Hotels With Spa in Nagano Prefecture, Japan

I changed rooms because my first room smelled strongly like someone's body odor, but the second room also smelled, just less. So I didn't bother to change again. I've never had this issue elsewhere in Japan and I've stayed at a lot of different hotels in Japan, weird... Breakfast has varieties but tasted so so... I was woken up once by people talking in the hallway. Door sound proof isn't great. So if you're a light sleeper, maybe use ear plugs. Good service and amenities otherwise.

Traveling with two others, we booked the West Wing for its convenient location. It's a cabin in the woods, and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Waking up in the forest, with few people around and fresh air, felt like having the whole beautiful landscape to ourselves – truly amazing! However, the bathroom facilities are quite old, and showering wasn't very convenient. If you're visiting in winter, definitely book a room with air conditioning; just having heating might not be enough, as it could still get cold. For getting around, the hotel offers a shuttle bus with three routes: one to the outlet mall, one that goes back and forth between the cabins and the main hotel building, and another route that I haven't tried yet (haha). If you're unsure about anything, you can always ask the front desk. I would definitely consider staying here again on my next trip to Karuizawa!

I stayed at this hotel for one night, and overall, it was quite a pleasant experience. I really liked my room — it was clean, modern, and comfortable. The only thing that surprised me was that the window to the balcony didn’t open, though I suppose it was designed that way. The onsen was absolutely wonderful — spacious, relaxing, and with a beautiful view of a mountain river. Definitely one of the highlights of my stay. The hotel also offers many different areas for leisure and entertainment. You can play table tennis, relax in cozy rest zones, visit small cafés and shops — there’s a lot to explore without even leaving the building. Both breakfast and dinner were delicious, with a wide variety of food to choose from. However, due to the number of guests, it was a bit challenging for the staff to manage everything smoothly. On two occasions, someone almost took my table, even though I had already placed the reservation card on it to show it was taken. That said, the staff overall were very pleasant, friendly, and helpful, and I appreciated their attitude throughout my stay. This hotel is clearly family-oriented, with many families staying with young children. There are rooms with child-friendly designs and dedicated play areas, so if you’re looking for a quiet, adult-only atmosphere, this might not be the best fit. That said, I genuinely enjoyed my stay and would consider coming back.

This place is ~5mins walk from Zenkoji temple. neighborhood is peaceful at night. Shoes to be removed outside the accommodation. Rooms are on the 2nd floor so you'll have to carry your luggage up (there's no lift). Room (with window) is huge. You'll have to head downstairs to use the shared toilet and shared onsen (no toilet inside the room). We were only allowed 30mins of onsen time for 2 pax - couples weren't allowed to use the onsen concurrently so we had to go one after another (i'm not sure if the instructions got lost in translation..). Felt very rushed so i didnt really get to enjoy the onsen experience, but overall was nice and clean. Interesting 6.30am tour around the area and within the temple itself, followed by a simple vegetarian breakfast (porridge with omakase-styled sides with miso soup) back at the accommodation. The morning tour lasted from 6.30am - 8.30am. The accommodation provided a fleece blanket to each pax to bring to Zenkoji temple to keep us warm during the morning praying ceremony. We went on 30 Dec and it was SO COLD. Overall interesting experience but accommodation price is pretty steep IMO.

Onyado was a joy to stay in. Im sad I have to leave the hotel. It is so thoughtful with all the kind amenities! I really love that shoes are not allowed indoors. The breakfast spread is also with good variety and extremely delicious Japanese style breakfast. The rooms itself are spacious compared to the ones in Tokyo. I was able to enjoy the tatami floors! The onsen is not large but is reasonable and never too crowded. The ambiance is also nice and it comes with a sauna. The tv contains congestion information so you can check it in advance! Everything to love about this hotel, I think it’s one of the best I’ve stayed in Japan. Really super recommend. would love to stay here again if I can.

The hotel was clean and tidy, and the service was excellent. The breakfast spread was fantastic. Its location is superb, being very close to both the city center and the train station, with convenient shopping options nearby. Highly recommend it, great value for money.

They kindly upgraded our room on the day of arrival! The location was super convenient for getting anywhere, and my boyfriend and I really enjoyed the private bath, which had flexible hours. There was coffee and tea available at the front desk, which we took with us when checking out. It's a really great hotel!

Nicely designed hotel with nice room. Good service but you need to drive. Otherwise you are in an isolated location. However signage of hotel is not obvious on the road so we miss it twice!! Breakfast was limited so second day we drove out to a more local breakfast place. We did a room upgrade as we were inform via email from hotel that it was “nearer” to the entry hotel. But this was not really true as the hotel was basi3 big blocks lined up together at the back of entrance. So the nearest to the enter is not make a big difference!!

The room was incredibly spacious, offering exceptional value for the price. The hotel maintains a peaceful and quiet atmosphere, which I truly appreciated. While the furniture and carpets show some slight signs of age, the overall comfort remains high. I was impressed by their Zero Waste policy; instead of plastic bottles in the room, they provide glassware and a convenient water dispenser located right by the elevator. Please note that for a two-night stay, there is no housekeeping service, which aligns with their eco-friendly initiative. The amenities were comprehensive, and the service was outstanding—truly upholding the high standards of the Mercure brand. Parking is plentiful and hassle-free. Lastly, the view is a hidden gem; on a clear day, you get an unobstructed, breathtaking panorama of the mountain range without any buildings blocking the sight. I highly recommend it for a relaxing getaway!

I brought my own snowboard to Karuizawa. It's a 70-minute Shinkansen ride from Tokyo Station to JR Karuizawa Station. The Shinkansen luggage racks have straps to secure snowboards. After exiting the station, head to the hotel service center (open until 7 PM) located on the far right of the 7/11 convenience store at the South Exit (Pic 7). You can drop off your luggage there and then explore the Plaza unencumbered. Take the brown hotel shuttle bus to B21, where The Prince is located, every hour on the hour and half-hour. Your luggage will already be in your room, but snowboards are not allowed inside. Each day, I'd take my own snowboard on the brown bus to the gondola at the East Building. You can buy ski passes and rent equipment there. Ski pass prices are shown in Pic 6. Only guests staying in the East Building can use the hotel's lockers for ski equipment. The West Building also has a gondola, but it requires a short walk. You can't enter the hotel wearing ski boots, but the Makibi restaurant seems to be an exception. After skiing, take the green bus back to the hotel. Of the two onsen, Hongye Bisen has newer facilities and better views from the outdoor bath. All Prince Hotel restaurants require reservations made via QR code. Pics 4 and 5 show the breakfast at the main building, which is high quality and delicious. From 10 AM to 8 PM, you can enjoy unlimited soft drinks in the bar area. Finally, use the luggage delivery service when checking out. I think The Prince offers the best value for money.