Hoshinoya Karuizawa

I’m so shocked at the amount of complainers giving sub-par reviews. Hoshinoya Karuizawa was hands down the most luxurious quality experience my husband and I have ever had! The staff are incredibly friendly, and even with a slight language barrier everyone was super attentive and truly wonderful. The onsen was magical, and the grounds are perfectly maintained. The restaurant on-site was genuinely the most unique and fascinating dining experience we’ve had so far in Japan - HIGHLY recommend the 9-course meal! Also, we got the cheapest room and it’s pure luxury. The room is massive and everything is perfectly clean and comfortable. This is 100% a 5/5 experience! I’m so grateful we got to spend a few days here in the middle of our Japan trip 🫶

Our two-night stay at 虹夕諾雅 輕井澤 was pure tranquility. The sprawling grounds enveloped us in hushed seclusion—the very peace we craved. Our suite felt like a private sanctuary, with a spacious terrace where we could quietly enjoy a cigarette while gazing at the starlit forest. Every meal was a revelation of refined Kaiseki artistry, though the generous courses occasionally overwhelmed my partner's appetite. The autumnal Momiji framing the ryokan surpassed all imagination, turning every path into a living postcard. Expectations were not just met, but gracefully transcended.

Breath taking tranquil property with tons of unique amenities and activities. Be sure to explore the full grounds including the tea house for little surprises here and there. Onsen was very nice - the "dark room" was very interesting. The hospitality was well balanced with tradition. We felt very sad to leave! We would love to return in the future and to try other Hoshinoya properties.

For a high end place, the service was severely lacking. I don't feel the front desk had a good handle of English because there was great confusion many times for our entire stay. Also completely stroller and wheelchair inaccessible. You'll need to call upon staff to help you down the various stairs. Or take the van in and out from your building to the front but then you won't get to enjoy the beautiful grounds within. It was beautiful there but the service was so lacking. The cleaning staff had arrived as I was departing and I changed my mind and told them I no longer needed amenities refreshment. It seemed to be a big ordeal, eventually there were 3 staff members there with confused looks. I asked for more water in the room please and that was also very confusing so I said nevermind. There was also confusion about the dining and reservations. I called to make a reservation and was told in room dining 830 okay. Then I spoke to my friend in another room who said they couldn't do in room dining until 930 so I called back to verify. They could not do in room dining because one of her children is older and required a second meal while I only have a baby so I needed just one meal. However upon my calling back, she also inquired if I wanted Western or Japanese. Good thing I called back because she didn't ask initially. Then the morning of, they inquire about us being vegetarians. I'm vegan but my daughter is vegetarian so there were a lot of questions there. They think vegetarians can have fish and for the purpose of not starving myself or my daughter, I had to accept bonito and fish broth. It was very sad. I'm glad my daughter ate most of the breakfast, because I did not want to. Upon our checkout, my taxi had arrived and they did not help to take my bags to the trunk. I have my baby I put in the car so I didn't want to leave her to grab the bags but I had to because no one was coming despite looking at me and confirming my taxi arrived. They helped once I started to grab my bags but too little too late. My biggest issue is for such a nice place with foreign visitors, how are they unable to accommodate vegans. I just don't understand why they can't have a couple vegan options available. Some tofu and noodles, it's not asking for much. There are really no other options, there's no delivery services up here and the town is not very walkable with the stroller or wheelchair. You walk on the main road a lot which is unsafe with 3 young kids in tow. The kids room was a pleasant surprise, it was sufficient for our 1, 2, and 6 year old. The rooms were spacious and the bath was very nice. Overall, while there were many families with young kids here, I would not say it's family friendly. And certainly not vegan friendly.

We arrived at check in time to find a run down room with dirty walls, a size of a claustrophobic match box, with light knobs that didn’t work and no view (we booked a mountain view). When we asked to change rooms even with a charge, the front desk lady said they had absolutely nothing that night but the next. We unpacked, unhappy about this room we paid top dollar for, we then tried the manager and now they all of a sudden had two rooms available. It was right before dinner so we agreed to move after dinner. We then moved all our suitcases with the manager’s help, but found out that we actually had to move again the next day! That room was reserved and we had to again pack and check out at noon the next day and re check in to a 3rd room at 3pm!!! We were pnly there 2 nights where we were hoping to rest in these beautiful grounds . Not only they caused us to move due to the bad first room, but they charged top dollars for the upgrade even for the first night!! Any first class hotel will at least waive the surcharge for the first night due to the hassle.|Moreover- the Onsen had NO staff at any time, and it’s only open before 10am and after 3pm.!|It felt like they were doing you a favor that they allow you to stay there. Some staff was friendly and the dinner was great. They are pretty stingy about everything else.

