5-Star Hotels in Nagano Prefecture, Japan

From the bottom of my heart I would like to express my gratitude to all the staff of the hotel. Your hard work is invaluable! Everything in the hotel is made with love and care. Each piece of furniture is in its place. Everything is harmonious and really magnificent! The service is impeccable. Soft ice-cream and welcome drinks for the guests in the lobby made our waiting for dinner enjoyable over watching a beautiful sunset there. The dinner was amazing with its delicate dishes and polite waiters. Onsen, with its outdoor bath and stunning rooms for women with floor-to-ceiling windows from where you could see the bath itself, is marvellous! I'd never felt such peaceful atmosphere in a ryokan before.

The hotel's public areas are lovely, and while breakfast isn't extensive, there's enough to fill you up with good choices. The hot springs area is also great, with complete facilities and amenities. The only downside was the room. When we stayed, there was a constant, strange noise from some equipment – I'm not sure if it was the air conditioning, exhaust fan, or something else. We didn't bother changing rooms to avoid hassle. Also, it was incredibly dry in the room during winter, and even though there was a humidifier, it was very noisy when turned on. 😂 Perhaps a summer visit would be more comfortable.

This hotel is definitely one for the bucket list! The service is excellent, and the food is delicious. They also offer a shuttle service to Karuizawa Station, with a polite driver and soft music playing in the car. My only minor complaint is that the hotel doesn't provide bicycle rentals, but you can easily find rental shops nearby.

Hotel La Vigne Hakuba was a wonderful place to stay. The hotel has a beautiful minimalist design and feels clean, cozy, and very welcoming. Both the lobby and rooms were pleasantly scented, creating a relaxing atmosphere. The concierge team was extremely helpful and the overall service throughout the stay was excellent. The room was spacious, very clean, and thoughtfully designed with a very functional layout. The bedding was also very comfortable. The hotel also provides excellent facilities for skiers, including a dedicated storage and locker room for ski equipment, as well as a separate shower room where guests can freshen up and change after skiing on the day of check-out. Overall, a fantastic stay at Hotel La Vigne Hakuba — highly recommended.

The rooms and facilities were absolutely amazing! Each room had its own private indoor onsen, and the fridges were filled with various drinks. Bathroom amenities were beyond expectation, with face wash, lotion, etc all provided. The hotel provided free drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) in the lounge and garden in the afternoon. Dinner and breakfast were perfect! There was more food than we could finish, but the quality of each dish was spectacular. Leave time for a long breakfast because the food keeps coming. The hotel was also very accommodating in helping us forward our luggage to our next destination. It was the perfect place to relax and refresh. We stayed two nights but wished we stayed the whole week.

The hotel facilities were fantastic, I absolutely loved them. However, after dragging my luggage to the train station, I spent a long time looking for the hotel shuttle because the instructions didn't clearly state which exit to use. I had to ask many people before I found out the shuttle was at a different exit. Then, when I finally saw the hotel shuttle driver, he didn't stop and just waved for us to wait further away, which was really confusing. I suggest the hotel clearly specify which exit at the station is convenient for boarding the shuttle. The hotel staff were excellent, very polite and patient, and could assist in English, which was great. The location is on the edge of a forest, and the surroundings are beautiful. The only downside is that if you go out for dinner and don't use the shuttle to the train station, you have to walk quite a distance, which is a bit inconvenient.

Had a great time at this resort hotel! Rooms are spacious and beds are comfortable! Had a great experience with all the ground staff. Breakfast, Lounge access staff were all excellent! Special thanks to Miyata, the lady in short hair with black jacket and trousers. They were lovely and super helpful and friendly.

The room terrace during the autumn foliage season is truly dreamlike, beautiful in different ways both at night and during the day! It's worth coming just for the terrace and garden alone! A special highlight was leaving a note on Trip.com hoping for a room on the second floor. I didn't have high hopes it would be seen, but they actually arranged it! The service attitude is excellent. After arriving at Karuizawa Station, you can call the hotel to pick you up, and they're very quick, arriving in about 5 minutes. The only minor drawback is that there was a noticeable humming sound in the room, whether it was the heater or some other machine running. It was loud enough that I could still hear it even with earplugs in. I tried turning off all the appliances I could find in the room, but it was still there. At the time, I thought maybe I was just too sensitive to noise, but there was no such sound at the other hotel I stayed at the next day.

Le Grand Karuizawa Hotel & Resort is a perfect place for great views, relaxation and luxury retreat. We stayed on the top of the resort where the view of the Asama Mountain is breathtaking. The room is spacious but cozy. The dinners were very good. We stayed two nights (half board), the two fine-dining French dinners with local ingredients we had were superb. The courses served at the dinners didn’t have any repeat. I will definitely come here again for other seasons.

The place looks exactly like the photos, no exaggeration at all. The entire house is enveloped by nature. In the mornings, I meditated and read in the garden with birds singing in the woods – it truly felt like my body was completely at one with nature. The owner mentioned that this particular unit boasts the largest garden among all their room types and was designed to mimic the architecture of the Kogen Church. The upstairs features an open sleeping area with four futons, which could easily accommodate six people. Downstairs also offers a tatami sleeping area. One thing to note is that sound travels easily between floors, as they are all open-plan rooms. The bathroom facilities are absolutely fantastic! With a built-in drying system and a hairdryer, the floor dries instantly after you shower. All the room amenities felt like they were from premium brands. My favorite item, surprisingly, was the trash can, haha! It's exactly the kind of setup Shanghai's waste classification system desperately needs. I'm already 'sold' on it and planning to get one myself, haha! Guests can also cook their own meals here. The owner's breakfast was not only generous but also incredibly delicious. I'll definitely have to try the steak for dinner next time – I'm sure it's excellent. The owner was incredibly kind and patient, helping us arrange taxis and even providing pick-up and drop-off services. We're very grateful. Karuizawa's summer weather is wonderfully comfortable and refreshing. The hotel's location is also fantastic, within walking distance of the Wild Bird Forest. Just a quick note: breakfast and dinner need to be reserved in advance!