The Windsor Hotel TOYA, Vignette Collection

The hotel makes a strong first impression. The architecture is massive, the setting is remote and elevated, and the lake view is genuinely beautiful — highly photogenic and clearly designed to impress. Unfortunately, the substance does not live up to the scale or the five-star positioning. Complimentary facilities such as the onsen are surprisingly small and uninspiring, which feels completely misaligned with the size of the property and the expectations set by its branding. What is more concerning is the overall pricing strategy. My booking did not include any meals — something I would normally expect at this level, especially for a hotel that is intentionally remote with no nearby dining options. This effectively leaves guests with little choice but to dine in-house, where prices are extremely high. Teppanyaki at approximately USD 230 per course per person, and manual snow scoot paddling at around USD 210 for 90 minutes, felt less like luxury and more like enforced upselling. As for rooms, there's 50-50 chance your view is the roof top. I am not new to Japan and usually stay in ryokans or apartments, where value, hospitality, and transparency are far better balanced. Fortunately, I had a car and could drive around the lake for food; without that, the experience would have been significantly more restrictive and costly. BTW, the shutter bus last svc from town is 4.50pm. In summary: a visually impressive property with a weak value proposition. Great for photos, far less convincing once you look past the scenery.

Platinum Elite, Owner, Ambassador, Lounge membership here. The hotel is simply gorgeous, elegant, and has lovely amenities. The view is spectacular, and ambiance is peaceful, and while the rooms have an “old feel,” they definitely feel taken care and not dated. The views from every window of this hotel are spectacular. The hotel also offers a free shuttle (reserve in advance) to pick up guests from Toya Station, make a stop at Toya Onsen, and finally take guests to the actual hotel. This shuttle runs multiple times daily at set times (but will not run for times that there are no requests). The Onsen (indoor & outdoor) is well taken care of, very clean, and peaceful. My only gripe is the hotel nickels and dimes. While my status was acknowledged and I my room was upgraded due to my status, the hotel offered little to no more perks for me as an employee and someone with so many food rewards in my wallet, as well as a lounge membership. Only 2 dining options offer the “half off” - the French restaurant and the western breakfast. And wherever you dine, you’re not eligible to use your food rewards, nor is there a lounge on the property. The food options themselves are exuberantly priced. I paid more for one dinner than my entire 2-night stay under the employee rate. I felt like my status was pretty much useless. Overall, this hotel is a worthwhile stay, especially for the view. I truly felt rested and relaxed being here and the staff was so attentive to me.

The Windsor Hotel Toya is a serene retreat perched above Lake Toya, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains. The moment you arrive, you feel a sense of calm and natural luxury — the scenery is truly unforgettable, especially at sunrise and sunset. The hotel blends refined hospitality with a peaceful resort atmosphere. Rooms are comfortable and spacious, many with sweeping lake views that make you want to slow down and simply enjoy the moment. Dining options are excellent, combining local Hokkaido flavors with elegant presentation, and service is warm, thoughtful, and attentive. Whether you are here for relaxation, gourmet dining, or to experience the beauty of nature, this is a destination where time feels slower and life feels beautifully quiet. A perfect escape for those seeking comfort, scenery, and a touch of classic Hokkaido elegance. Highly recommended for a memorable stay above the clouds.

Although the hotel is located quite far up on the hilltop, the stay was absolutely worth it. The car park is conveniently linked to the hotel, but unfortunately, there was no lift — so we had to carry our luggage up the stairs. When we first entered, the lobby area was peacefully quiet with no staff in sight. Due to a lack of clear signage, we couldn’t locate the lift tucked away in a corner and ended up climbing the long flight of stairs to the reception on Level 2 with our bags. Later, the staff kindly informed us that assistance could have been arranged — which we wished we had known earlier! Check-in was smooth and we were served a welcome drink, a lovely and thoughtful touch. The hotel facade is beautiful and majestic, almost like staying in a palace. Surrounded by scenic mountains and overlooking the tranquil Toya Lake, the cool weather added to the peaceful and calming atmosphere. We stayed in Room 547 with a lake view. By around 4:30 pm, the sky had already turned dark. Too tired to head out, we turned in early and were pleasantly surprised by fireworks at 8:45 pm. Although the display was a bit small and the lake area quite dark, it was still a nice treat that lasted around 15 minutes. For breakfast, we chose the Japanese set instead of the Western option. There were fewer guests in the Japanese restaurant, which made the experience calm and authentic. We truly enjoyed the beautifully presented traditional meal. Overall, our stay was pleasant and memorable. We would have loved to stay another night to experience more of the hotel’s facilities and surroundings. The staff were wonderfully friendly — from check-in to the restaurant team, and even those at the hotel entrance when we checked out. Tip for future guests: Unload your luggage at the hotel entrance before parking in the garage. This saves you from carrying bags up the stairs. It would also help if the hotel added clearer signage directing guests from the garage to the reception or stationed staff on Level 1 to assist arrivals. Alternatively, the hotel could monitor vehicles entering the car park via CCTV and proactively offer assistance to ensure a smoother check-in. Thank you, Windsor Hotel Toya Lake, for your excellent hospitality and stunning setting. I look forward to returning when the opportunity arises. 22.10.25

