Karuizawa Hotels with Gym

After a great stay at the Hoshinoya Okinawa last year, we were looking forward to staying at the ”main” resort, which did not disappoint. I love how Hoshinoya takes a completely different approach to luxury than a Four Seasons or an Aman. This is not about excess and opulence. This is about simplicity, discreteness, thoughtfulness and nature. We stayed at one of the water-side villas, which appear to be worth the higher rate than the row of villas farther away. Check-in and reception were a breeze, except for the expected English language gap. There are a few staff members who speak very good English, but overall you can tell some of the staff will struggle. The rooms are gorgeous. High ceilings. Turn on some music and it will echo wonderfully. There is some attention paid to lighting. The sleeping areas are darker. And quieter. The only sound filling the room is the rush of the water. The rooms are extremely clean and you will find yourself tidying up your own clothes just to not mess up the clean/zen vibe of your room. Being able to wear the yukata around the resort and even in nearby areas was great. Next time I will make sure to pack less clothes. We ordered the kaiseki style breakfast and dinner. The breakfast was a bit too much on the veggie side but the dinner was excellent. Pricey, but worth it. More reasonably-priced dining options are available at the nearby Harunire Terrace, which is a 15-minute walk or a 5-minute ride with the resort's free car service. The Meditation Bath facility in the resort was more than enough for me to enjoy the hot springs. It's open to very late and you can check via a web site as to whether the place is crowded or not. My wife ventured out to the larger Tonbo no yu onsen and thoroughly loved it. It won't take you a lot of time but just walking around the resort grounds is amazingly relaxing. The layout does come across as a bit too manicured but still very pleasing both visually and aurally. I didn't want to go too much into the details of the place because part of the wonder of this resort is discovering and marveling at it for the first time yourself. If you can shed the concept of excess and luxury and opulence and are open to a ”very” different approach, then go.

Stayed in Cottage Type A with two kids. There is the hotel van that will send you to your cottage from the hotel reception. You just have to let the staff know. They will also pick you up from the cottage if you want to go nearby places. The prince shopping outlet is a 5 min walk away. The ski school and slope are also within 5 min. The cottage is clean but there may be some creepy crawlers around (spiders). The bathroom is challenging to bathe in the winter because it is small and clothes may get wet. The toilet is separate though. Overall, it was a wonderful stay and I’d stay here again if I return next time.

良いところ １．スタッフさんの姿勢が良く、明るくテキパキ対応されていて、気持ちが良いです。 ２．食事が美味しいです。夕食はフルコースでしたが、予想を裏切る美味しさです。鴨肉は柔らかく、グリーンピースのポタージュは濃厚、デザートのフォンデーンショコラも良かったです。朝食のビュッフェも品数が豊富、味も良かったです。湯豆腐が特に良かった。 残念なところ １．良く手入れはされていますが、やはり築年数には勝てないところもありました。部屋の給換気ファンの音、給湯の量など。 総じて雰囲気も良く、楽しい時間を過ごせました。 ありがとうございました。