I really enjoyed my stay at Hotel Cypress Karuizawa. The staff were friendly and welcoming, and the breakfast options were great, with good choices even for vegetarians. There’s a grocery store nearby, which was very convenient, and the surrounding neighbourhood is quiet and pleasant.
The hotel is a bit of a walk from Karuizawa Station, so if you have a lot of luggage or are travelling with seniors or children, you may want to take a taxi to the hotel. That said, the onsen bath was wonderful and very relaxing, and there are great running routes nearby, which was a big bonus for runner.
Overall, a comfortable and enjoyable stay. Highly recommend.
Pros -
1. Hotel apartment is 15 mins by walk from karuizawa station, still walkable. Hotel does not provide any shuttle bus
2. Room is spacious and it is equipped with microwave, stove & fridge. It does not come with any kitchen ware though and need to request the items you need clearly. It is hard to communicate as the staffs do not speak English well
3. It is 3 mins by walk away from a big supermarket and McDonald, very convenient if you like to cook and buy something to eat on your own
Cons
1. Facilities are old, WiFi was down few times during our stay
2. Staffs are not professional and do not speak English well. It is so difficult to communicate with the receptionist as most of male staffs do not speak English (female is better). They provide false information and don’t understand their hotel facilities well
3. During our stay, roof top is under repair so the whole room is surrounded by shed frame, we are unable to open the balcony door at all as the view is all blocked
4. Carpet & sofa are quite dirty
In short, I recommend this hotel if you are staying with a big group and want to cook your own dinner. But I will not stay here again due to the poor staff experiences.