Sakuraan Kawaguchiko Hotel

“Relaxing oasis”

Lovely stay, people, restaurant, and food. The staff were very helpful, friendly, and efficient. The spa experience was fantastic. I wish I could stay the entire trip, but leaving to explore the rest of this beautiful country. Thanks Sakaraan for the relaxation stop.

“Great room and onsen, lousy (but free) breakfast”

You more or less need a car for this hotel, but then again you also need one for this region if you want to see all the lakes. The public bath was one of the better, and the hotel is very new and bright. Shoes out at the door though, and I can't figure out why they don't put a seat there if they ex… more

You more or less need a car for this hotel, but then again you also need one for this region if you want to see all the lakes. The public bath was one of the better, and the hotel is very new and bright. Shoes out at the door though, and I can't figure out why they don't put a seat there if they expect you to do that

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“Good hardware, poor service by Japanese standards”

Location: Not accessible for non-drivers, but it's actually just 8-10 minutes to the very center of Kawaguchiko. It sits just off a main road but it's quiet. There are supermarkets and restaurants nearby. Free parking. Rooms: Nicely and modernly furnished and good sized. Everything is nice a… more

Location: Not accessible for non-drivers, but it's actually just 8-10 minutes to the very center of Kawaguchiko. It sits just off a main road but it's quiet. There are supermarkets and restaurants nearby. Free parking. Rooms: Nicely and modernly furnished and good sized. Everything is nice and comfortable. There is indeed a "no-shoes" policy the moment you set foot in the lobby. Lockers are available right at the entrance. Free WiFi available but it does not work in the restaurant. Bath/Facilities: Typical public indoor/outdoor onsen baths that are comfortable and above average. The hot stone baths (dry heat at the high 40'sC+/115F+) are quite nice and relaxing. There is also an ice cold room. These facilities seem to be the very selling point of this place. There are also rows of massage chairs with TV just outside the bath area. Overall, a great place to relax. Meals: The standard dinner is a pork nabe (hot pot) with vegetables and some small side items such as tofu and gyoza. The taste is average. The portion is on the small side. For the free "breakfast", go down to the lobby to fetch yourself some rock hard supermarket bread and croissants with jam and butter. Packaged plain yogurt is also available. Free tea and coffee included. However, the taste and sincerity of this set-up is so poor that they simply shouldn't even include it in the offering. Service: The real down side for a Japanese hotel. Check-in is a bit lackadaisical to start just going through the motions. The baths close at 10pm and don't open until after check-out the next morning. For an arriving guest checking in even in the afternoon, there are limited hours to use the facilities. Just about every other place I have ever stayed at let the visitor soak until midnight, and again the next morning prior to check-out. At the free breakfast, the staff at the counter never greets the guests and never offers to explain how the set-up works. The service level overall is quite low vs even budget business hotels. Value: The price with a meal (not counting the "breakfast") for two is quite affordable at just below 20,000 Yen. The hardware is nice, but the service attitude makes me hesitate a full recommendation.

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