Hotel Harvest Hamanako

The lake scenery is stunning, and the rooms are the most spacious I’ve seen in a Japanese hotel. Breakfast had a wide selection, with nice extras like freshly squeezed mandarin juice, an espresso machine, and ice cream.

This was unfortunately our one bad experience in Japan. We had booked two nights, but on arrival we were told dinner was fully booked. When we went to look, several tables were open. We tried to reserve for the following evening, and staff told my husband that was full too. How can hotel guests not get a place? It’s almost impossible to find another decent restaurant nearby, and we’d come to spend time at the hotel and use its amenities. Nobody tried to help us or make us feel welcome. A very bad experience, and I wouldn't recommend it, especially to anyone who isn't Japanese.

We stayed for a week, and the lake view from our room was lovely. It had two comfortable western-style double beds. The dining area was Japanese-style, with two small futons, a low table, and floor cushions. That setup worked for me, but not for my 6' 1" companion. We pushed the futons against the wall, stacked cushions on his to raise it, and used the wall for back support. That worked well. Dinner was FABULOUS. We tried the French and Italian courses and the buffet, and the restaurant service was impeccable. I felt like royalty. Breakfast there was only so-so. We were there in mid-October and didn't do water sports. The resort has tennis and paddleball courts, sup, water pedal tricycles, a waterside, a pool, and e-bikes. We didn't use the communal master onsen, though it was clearly popular, with lots of bathers around while we waited for laundry in the free washer and dryer. If you skip daily full housekeeping and only ask for fresh towels, you earn shopping coupons for the snack and gift shop at checkout. The resort is pet friendly.

The room had a fabulous lake view and enough space. The hotel is old, but clean and well looked after. You can even spot some stars from the open-air bath.