We were excited to stay at Hoshinoya Karuizawa after great experiences with the brand, but this visit was disappointing. We booked a Yamaroji room, which turned out to be old, worn down, and offered no real view—just a few trees and visibility into neighboring rooms. When we asked to change, the only option was a Mizunami room, but we were told we had to pay extra, despite the issues with our original room. No gesture of goodwill or solution at the same rate was offered, and the response to our complaint felt dismissive. For a 5-star property, the service and room quality fell far below expectations. Unfortunately, this stay has made us rethink our trust in the Hoshinoya brand.

Do not go: - Not a 5 Star hotel - Rooms are very old and not like the pictures - Mountain view rooms don't see the mountains. They see a tree and nothing else - Staff cannot speak english and actually uses a voice translator and they lack the minimum problem-solving skills - Impossible to get a shuttle from the station to the hotel without having to wait long time - Concierge service is non-existant and the staff doesnt help booking restaurants and experiences. As in this part of Japan no one speak english is virtually impossible to book DO NOT GO

Karuizawa is already gorgeous, but this ryokan elevates the experience by offering amazing comforts and timeless, understated luxury in the Japanese tradition I'm personally very fond of. Unlike a typical hotel the rooms are spread out in little villas across a large park, so you do need to be comfortable walking. With scenery so amazing, I enjoyed every minute of leisurely strolling around the park. I stayed in a room at an elevated position, offering a great view, but also some stairs to climb. The room itself was immaculate, clean and very comfortable, with a large balcony and a wooden bathtub.||I was picked up at the train station and taken right to the entrance; the ryokan is a little bit away from Karuizawa proper so you might want to get a taxi if you want to explore the town. However, there is a small terrace with decent restaurants and shops only a few minutes away on foot, and a 7-11 within easy walking distance. You can also easily reach some excellent nearby nature trails and sightseeing spots such as the Stone Church without needing a vehicle. There are some nature activities you can book, but I didn't feel it necessary. There are two nearby onsen which I strongly recommend visiting.||As for food, I had the seasonal "Alpine Kaiseki" dinner and was very impressed with both the food and sake pairings. The staff took great care to introduce each dish and drink despite speaking limited English. All my interactions with staff throughout the visit were very pleasant, including when I made special requests. In summary, I really enjoyed my stay here and would love to come back.

The first Hoshinoya property, this is a mountain retreat built for getting away. I came in the winter and even with the bare trees, the grounds were beautiful, which leads me to believe there probably isn't a bad time of year to visit. Each room type is unique and compelling in its own way, and though many will argue for the riverside views, I opted for a higher mountain view room, which I didn't regret, especially for privacy and the views after it began snowing on my last day there. Adjacent to the lobby, the restaurant is the perfect place to take advantage of the Japanese style breakfast, which is a real treat in a phenomenal setting, with the sun coming through the soaring windows. And up the stairs from the restaurant is the library lounge in the main building for relaxing, sipping tea, coffee or blueberry and ume juice, where you will likely find yourself multiple times a day gaffling the cute snacks. The on-site meditation bath is impressively mystical, with the main chamber branching off into a path just large enough for an adult to wade through to the final tiny room, lit only by a few underwater lights. Be sure to walk or get a car ride down to the nearby Harunire Terrace for its shops, cafes, and restaurants. Though most will flock to the Japanese and western style restaurants, do not miss Sajilo Cafe, which was my favorite meal here, hands down. Though it did not ruin an otherwise luxurious stay, it unfortunately has to be mentioned that parts of the rooms are aging, and none more so than the toilet rooms, which have a very noticeable musty, old plumbing/public restroom smell. I raised this twice with the staff, understanding there was not much they could do, and they helpfully let me borrow a deodorant spray. Sadly, holding my nose every time I walked in there ended up being the easiest solution. As with the Hoshinoya Tokyo, service is above and beyond. At every turn, the staff are there to make your stay as perfect as they can, whether it's picking you up from dinner (and then patiently waiting as you dart in to buy a last minute souvenir) or accommodating a request to handle check out the night before you leave. If you are going to Karuizawa, this is an amazing place to make some very special memories.

I would say this is a great spot for relaxation. If you enjoy nature and hot spring, I would def recommend this place. However as for room quality and price, I think it is on the stiff side. Room did not meet my expectations. We also got a reservation for dinner at the lobby area. Service was fantastic, every staff was super nice. Food was also delicious and have the best plating. It is a prefix menu comes with different sets of dishes. My favorite is def their beef shabu. Beef in Japan never disappoints me. It was melting in my mouth. However some dishes were not really impressive and flavor was lacking like their bamboo rice and some appetizers. Overall, I enjoyed the facility and nature of this place but in terms of price point and food, I probably won't return.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa, one of the highest quality resorts in Japan, has 77 guest rooms in a small, newly created village. Rooms are arranged in lines along a pure stream running through a valley between hills. We got up early and had a nice walk in the morning, then went out and spent time outside the village on bicycles. We came back to the village in the afternoon, and then relaxed at the spa and library. This is what Hoshinoya looks like and feels like: https://youtu.be/kzWWDbXD-h8 This is their food selection: https://youtu.be/ewR3LGTqGx4