Hotel berhampiran Muzium Le Vent, Karuizawa

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.

I stayed at this hotel with my wife and two children during a two-night trip to Karuizawa in early February. The hotel is around 100 years old and its claim to fame is that John Lennon has stayed there. The piano that he played on is still in the bar. Location: The hotel is near Old Ginza Street and around a 15-minutes drive from Karuizawa station. It was not difficult to find, but you must navigate a narrow approach to the hotel which is icy at this time of the year, so you must drive carefully. Cleaniness: The staff told me that the hotel was only recently and everything was very clean and in good condition. Service: The receptionist that conducted the check-in was probably the Japanese that spoke the best English that I had encountered on this trip. He spent a lot of time explaining the hotel to our family. The porter was also very helpful and polite. When we asked for extra toothbrushes and slippers for the children, housekeeping was very prompt in delivering them and even brought some children's robes for my sons. Facilities: The hotel did not have many facilities. There is a small shop, a bar and a french restaurant but not much else. Some rooms had private hot springs in them and they gave us the opportunity to upgrade. Our room, had a small balcony even though we were on the ground floor. It looked onto a wooded area so there was not much to see, especially at night. However, when it snowed the next morning, my kids loved going out and playing in the snow. I was particularly impressed by the breakfast. It was a simple American breakfast very well presented. It was very pleasurable to look out into the inner courtyard with it was snowing. Overall: I like this hotel as it has a lot of character. It is architecturally attractive and has kept a lot of its charm despite renovation. The staff are very professional and polite. I would stay in this hotel again.

Nice hotel provided yummy breakfast and amazing happy hour for free drinks and snacks. The provides different bath salt that helped me have a relax bathing time while stay. I would suggest to have a full light block curtain to improve my sleep.

Hotel is located far but it’s good for those with rental car. Parking is free and many spaces available. Overall the hotel js clean and modern. The room itself is fairly sized but please be reminded that there are a few buildings so depending on where your room is, it can be quite a walk from the hotel entrance/breakfast/big bath area. The room with river view is unfortunately located furthest away and the river view is nothing special. I recommend regular rooms with no view so that I can be closer and walk less. Breakfast is good and nice food and decor. I would recommend this hotel.

It was a great experience to stay in this hotel! Very nice view and staff are very polite and willing to answer many questions. Outdoor area is very big that we could take bicycles with kids. Also there are kids outdoor playground that can spend whole day there. 

Spacious with four bedrooms (1 being tatami room). The location was convenient and Karuizawa is a lovely town. The breakfast was good. Fresh bread and juice etc. Hotpot dinner included meal cuts like bacon not very suitable for shabu shabu) and the pot used was tiny for our group, we had to take turns to boil food. Could be improved.

We spent 2 nights in Prince after first 2 nights in Kusatsu onsen town. The hotel looked underwhelming on arrival and the front office service was efficient but cursory compared to the warm hospitality we had in the ryokan stay. It was low season and hotel was very quiet and had a ”cold” atmosphere. I was further disappointed when we were shown our room which was on the lowest floor with a simple garden view. On requesting the check-in staff for a change of room on higher floor and a more scenic view, I was told there is an upgrade charge, which I accepted. The new room was the same size and configuration but on a higher floor with a nice view of Mt Asama. While I was happy to pay the fee, I can't help but compare their practice with all the hotels that I have stayed in all these years, where room changes were complimentary so long as the room type remains the same. Nevertheless, the hotel's facilities delighted me immensely and I enjoyed the overall experience. The highlight of the hotel stay was the fantastic view of Asama in a high ceiling dining room with full glass window. We were able to have different table seatings for both morning breakfast as the hotel occupancy was low, which gave us different perspectives of the scenery. The other highlight of the hotel is the onsen facility which is located in a separate building on higher ground, accessible via a self service automated tram. Aside from Asama view in the outdoor onsens, there is a common lounge which has equally awesome view of Asama. We enjoyed our time soaking in onsen and resting in the lounge. Was I would go back to Prince Asama and experience the scenery during a different season!

Pros - 1. Hotel apartment is 15 mins by walk from karuizawa station, still walkable. Hotel does not provide any shuttle bus 2. Room is spacious and it is equipped with microwave, stove & fridge. It does not come with any kitchen ware though and need to request the items you need clearly. It is hard to communicate as the staffs do not speak English well 3. It is 3 mins by walk away from a big supermarket and McDonald, very convenient if you like to cook and buy something to eat on your own Cons 1. Facilities are old, WiFi was down few times during our stay 2. Staffs are not professional and do not speak English well. It is so difficult to communicate with the receptionist as most of male staffs do not speak English (female is better). They provide false information and don’t understand their hotel facilities well 3. During our stay, roof top is under repair so the whole room is surrounded by shed frame, we are unable to open the balcony door at all as the view is all blocked 4. Carpet & sofa are quite dirty In short, I recommend this hotel if you are staying with a big group and want to cook your own dinner. But I will not stay here again due to the poor staff experiences.

Hotel Marroad is just a few minutes by the shuttle bus from the station , and it can also be reached on foot. We booked a room for 4 people and the room size is good at a very reasonable price (include breakfast). The fixtures are a bit old. However, the room and the amenities are very clean. We come to skiing and the hotel has a rental service (much cheaper than you rent at the ski field) which is very convenient. Also, they send us to ski field every day. Staff can speak little English, but they are all very friendly and helpful. Breakfast is delicious, and it is a must try.

We stayed at Karuizawa. The accommodation was reasonably priced and comfortable. They have various room types, but we chose a ryokan-style room which involved sharing a bathroom, but there were plenty of facilities and it was very convenient. Regular rooms also have private bathrooms. It's conveniently located for walking to nearby attractions. The only thing we didn't have was hot water. They actually have an onsen (hot spring), which would have been perfect if it had hot water especially with the single-digit temperatures like that, I highly recommend it to anyone interested.