Le Grand Kyu Karuizawa

We had a special, if too short, stay. The room was enormous and very comfortable, with a huge bathtub, and from the first moment the staff were incredibly helpful. I had both the indoor and outdoor communal baths to myself. They were really hot and felt therapeutic. At Arpeggio, the French five-course dinner was the best meal I had during two weeks of eating around Japan. It was sensational, original, and full of fresh ingredients and flavors. The wine list was small but good, though the staff didn't know much about it, which seems common. I also liked the easy bike rental, and they forwarded my luggage, which made things easier. I was so pleased with this stay that I'm writing before checkout.

The hotel was very nice, with hot baths on site and separate facilities for men and women. There are no private baths, and you can't wear any clothes inside, so if you're traveling from the States with kids, bathing as a family could be a problem. They also offer massage service. The outlets are five minutes away and have great designer deals. A letdown was that both the restaurant and the bar shut at 9 pm. At check-in, we were told they'd stay open until 11, but a few minutes after 9 everything was closed.

We were very disappointed with the service, especially given the price. We had ordered two adult breakfasts. My wife went to her favorite nearby cafe instead, so she didn't use hers. I came to the restaurant with our five-year-old and two-year-old, but they refused to let my son have my wife's breakfast. I only wanted the two breakfasts we'd paid for, but they gave us just one. It was really disappointing. The room was also very old. This was our second visit to Karuizawa, and this hotel has made us not want to return to the city. It's our third family trip to Japan, and I've visited many times on solo trips too. We've stayed in three-, four-, and five-star hotels here, but never had service this confusing.

We had a peaceful, very comfortable two-night family stay at Le Grand Kyu Karuizawa Hotel. The staff were so kind and helpful, and their English was very good. The onsen was quiet and not crowded, and the location made it easy to walk to restaurants, shops, and even the station. Highly recommend it.