The Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota

The Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota

At the foot of Mt Asama, in the forested edge of Miyota, The Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota keeps just 37 rooms across grounds that swallow up any sense of hurry. Guests who want a hotel that plans their day for them will find the rhythm here: a French restaurant on the first floor, an Italian one on the fifth with views over the town, and breakfast built around whatever Shinshu's fields have produced that week, delivered to the terrace if a room feels warmer than a table. Two MICHELIN Keys, awarded in 2025, mark it as one of only three properties in Japan to move up a rating that year, and the cooking is the reason to come rather than a footnote to the stay. What sets it apart from most countryside retreats in the region is the Dog Villa Suites: private hot spring baths, a dog run, and a kitchenette, built for travellers who won't leave a pet behind, at a hotel that otherwise doesn't allow them. Elsewhere the pace is quieter: massage and spa treatments, forest walks that turn into serious trekking for anyone who wants more, skiing access in season, and a golf course nearby for those who need a reason to leave the room at all. Rooms come with bathrobes, indoor fireplaces and bathtubs, English-speaking staff, and a concierge who'll book the excursion once you decide you actually want one. This isn't a hotel for anyone chasing city bars or a packed conference schedule; it's built for people happy to let a day mean one long meal, a walk, and a bath, and not much else. Check-in runs from 3pm, check-out by 11am. At the foot of Mt Asama in Miyota, 37 rooms and two Michelin Keys anchor a stay built on French and Italian dining, forest walks, and hot spring baths. Its Dog Villa Suites, with private onsen and dog runs, welcome pets the rest of the hotel turns away.