Karuizawa Hotel Longing House

The hotel room was very clean and spacious, and they offer free private hot spring sessions, which is perfect for a relaxing getaway. The only downside is that the location is a bit far from public transportation, so I'd recommend driving or taking a taxi to get there.

Karuizawa never disappoints those on a budget, but this 'half-board' (dinner and breakfast included) deal was a rip-off. They give you a 3000 yen credit per person for dinner, but the menu is ridiculously expensive, the ingredients aren't great, and the portions are tiny – you leave hungry. The most outrageous part was being charged 550 yen (for two sticks!) per person for breadsticks that weren't disclosed as chargeable upfront, nor were they clearly priced. We only found out at checkout. To make matters worse, the restaurant staff's English was very poor. One female receptionist was quite unfriendly. The wooden building, with its carpeted floors, felt old and not very clean. The room we booked was not the one we received; it was smaller, laid out differently, and felt cramped. We didn't have time to argue, so I have to leave a bad review to warn others. If I had known this beforehand, I definitely wouldn't have booked this place. The private onsen requires a reservation, limited to one 45-minute slot per room. Overall, it was expensive with a poor experience, quite disappointing.

They kindly upgraded our room on the day of arrival! The location was super convenient for getting anywhere, and my boyfriend and I really enjoyed the private bath, which had flexible hours. There was coffee and tea available at the front desk, which we took with us when checking out. It's a really great hotel!

The private hot spring bath in the hotel is a bit small, but the bathtub in the room is quite large.