Fuji Speedway Hotel review

I had an incredible stay at the Fuji Speedway Hotel during my fall 2024 trip to Japan. The service at the hotel, the property itself, and the unique experiences were phenomenal. If you are considering staying here, just do it. Seriously.

This hotel is a true car-lover's paradise, but done very tastefully so the theming isn't in your face. Personally, I wanted to stay here because I love cars, and for a particular driving experience on the Fuji Speedway itself (read about it in a separate post coming soon!), but even my mom and grandma appreciated the understated but impactful vehicular decor.

I booked this property through American Express's Fine Hotel and Resorts collection to use my Amex Platinum's $200 yearly hotel credit. By doing so, I was able to get:

• Breakfast for 2 at Trofeo
• A $100 USD property "experience" credit
• Late checkout

The late checkout seemed exclusive to those with Hyatt status / Amex FHR bookings. My mom and grandparents also booked at the Fuji Speedway Hotel but weren't able to get late checkout when they requested (they overheard my benefits being read off).

The Fuji Speedway Hotel is part of Hyatt's Unbound Collection, and stays earn status progress for World of Hyatt Members. I didn't receive any recognition for my Hyatt status, likely because I booked through American Express.

As its name suggests, the Fuji Speedway Hotel is located right next to the Fuji Speedway racetrack in Shizuoka, Japan. It's about a 1.5-2 hour drive from Tokyo depending on traffic. Visitors can also get to the hotel via train to Gotemba station (e.g. on the Gotemba line), where the Fuji Speedway Hotel provides a complimentary shuttle to/from the hotel. It looks like reservations are required, so inquire with the property once you have your booking in place.

Fuji Speedway Hotel on Google Maps

We rented a car, and the drive took us 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach the hotel from Ogikubo (where we picked up our rental car). The Fuji Speedway Hotel provides free parking for hotel guests, which we utilized with our little rental Yaris. You'll see plenty of breathtaking cars onsite and in the garage (I saw an RX7, GTR, several Lambos, and the AE86 of Initial D fame.

Tofu delivery

Making a friend

The Fuji Speedway Hotel is also about a 15-20 minute drive away from the Gotemba Premium Outlets, which has fantastic shopping. While the hotel doesn't provide a shuttle to the outlets, you can take the complimentary hotel shuttle to JR Gotemba station, and then catch the free shuttle provided by Gotemba Premium Outlets.

Side note: The navigation systems built into rental cars can be difficult to figure out (the car rental staff couldn't figure out how to enter the hotel's address). Most rental cars nowadays (our Yaris included) are equipped with Apple Carplay to sync up your navigation, which ended up being invaluable! Be sure to bring a lightning cable with you to connect.

In one word, the entry to the Fuji Speedway Hotel is breathtaking. On arrival, do your best to first enter the property from the main door (not the parking garage basement) for a jaw-dropping experience up the escalators to the lobby. I imagine it's what heaven feels like.

Entrance to Fuji Speedway Hotel

The hotel entry point is a legitimate, 2-floor car museum. It holds an incredible number of notable cars, like the Mazda 787B that won the 1991 Le Mans, among many other greats. While it's not free for hotel guests, a 300 yen discount is offered, bringing admission to 1500 yen per person (or about $10). Discounted tickets can be purchased at the hotel front desk.

We arrived to the hotel at about 2pm. The employee checking us in was very regretful to inform us that our room wasn't ready (no early check-in for us), but he offered us glasses of complimentary sparkling wine in their lounge area. Not super surprising since we arrived right after a race event, so some guests may have had late checkout like me. However, it was interesting because my family's room was ready at check-in.

During the wait, we decided to go to the Gotemba Premium Outlets to shop for a bit. When we returned at around 5:30pm, our room was ready and had a lovely welcome gift of grapes and matcha chocolates. During checkin, the fantastic manager confirmed our car rental reservations for the Fuji Speedway driving experience, helped us book dinner reservations at an otherwise full Robata Oyama, and a spa treatment. The following day, he also helped me with purchasing souvenirs unique to the Fuji Speedway Hotel. Throughout our stay, he remembered us and made conversation - it was a nice gesture.

Onsen

The Fuji Speedway Hotel has an amazing onsen on the property, and I highly recommend visiting at least once during your stay. During check-in, Guests are provided a card pass for women to visit, so bring that down when you intend to visit. Access to the onsen is included for hotel guests (without reservation). Non-guests can visit the onsen for a fee by making a reservation online.

Outdoor onsen - Photo from Expedia

The onsen is divided by gender, and there are showers available to use before getting in the hot spring. There's an indoor onsen and open air/outdoor soaking area. I visited the outdoor one, since it felt wonderful with the chilly fall air. The onsens face Mt. Fuji, but I wasn't able to see it since I visited at night.

