Aiwanomori Hotel

The BBQ dinner had just the right amount of food and was very satisfying. The log houses seem to vary in age, so the condition may differ from one to another. I was a little uneasy after seeing some negative reviews, but picked Log House K because it was easy to reach from Ina Interchange and there weren't many pet-friendly places in the area. I ended up very satisfied and would definitely come back. The room was cleaned well, and it was clean enough if you didn't inspect every little thing. The bedding had virtually no smell, no moldy odor, and was comfortable. Someone previously mentioned the gas fan heater turning off after five hours. I think that's probably a propane safety feature rather than a problem with the accommodation, so I didn't feel there was much reason to worry.

At night it was very dark and quiet, which made the stars stand out beautifully. The morning view of the mountain range was spectacular and stayed with me. We were only looking for somewhere to sleep, so the room worked fine. It wasn't cramped and was clean. The combined bathroom and toilet were fairly clean, but there was hair and other debris in and around the bathtub. My wife was happy using the public bath outside the hotel. We stayed room-only and drove into town for yakiniku, then picked up groceries at a supermarket.

If you're bringing a pet, read this first. We stayed on a weekend or public holiday, and 12,000 yen per adult for a room-only stay felt unbelievable for this quality. It was far too expensive. The room immediately smelled musty. I even drove to a convenience store to buy Febreze, but the odor stayed. The futon was stored in the loft. When I climbed up and looked around the room, there was dust all over the ventilation fan and cupboards, along with dead insects everywhere. It was awful, and I think bringing a dog into such a dirty place is very risky. I wouldn't recommend it. The door was the worst part. It was dented and wouldn't shut properly unless you pushed it really hard. Keep your valuables close. The one good thing I can think of was how incredibly beautiful the starry sky was.

I stayed here while climbing Mount Kiso-Komagatake, with breakfast included. The breakfast was prepared with a lot of care, and rice and coffee refills were free. Yohei Tanaka has stayed here too.