【Karuizawa】Hotel Indigo Karuizawa – The keyword is a “Villa” that warmly welcomes guests

Karuizawa (in Nagano prefecture), accessible from Tokyo Station by Shinkansen bullet train in about an hour, is blessed with beautiful nature and has developed into one of the leading resort areas in Japan. Karuizawa is located on a plateau at an elevation of 1,000 meters and is well known as a summer resort due to its relatively cool climate even in summer.

Karuizawa in the Meiji era (1868-1912) became increasingly popular among foreigners after missionary Alexander Croft Shaw was impressed by its beautiful nature and climate. Mr. Shaw built a small holiday house in 1888 and His missionary friends followed him, and beginning in 1893, Japanese-owned villas began to be built in the area. Karuizawa has developed into a popular summer resort and holiday home destination.

The Hotel Indigo Karuizawa, with the keyword “villa” synonymous with Karuizawa, will enrich your stay in Karuizawa. The Hotel Indigo brand is a lifestyle boutique hotel that reflects the “Neighborhood Story,” the unique charm of the local area.

In Karuizawa, under the concept of “Immerse in ambient flames in our villa-inspired hideaway,” they offer a healing and enriching experience as if you are staying at a villa. I actually stayed there in November 2024 with high expectations of what my stay would be like.

A 10-minute drive from Karuizawa Station brings you to a building that blends in with its surroundings. After passing through the stylish entrance, you are first greeted by a large fireplace that rises to the ceiling. From September to April, the fireplace is lit to warm your body and soul.

The 20,000sqm site consists of six buildings: a lobby building, a restaurant building, a spa building, and three guest room buildings. A tapestry work by Kazuko Saeki, a tapestry artist, is displayed above the front counter of the lobby building. The tapestry was made with dyed threads and inspired by the image of “the winds of Karuizawa.”

Karuizawa, which was developed by Western missionaries, is a Western part of Japan and has inspired many literary figures and artists since the Meiji era.

In the library area located in one corner of the lobby building, there is a display of classic car objects. In fact, Karuizawa was the first place in Japan where classic car races were held. Each of the objects tells a story of the neighborhood, making your stay in Karuizawa even more interesting and memorable.

Guest Room Buildings

The guest room building is divided into three buildings. Of the 155 guest rooms in total, 147 are standard rooms and 8 are suites.

Standard Room (32sqm / 344sqft)

The interior design of the room was created by combining the culture of the Karuizawa area, which is a fusion of the West and the East, with inspiration from the great outdoors, guarded by Mount Asama. The unified interior design and artwork make you feel as if you are staying at an art collector’s villa.

All of the 147 standard rooms are the same size (32sqm / 344sqft), but the specifications vary slightly depending on the layout and orientation of the room. I stayed in a [River View with View bath] room. From the balcony, I could feel the murmuring of the Yagasaki River and had a slight view of the prestigious Karuizawa Golf Club.

In addition, there are four other room types available: the [River View] without a view bath, the [Garden View] facing a courtyard, and the [Private Garden] where you can enjoy your own private space. My favorite is the [River View with View bath]!

The garden view rooms facing the courtyard are located to enjoy the view including the spa, restaurant, and lobby buildings, but on the other hand, the rooms may be visible from the courtyard, so we recommend other categories if this is a concern.

Suite (64sqm / 688sqft)

The living room is 64 square meters, twice the size of a standard room. Even though it is called a suite, the living room and bedroom are not separated, and the whole room is designed to be spacious. The spacious walk-in closet and double basins are also fully functional.

This type has a private garden. Located on the first floor of the building, the topography of the building is semi-subterranean, making it seem as if you are staying in a “hideout”. You can enjoy your morning coffee in the private garden while listening to the murmuring of the Yagasaki River (you cannot see the river) or watching the trees swaying in the breeze.

SPA Building

The spa building consists of two floors, with a large public bath on the first floor and a spa and fitness center on the second floor to prepare your body during your stay. The large bath is a carbonated spring and is equipped with an open-air bath, sauna, and water bath.

THE SPA BY HARNN

The Spa by HARNN, a Thai natural spa brand that has won awards at the World Luxury Spa Awards, has private rooms for one and two persons, so you can use it with your partner.

Fitness Centre

The equipment in the fitness center, which is available 24 hours a day, is made by NOHrD of Germany. The wooden products are individually handcrafted by artisans and utilize natural energy with as little electricity as possible from production to use.

Restaurant Building

The restaurant building has KAGARIBI, an all-day dining restaurant that boasts homemade pizza baked in a pizza oven and meat and vegetable dishes dynamically prepared over a wood fire. This Italian restaurant features dishes that make the most of fresh local ingredients.

Dinner

This time I had the “DINNER 5 COURSE”. The menu changes seasonally, but this time I had the following five dishes: “Today’s Fish and Root Vegetable Mille-feuille Style,” “King Crab and Tomato Paccheri,” “Roasted White Fish,” “Wood-fire Grilled Beef Sirloin and Local Vegetables” and “Chestnut Cannolo.” I had heard that “vegetables in Karuizawa are delicious,” but when I actually tasted the vegetables, I was really impressed by their rich flavor and freshness. Hotel Indigo Karuizawa has several sommeliers on staff, so you can enjoy wine pairings with your meal.

Breakfast

Breakfast is available from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (last admission 10:15 a.m. / last order 10:30 a.m.), but depending on the time of day, it may be crowded and you may have to wait a bit to be seated. I had breakfast on the terrace, and the time I spent enjoying the clear air and the warm atmosphere of the lobby building was exceptional.

Others

Another bar open only on weekends

During weekend bar hours, guests can order “mixologist-inspired cocktails” at the lobby lounge attached to the hotel entrance. The mixologist will create an original cocktail inspired by your request.

This time, the mixologist left the cocktails up to us, and I felt as if I was watching a live art performance, with cocktails that far exceeded my imagination, such as seared matsutake mushrooms in a cocktail and several different cocktails in a box like a makunouchi bento (a boxed lunch).

Forest Garden

Connecting each building is a beautiful courtyard that includes a symbolic Quercus crispula tree and fire pit. The “Bonfire Lounge,” open from the arrival of spring to the beginning of winter, is a relaxing place to unwind by the flickering flames.

Karuizawa is actually a great destination for golfers, with many golf courses. After enjoying golf in the great outdoors, why not refresh yourself at a restful “villa”? In Karuizawa, where there is snowfall, the golf season is from April to early November.