Don't forget to shower before getting in the water.

It was so relaxing to soak for a bit after the drive from Tokyo. After bathing, lotions and hair dryers are available in the women's locker area. There's also spring water dispensers to re-hydrate. Outside of the locker room in the spa lounge area, tea, regular milk, and coffee milk is available complimentary for spa & onsen visitors.

My husband and I had a circuit view room with a king-sized bed. Compared to our tiny business hotel room in Tokyo, the Fuji Speedway Hotel room was absolutely massive. In front of the bed, we had a round table with two chairs, and then there was an accent wall wallpapered with a view of the track and Mt. Fuji and a TV. Next to the bed are controls from the room, ranging from room lights to the motorized curtains. Keeping with the car-theme, the switches looked like controls from older cars.

There was a room next to the entry door which contained the toilet (with bidet!) and a sink. The rest of the bathroom: double sinks, shower, and bathtub were next to the bed and living area. There were cool sliding doors if guests need privacy in the bathroom area, but I liked the flexibility to keep the room feeling more open. Inside the bathroom drawer was a display of any toiletry item you could need, plus samples of Mikimoto skincare (face cleanser, serums, lotions).

Fuji Speedway Hotel bathroom and water closet

The room also had a generous closet area, which housed yukata, loungewear, and slippers for guest use throughout the resort. I wore the loungewear down to the onsen locker room; everyone else I saw there was wearing the same thing. There was also a black Fuji Speedway Hotel canvas bag, which guests can keep as a souvenir from their visit. The yukata, loungewear, and slippers however are available for purchase.

Fuji Speedway Hotel loungewear details

I appreciated the tea area, which had complimentary Ito En water, a pod coffee maker, and Fuji Speedway Hotel branded green & hojicha tea. Beneath the counter was a mini fridge with other drinks and snacks for purchase.

Circuit-view King Room closet area and bar

Last but not least, the room has a balcony area for your own private viewing space of the Fuji Speedway track. Rooms on the other side of the hotel would have a view of Mt. Fuji instead, so everyone gets a room with a view! Balconies had nice loungers and a table outside. The double sliding doors were also cool since you could open them and watch the track from inside the room if you prefer. 

Balcony and Fuji Speedway circuit view

Be warned: this might not be the hotel for those who intend to sleep in. At around 9AM, we had a wake-up call in the form of roaring engines, which only made me look forward to my driving experience later in the day. You're there for the car experiences after all, right? For anyone who wants to try sleeping more, there are earplugs in the bathroom drawer. 

Dinner: Robata Oyama 

We headed to Robata Oyama (onsite dining) for dinner and to use my $100 Amex FHR Experience credit (about 15,000 JPY at the time). At check-in, we were able to get an 8pm reservation, which worked out well for our group of 5 between spa treatments and shopping at Gotemba Premium Outlets. 

Oyama set dessert on the left and appetizer on the right

Our group each opted for one of the set menus (Omika and Oyama), and I added the sake tasting where I selected 3 to try with my meal. One of the courses included uni (sea urchin) in the salad dressing; they were able to adjust with no issues since I'm allergic. It was a ton of food, and we almost couldn't finish all 7 of the courses, but the flavors were fantastic. 

Breakfast: Trofeo 

Breakfast at Trofeo was included with my stay since I booked through American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts. It's a buffet-style spread that caters to both eastern and western palates, with drink and egg orders (think, eggs benedict, scrambled eggs) taken by a waiter. While breakfast service was open from 7AM, we went down at 10AM (the kitchen closes at 10:30AM), and it was basically empty. As a result, we were able to get a window seat with a perfect view of Mt. Fuji! We felt so lucky, since the clouds rolled in blocking the view about 20 minutes later.

The portions of made-to-order items were generous, neither of us needed to order more. I ordered an omurice, and my husband ordered avocado toast with a poached egg. Self-serve juices were also in the buffet area. 

BAR 4563 photo from Hyatt site

Bar 4563

The decor of the Fuji Speedway Hotel is refined and moody, but with car pieces as the focal points. Husband got a drink here while I was getting ready for dinner and enjoyed the ambiance. There's an outside terrace which offers amazing views of Mt. Fuji on clear days.

The Fuji Speedway Hotel is absolutely amazing.

From the service, rooms, and cool-factor, the Fuji Speedway Hotel is one of the most unique properties, ever. I'm already planning my return visit on my next trip to Japan. Next time, I want to stay at least 3 nights! What really made this visit memorable was the Fuji Speedway driving experience, where you can drive on the legendary track. Keep an eye out for that post coming soon!

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