Fall in love Karuizawa Hostel

The landlady was really friendly, and the rooms were clean and comfortable for the price. I'd recommend it as a place to rest for cyclists heading between the Central Cross-Island Highway and the mainland.

I slept really well on the mattress, which had just the right firmness, and the price was reasonable. The bathroom fixtures and other equipment were new, and the place was very clean. Breakfast wasn't included. My only complaint was an intermittent noise through the night, like a washing machine or some other machine starting up.

The rooms were spread across three separate buildings, and our family ended up separated. That was a shock after we'd booked the entire guesthouse six months ahead. The website listed all the rooms as "Love Karuizawa Guesthouse," and we'd told them we wanted the whole place and how many people were coming. We added one family member a few days before leaving, paid 550 NTD for the extra bed, and the guesthouse confirmed which room types were available. We were also told we'd have the parking spaces, but one of their cars was already in front of the building. They said it couldn't be moved because the owner was out of Taiwan, and told us parking was first come, first served. If we drove out, they said there might be no parking when we got back and they wouldn't be responsible. Qiao Yiqiao… the middleman couldn't sort things out or guarantee anything. We had to wait outside for an hour for the person who could handle it. They eventually gave us the whole building, but inside, the kitchen counter was messy, a guest's leftover drinks and mooncakes were still in the fridge, there were no living-room trash cans, cobwebs everywhere, little insects on the floor, and dead bugs all over the first-floor bathroom. This was the worst accommodation experience I've had after so many trips. We were done arguing, and the elders were exhausted. You could still try staying there if you want, but make sure you know exactly what you're getting into. That's all.

The three buildings are across the street from each other, directly opposite and next door. Mine was very new, and the hardware was good for the price. The access-code management, though, really needs a lot of improvement.