Lodging Kawaguchiko
As for lodging in the Mt. Fuji area, the Kawaguchi-ko lake is a very popular destination for both Japanese and foreign tourists. Kawaguchi-ko park hotel, is a nice Japanese style hotel right near Kawaguchi-ko lake as well as located a short distance from the Kawaguchi-ko train station. Here is their webpage:
Mizuno Hotel is another great option which is located right along the same Kawaguchi-ko lake. This hotel is a little further away from the station, but there are shuttle buses which run between the station and Mizuno hotel. Their rooms are little more expensive compared to Kawaguchi-ko park hotel but appear to be a little bit bigger and with better views of the lake and Mt. Fuji. Here is there website:
A more budget friendly accommodation would be the Kawaguchi-ko station inn, which is located right across the street from Kawaguchi-ko train station. Not as nice as the two hotel's mentioned above, but they do have a couple of rooms with views of Mt. Fuji. Website:
If you're just looking for a bed to crash on, your best option would be to stay at K's house. They put up a lot of international travelers, have English speaking personnel and rates are extremely cheap. K's house operates in a hostel style so don't expect much more than a place to crash. Here is their website:
Traditional Japanese style ryokans:Kozantei ubuyaShuhoukaku KogetsuWakakusa no yado maruei KonansouFuji Lake Hotel
These ryokan have roomsthat come with your own private onsen bath on the balcony. Probably the most popular in the Kawaguchi-ko area would be the Fuji Lake hotel and Kozantei Ubuya (Although among Japanese Wakakusa no yado maruei is rated the most popular).
Fuji Onsenji Yumedono
Hotel Sunnide Village
Fuji Lake Hotel
Ashiwada Hotel
Sawa Hotel
Traditional Japanese ryokan's with English website:
Luxury Japanese style Inn in Kawaguchi-ko
I have compiled a list of nice Japanese ryokan in The Kawaguchi-ko area.
Most of these ryokans also have roomsthat come with your own private 'onsen’(natural hot springs bath) on the balcony. Probably the most popular in the Kawaguchi-ko area would be the Fuji Lake hotel and Kozantei Ubuya (Although among Japanese Wakakusa no yado maruei is rated the most popular). See links to websites below. These are Japanese style lodgings, with mainly Japanese food served for dinner. There are a few western style hotels intheKawaguchi-ko area, but none worthy of 4-5 star status.
Fuji Lake Hotel
Kozantei ubuya
Shuhoukaku Kogetsu
Konansou
Wakakusa no yado maruei
Fuji Onsenji Yumedono
Lodging Hakone
ThePrince Hotel Hakoneis located right by Lake Ashi and offers stunning views of the lake and Mt. Fuji in the background. On its Japanese website they have a one night/ two meal plan advertised for ¥12,000 per person.
TheYunessun Innis connected to the hot springs Yunessun water park. The water park includes a variety of different baths, swim pools and a couple of water slides, all of which contain water from natural hot springs. There are a number of different sites which sell rooms to this inn, most of which include a discounted ticket to the water park. On the Japanese website they have a shocking deal right now which includes a 2 day ticket to the water park, all you can eat breakfast and dinner, plus one nights stay for ¥10,000 per person. The only downer for this place is its location. The only way to access is by bus, about 15-20 minutes away from Lake Ashi and Hakone Yumoto station.
Tokinoyu Setsugetsukais located right in front of the train station Gora in Hakone. One of the main attractions here is that its rooms provide private outside baths. Rates start from about ¥15,000 per person per night including a Japanese dinner and breakfast.
Hotel Fujiyais the oldest hotel in the Hakone area and would be a good choice for a genuine Japanese experience. Many foreigners enjoy going here because of the deep heritage it represents. I'm sure you've noticed already, but on their English website they have a special plan offered only to foreign passport holders. In celebration of 131 years of service the hotel looks to be offering a room rate of 131USD for one night. Unlike most of its other plans though, this does not include any meals. You will need to call the hotel to reserve this or to make any further inquiries regarding this plan (81-(0)460-82-2211)
Choosing a hotel should also depend a lot on what you are planning to do in Hakone. Hakone is a pretty large area, and would take days to see all of its attractions. I would suggest you try and find a hotel close to the different attractions you are interested in going to. Being close to Lake Ashi is nice for its splendid view as well as good location for getting around to a lot of the famous spots in Hakone.
Lodging Tokyo
Since our tours are normally commenced in the lobby of the Keio plaza hotel in Shinjuku, this is a popular spot for many of our participants to stay at.
Some other popular spots are the Hilton Tokyo, Park Hyatt Shinjuku and Hyatt Regency, all located within walking distance of the Keio Plaza hotel.
Modern western Hotels located close to the Keio Plaza would be the Sunroute Plaza, Prince hotel Shinjuku and Shinjuku Washington hotel.
If you are looking for more of a budget hotel I would suggest the Sakura hotel. The location is in the center of Tokyo and the staff here are bilingual. Don't expect anything fancy though, it's more like a youth hostel than a hotel.Here is the link for this hotel
If you are looking for something mid-range than try checking out the Hotel Villa Fontaine Shiodome. Rooms are comfy and modern with internet-TV and high-speed LAN.
If you want a Japanese experience than I would suggest the Ryokan Ryumeikan-Hoten where you can enjoy Japanese style rooms.
Lodging Gotenba
There is a nice resort in Gotenba with a view of Fuji with various choices of lodging from your own bungalow, cottage or hotel. Does this interest you? Here is a link to the gotenba resort