Holiday Inn Resort Ana Karuizawa by IHG

Right next to Karuizawa Snow Park! It's a 40-minute ride from Karuizawa Station on their free shuttle bus. As a guest, I got 20% off lift tickets and rentals (as of February 2026), which was great. What really stood out was that kids under 12 stay and eat for free. My children absolutely loved being able to 'check in' themselves with the kids' program. There were even missions, and they got a small gift for completing them. There's also a heated pool (for an extra charge) and a hot spring bath. With card games and a kids' room, there's no chance of getting bored. Despite a lot of kids being around, the dining area had widely spaced tables, so it felt quiet and relaxing. The food was delicious, and the kids were thrilled with the popcorn machine. I definitely want to come back during ski season!

Title: Excellent Food and Snow Views, but Disappointing Management and Transport Rating: ⭐⭐ / 5 My stay at this hotel near the ski resort was a mixed bag. While I was satisfied with the natural environment and dining, there's significant room for improvement in service management and transportation. 🟢 Pros • Environment & Facilities: The hotel boasts an excellent location near the ski resort, perfect for ski enthusiasts. I especially recommend the outdoor hot springs, where you can soak while enjoying magnificent snow-capped mountain views. The basic facilities in the bathhouse were also quite complete. • High-Quality Meals: This was the biggest surprise of the trip. Both breakfast and dinner featured excellent ingredients and cooking techniques; the food was truly satisfying. 🔴 Cons • Room & Local Amenities: The room space was noticeably small, and the in-room amenities felt somewhat lacking, making for a cramped stay. Furthermore, the hotel's remote location meant there were no convenience stores nearby. I'd advise buying essentials before checking in. • Chaotic Service Management (Major Pain Point): The staff's professional training is severely lacking. My booking package clearly included breakfast and dinner, yet restaurant staff repeatedly asked me to pay for dinner. Even after clarifying and receiving confirmation on the first day, the issue resurfaced on the second day when I was again asked for payment. I eventually had to go to the front desk myself to verify, only to find that there was no record or follow-up on yesterday's problem. This chaotic management was exhausting and significantly detracted from my stay. • Inadequate Shuttle Service: The hotel's shuttle service completely failed to meet traveler needs. After checking out, we discovered the shuttle wouldn't be available until 2 PM, which is an extremely unreasonable schedule. We were ultimately forced to pay for a taxi to leave, incurring unnecessary expenses. Summary If you're coming for skiing and good food, this place might be acceptable. However, if you value service quality, management efficiency, and transportation convenience, this hotel might leave you disappointed. I hope the management can enhance staff training and optimize shuttle schedules; otherwise, it struggles to match its environmental advantages.

Although the location is a bit remote, it genuinely feels like a vacation spot. It's only a 5-minute walk from the ski resort, making it perfect for a family trip with kids. The hotel offers a shuttle bus, which is a real plus. Definitely recommend it! Excellent value for money and a stunning environment.

The location is a bit remote, but during sleep, you can truly feel the spiritual energy of the natural forest. The hotel facilities are very new, and the staff are friendly and polite, always proactively helping guests. The view outside the room is also beautiful.

I was upgraded to a larger room, and Asama-yama was visible right outside my window. I really enjoyed my stay, and it was very clean.

This place is quite far from Karuizawa. We arrived late at night after dinner, and there were no street lights at all, so it felt like a very long and somewhat eerie walk to get there. The room was spacious and very clean, but there was no water in the room; you had to go outside to get it. Also, there were no skincare products or razors, which was a bit inconvenient. At night, I could hear some machinery noise, which was quite disturbing. The bathhouse wasn't very big, and the outdoor bath even smelled like bleach, making me wonder if it was a real hot spring. Another disappointment was that the room provided Dove toiletries, which felt a bit cheap.