Hoshinoya Karuizawa

Didn't feel old at all, just that the Water Villa's privacy wasn't great. For those who like a bit of excitement, give it a try! Soaking in the hot spring while enjoying the beautiful scenery was also amazing!

The hotel room was awful. No tissues, no kettle, and it was really damp. The food was terrible, absolutely horrible and completely cold. Such poor value for money. I really hate this hotel. There were mosquitoes everywhere, and the hot spring was also very dirty.

I booked this hotel because of the brand, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment. The showerhead sprayed unevenly, and the bathroom was full of dust. There was no turn-down service in the evening. When I asked them to clean, I was told it would cost extra. All the room service food I ordered arrived cold, as the pictures show. This experience was truly awful, absolutely terrible. Ctrip should really vet the quality before listing hotels like this.

The hotel environment is beautiful. You can order breakfast to your room and enjoy it while listening to the birds and the wind, overlooking the mandarin ducks in the pond. There's a lounge area on the second floor of the front desk with complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Upon arrival, we were offered a welcome drink, which created a very relaxing and chill experience. The only minor issue is that the shuttle bus picks up from Nakakaruizawa Station, not Karuizawa Station (where the Shinkansen arrives). You have to transfer one stop (buses run every 30-50 minutes), which isn't very convenient when you have luggage.

Environment: I went in winter hoping to see heavy snow, but only saw bare branches, haha. It's a very quiet hotel with a picturesque view. It would definitely be amazing in spring or during the autumn foliage season. Facilities: Being a 20-year-old hotel, the facilities feel quite dated. Both the lobby and rooms are very dim. I booked the most basic room on the first floor, room 332. It uses a wall-mounted air conditioner that blows all night, sounding like a boiling kettle. The curtains don't close completely, letting in light in the morning. It's hard to find the light switches in the room, and even with all lights off, the top window still lets in light. This is something to note for light sleepers! I particularly want to point out that the mattress was uncomfortable; my back felt very sore when I woke up in the morning! Hygiene: The room was quite clean. They serve tap water for drinking! Service: On the second day, I opted for in-room breakfast. The staff member rang the doorbell promptly at 9 AM. I felt the Western breakfast was better than the Japanese one. After that, we didn't eat at the hotel anymore. There's a 'villager's diner' about a 10-minute walk away, which was very convenient and cheaper! Onsen: I tried the hotel's hot spring, and the water didn't feel very hot. Later, I went to the outdoor hot spring near the 'villager's diner,' which was quite comfortable. Overall: I booked at a relatively cheap price, over 2000 per night. If the price were higher, it wouldn't be worth it, especially in winter without the beautiful scenery. The hotel really reminds me of Moganshan's Naked Retreats! Hahahaha 😂

An older, established hotel. It was great coming here with friends.