The Prince Karuizawa

Location is bad as you need shuttle or car to take you around for onsen. The French restaurant is excellent, worth trying.

Great location, beautiful grounds, free bike rent. Very nice overall!

The hotel is located quite far from Karuizawa JR station. There is a pickup bus service every half an hour outside the south exit of the station. However the bus is very small and can be quite full at times, causing people to rush onto the bus. It would be better if the hotel could set up a better queue-up system or adjust the frequency of the pickup bus service. By the way you can deposit luggage at the customer centre next to the pickup bus stop and have them transferred to the hotel for you. I thought the hotel did not advertise the service enough as it is very useful and effective in creating more passenger space in the pickup bus. Breakfast at the hotel is not buffet style, so went to the Prince Karuizawa West hotel to have breakfast instead. During non-peak hours the hotel offers individual transportation for free so that is definitely a plus. The Momiji hot spring is definitely a must-visit. Clean, modern, hygienic, exactly what I look for in a hot spring. Overall service is excellent.