led to our table in the woods where the table is a kotatsu of course. After ordering drinks, it was time to start the meal!

 The amuse bouche was a wild boar with plum sauce cooked over a bonfire.

The appetizer was a platter of venison sausages and vegetables that we grilled ourselves along with a melting pot of cheese that we can enjoy with the grilled ingredients or as is.

Followed by a heart-warming soup with bear, wild boar and several types of seasonal mushrooms.

The main dish was a venison with blueberry sauce and taro potato.

The rice dish was served with venison, dried mushroom and broth.

Finally the dessert was strawberries with red beans wrapped inside a crepe.

Because I had told the staff that this trip was a birthday celebration, they surprised me with a birthday treat at dinner!

For breakfast, guests can eat in the Dining Hall or Cloud Terrace, but we chose to have the Breakfast Box that can be enjoyed in the comforts of our own cabin!

Since Lake Kawaguchi is famous for bass fishing, the design of the wooden box is based on a fishing tool box called a tackle box (see the unboxing video here). We were hit with a pretty big snowstorm on this morning so Mount Fuji was not visible at all, but the falling snow gave a different vibe altogether!

The menu:
- Strawberry and watermelon radish salad with parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar dressing
- Dutch oven bread
- Trout and Spanish spinach omelet with sausage and roasted vegetables
- Potato and leek potage soup
- Yogurt

After breakfast, we took the chance to explore the resort grounds one last time amidst the ethereal falling snow which evoked a whole different ambiance altogether! Thank you to the team at Hoshinoya Fuji for the hospitality which made our stay and birthday celebration so memorable!

Hoshinoya Fuji

1408 Oishi, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi 401-0305, Japan

Tel: +81 50-3134-8091

https://hoshinoya.com/fuji/en/

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