I would like to sincerely thank Mr. Nakamura for helping me find my lost hair tie. His kindness and efficiency really impressed me. The hotel provides truly excellent service, and the staff are attentive, professional, and warm-hearted. This experience made my stay even more pleasant. Highly recommended!

At the end of February, the hall is unexpectedly quiet and empty, and the world is independent on the top of the snow-covered mountain. The building also continues the classic grand shape of the bubble heritage. Thanks to this somewhat "outdated" grandism, the scenery of the lobby is so memorable. I booked a room overlooking Toya Lake and can also see the Yotei Mountain. In the compact itinerary, there is a special day for you to spend slowly here. There are not many people in the hot spring, and the long corridor to the hot spring is so beautiful. You can still book the snow project after checking out.

I have been to this hotel many times over decades. This Dec 2025, first time since Covid, I was so shocked that most of staffs cannot speak english. Even one in the concierge. I try to check out the restaurants outside of hotel but I could not find any one who speaks English. I could not believe this is the hotel which held the G7 summit and many Michelin restaurants. This used to be the most proud hotel of Hokkaido and Japan. My heart has been broken. I don’t recommend this hotel if you don’t speak Japanese or Chinese.

First, I would like to acknowledge the hotel's strengths: the outdoor scenery is beautiful, the hot spring experience was comfortable, and the outdoor reception staff upon check-in were attentive, helpful, and polite, leaving us with an excellent first impression.However, two subsequent incidents, especially the second one, exposed significant flaws in your hotel's customer service and emergency response protocols:1. Inconsistent Front Desk Service Quality:Some front desk reception staff lacked patience and basic courtesy, we feel disrespectful. Particularly a western female staff with golden hair is impolite.2. Complete Failure in Emergency Response for a Stranded Guest (Core Issue):The Incident:On the next day morning, our vehicle stuck due to snow accumulation on a mountain road approximately 700m from the hotel and was immobile. This occurred during a blizzard with severe weather conditions. * **First Request for Help:** We immediately began self-rescue for 20 minutes and entrusted a passing kind-hearted tourist to relay a message detailing vehicle problem back to the hotel front desk to request assistance. The tourist returned confirming the message was delivered. * **Hotel's Response (None):** We waited in the blizzard for over 30 minutes with no hotel personnel coming to check, making contact, or providing any guidance. * **Second Request for Help:** We were forced to walk 700m back to the hotel in the blizzard. When explaining the situation in person to the front desk and requesting help, the receptionist asked me to seek rescue on our own; the hotel cannot provide assistance. Even when I merely requested to borrow two snow shovels for self-rescue, we were flatly refused with the reason "this service is not provided." * **Final Resolution:** Only after our third plea did they "exercise discretion" and lend the shovels. I had to walk 700m back to the stranded location alone in the blizzard, carrying two iron shovels weighing about 10 kgs in total. Ultimately, it was only through the assistance of two passing snowplow drivers and over two hours of effort that the vehicle was freed.This experience goes beyond mere inadequate service; it represents a severe neglect of guests' basic safety and well-being. We were utterly disappointed and disheartened.

If you're in the mood to splurge and treat yo self.... this place is it. They've got amazing restaurants and well rounded spa. I didn't want to leave this place! Did you know the whole hotel building looks like a cruise ship?

Breakfast at Windsor hotel. Limited selection and mediocre food. Omelette station didn't have any people there. Lots of food were cold. Fish was overly cooked and dry.... nothing was to Windsor quality!!

The high end price doesn't mean high level service. The receptionist made a mistake about our dinner reservation for sushi and can't rearrange it again, finally we got a very awful buffet in a basement, they don't even offer the juice and beer on the buffet, you need pay for the beverages additionally. Worst day in this trip, very disappointed.