Hotel Route - Inn Kamisuwa

The hot spring was especially welcome after a cold, rainy day, though I found the entrance to the women’s bath a little confusing until another guest helped me out. We booked this place to see the fireworks in the park, and Lake Suwa was about a five-minute walk away. Our room was roomy enough for two, while the bathroom was a bit small, which seems typical in Japan. The service was attentive and helpful, and breakfast was pretty good. Parking has upper and lower levels, but finding a space can be tricky if you arrive late. There’s also just one elevator, so getting between the room and lobby can take a while. I’d come back.

Breakfast had a good selection, including local dishes and bread. From Kamisuwa station, turn right and use the elevator if you have luggage, then head right again toward the hotel. It’s in a great spot, opposite katakurakan, with Lake Suwa just across the road. The building is quite dated, and it still uses a regular room key instead of a card, but that didn’t bother me.

The staff were attentive and made us feel welcome, and breakfast was tasty. It’s a good base for Suwa, with most things reachable on foot or by a reasonably short taxi ride.

We were grateful for the staff’s restaurant suggestions, and they even gave us a set of sake bottles for our honeymoon. They were friendly and very helpful, though there wasn’t much English spoken, so knowing some Japanese helps. The location worked really well: about five minutes on foot from the train station and two minutes from the lake. The main part of town, with more sightseeing, is one train stop away. The building is a little tired and dated, as others have mentioned, but it didn’t bother us.