5-Star Hotels in Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Location: The hotel is situated at the foot of a mountain in Satoyama, a considerable distance from JR Matsumoto Station. However, it offers a unique charm with panoramic views of Matsumoto Castle from the hillside. Transportation: Unless you're driving or taking a taxi, here are your options: 1) The hotel provides a shuttle service to and from JR Station. There are two morning departures at 9 and 10 AM, passing by Matsumoto Castle before heading to JR Station. Return trips are at 4 and 5 PM. The pick-up point is at the temporary parking area to the right of JR Station Matsumoto Castle Exit (not a bus stop). 2) You can take the Meigahara Onsen bus line from the bus terminal downstairs at Alpico Plaza, opposite the temporary parking lot of JR Station, and get off at Fujii Station. You can find the bus schedule on Google Maps. Service: There are English-speaking staff at the front desk, but no Chinese speakers. Simple communication is not an issue. The service was impeccable. Dining: The breakfast is a buffet style with both Japanese and Western options, very extensive and delicious. There are also welcome drinks, including ice cream, juice, coffee, hot tea, and even draft beer! P.S. There are not many dining options near the hotel, so you might want to eat near JR Station before returning to the hotel, or dine at the hotel. I booked one of the few rooms with a private onsen. Soaking in the hot spring while enjoying views of the Northern Alps was incredibly relaxing. The hotel also has a large terrace, perfect for enjoying a drink during the evening 'blue hour' – truly one of life's most comfortable moments.

Overall, this was a rather disappointing hotel stay. Before our trip, our plans changed, and we asked the Trip.com concierge to help with cancellation/modifications. However, they were unyielding, and we couldn't cancel for free, so we had to proceed as planned. After checking in, I waited alone in the waiting area for a long time, expecting a staff member to accompany me to the room and explain the facilities. I waited for half an hour with no one attending to me. When a large group of tourists arrived, the front desk became crowded. After inquiring again, I was told there was no escort service to the rooms and I had to find my way myself. At 3:30 PM, housekeeping was still ongoing in the room areas. The room space was cramped, and the view was unremarkable. For a room rate of over 4,000 yuan, the hardware and service provided were far from satisfactory. The hotel's Italian restaurant had decent food, but it wasn't positioned as a high-end restaurant, and the wine list was very limited. The next day, I asked the front desk to call a taxi to the restaurant. For some reason, perhaps they didn't understand English, there was a long delay. After further communication, a car was arranged half an hour later, which was baffling. Considering all these experiences, I will not choose this hotel again in the future.

This hotel is definitely one for the bucket list! The service is excellent, and the food is delicious. They also offer a shuttle service to Karuizawa Station, with a polite driver and soft music playing in the car. My only minor complaint is that the hotel doesn't provide bicycle rentals, but you can easily find rental shops nearby.

Hotel La Vigne Hakuba was a wonderful place to stay. The hotel has a beautiful minimalist design and feels clean, cozy, and very welcoming. Both the lobby and rooms were pleasantly scented, creating a relaxing atmosphere. The concierge team was extremely helpful and the overall service throughout the stay was excellent. The room was spacious, very clean, and thoughtfully designed with a very functional layout. The bedding was also very comfortable. The hotel also provides excellent facilities for skiers, including a dedicated storage and locker room for ski equipment, as well as a separate shower room where guests can freshen up and change after skiing on the day of check-out. Overall, a fantastic stay at Hotel La Vigne Hakuba — highly recommended.

Amazing experience as always with the Fufu brand. We stayed at the Hakone one previously and thought it was one of the best hotel experiences we've ever had. Our trip to Karuizawa this time was driven by our intent to try Fufu Kyukaruizawa, and it did not disappoint one bit. From the zen interior to the most attentive and friendly staff to the never-ending dining experiences (yes, even for breakfast it was a multi course menu), we were utterly blown away by our two-night stay. The fireplace in the lobby and in our room was such a pleasant touch even though we stayed during May, our teppanyaki chef personally seeing us out to the lift and bowing until we were out of sight shows how they go above and beyond, and we really appreciated how at each interaction the staff knew and clarified our coming arrangements, ensuring our entire stay was a seamless experience. Fufu remains our favourite Japanese hotel brand. Just wish they had a loyalty program as we are looking to check off all the Fufu hotels in our lifetime.

The hotel facilities were fantastic, I absolutely loved them. However, after dragging my luggage to the train station, I spent a long time looking for the hotel shuttle because the instructions didn't clearly state which exit to use. I had to ask many people before I found out the shuttle was at a different exit. Then, when I finally saw the hotel shuttle driver, he didn't stop and just waved for us to wait further away, which was really confusing. I suggest the hotel clearly specify which exit at the station is convenient for boarding the shuttle. The hotel staff were excellent, very polite and patient, and could assist in English, which was great. The location is on the edge of a forest, and the surroundings are beautiful. The only downside is that if you go out for dinner and don't use the shuttle to the train station, you have to walk quite a distance, which is a bit inconvenient.

Highly recommended! The hotel offers a shuttle service, and the surrounding area is very pleasant. Both breakfast and dinner are exceptional and unique. I hope to have the chance to visit again in the future. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, all with wooden structures that give a very calming feel.

The room terrace during the autumn foliage season is truly dreamlike, beautiful in different ways both at night and during the day! It's worth coming just for the terrace and garden alone! A special highlight was leaving a note on Trip.com hoping for a room on the second floor. I didn't have high hopes it would be seen, but they actually arranged it! The service attitude is excellent. After arriving at Karuizawa Station, you can call the hotel to pick you up, and they're very quick, arriving in about 5 minutes. The only minor drawback is that there was a noticeable humming sound in the room, whether it was the heater or some other machine running. It was loud enough that I could still hear it even with earplugs in. I tried turning off all the appliances I could find in the room, but it was still there. At the time, I thought maybe I was just too sensitive to noise, but there was no such sound at the other hotel I stayed at the next day.

Le Grand Karuizawa Hotel & Resort is a perfect place for great views, relaxation and luxury retreat. We stayed on the top of the resort where the view of the Asama Mountain is breathtaking. The room is spacious but cozy. The dinners were very good. We stayed two nights (half board), the two fine-dining French dinners with local ingredients we had were superb. The courses served at the dinners didn’t have any repeat. I will definitely come here again for other seasons.

The place looks exactly like the photos, no exaggeration at all. The entire house is enveloped by nature. In the mornings, I meditated and read in the garden with birds singing in the woods – it truly felt like my body was completely at one with nature. The owner mentioned that this particular unit boasts the largest garden among all their room types and was designed to mimic the architecture of the Kogen Church. The upstairs features an open sleeping area with four futons, which could easily accommodate six people. Downstairs also offers a tatami sleeping area. One thing to note is that sound travels easily between floors, as they are all open-plan rooms. The bathroom facilities are absolutely fantastic! With a built-in drying system and a hairdryer, the floor dries instantly after you shower. All the room amenities felt like they were from premium brands. My favorite item, surprisingly, was the trash can, haha! It's exactly the kind of setup Shanghai's waste classification system desperately needs. I'm already 'sold' on it and planning to get one myself, haha! Guests can also cook their own meals here. The owner's breakfast was not only generous but also incredibly delicious. I'll definitely have to try the steak for dinner next time – I'm sure it's excellent. The owner was incredibly kind and patient, helping us arrange taxis and even providing pick-up and drop-off services. We're very grateful. Karuizawa's summer weather is wonderfully comfortable and refreshing. The hotel's location is also fantastic, within walking distance of the Wild Bird Forest. Just a quick note: breakfast and dinner need to be reserved in advance!