About this hotel
General information
Hotel Indigo Karuizawa is conceived as a country villa in the woods in the south of Karuizawa, a mountain resort in Nagano Prefecture that was already a busy town in the Edo period and later became a place where Western and Japanese cultures met. That East–West blend shapes the interiors: wood throughout, around 80% of it sourced within Nagano Prefecture, art on local themes in every space, and a series of twenty pop illustrations of Karuizawa along the guest-room corridors.
The hotel spreads across several buildings — the main one with a generous lobby, a separate building for the KAGARIBI restaurant overlooking water and greenery, and a spa building with communal baths. There are 155 rooms, eight of them suites. Guests have The Spa by HARNN, a 24-hour fitness centre, rental bikes and a lobby with a fireplace and a curated book selection. A private room on the restaurant’s upper floor hosts small events.
Location
The hotel sits in the Nagakura district beside the Yagasaki River, with Mount Asama as its backdrop. Karuizawa is about an hour from Tokyo by shinkansen, and a free hotel shuttle covers the roughly 5 minutes from the south exit of Karuizawa Station, no booking needed. By car it is about 11 km from the Usui-Karuizawa interchange on the Joshinetsu Expressway; guest parking is free and there are EV chargers. Karuizawa Glass Studio is about 5 minutes’ drive away and the distillery at Komoro about 30 minutes.
Spa
The Spa by HARNN brings the Thai HARNN brand to the hotel, with treatments tailored to each guest by internationally trained therapists and products drawing on local ingredients; its boutique sells HARNN body, hair and home-spa ranges. The same building holds the communal baths — an indoor bath, an open-air bath and a carbonated-water bath (not a natural hot spring) — along with a sauna.
Sports & leisure
The fitness centre, with modern equipment, is open to guests around the clock. For exploring, the hotel lends Louis Garneau bicycles, and the front desk has a neighbourhood map covering spots such as Shiraito Falls, Kumoba Pond, the Mount Hanareyama trail with its views of Asama, art museums and a glass studio offering glassblowing classes.
Restaurants & bars
Dining centres on KAGARIBI in its own building, alongside a lobby bar and an in-house bakery.
- KAGARIBI — all-day restaurant serving Italian cooking over firewood and open flame with Karuizawa produce: breakfasts with local farm vegetables and house-baked bread, lunches, à la carte or set-course dinners, wines from the Chikuma River valley, local craft beer and seasonal cocktails
- KAGARIBI Private Dining — a private room on the restaurant’s upper floor with the same menu, for closed dinners and gatherings
- Lobby Lounge & Lounge Library — a wood-lined lounge with a fireplace and books, serving coffee, tea, whisky and light bites
- Bakery/Pastry — bread and pastries baked in house
The KAGARIBI menu, kids’ dishes included, is also served in the rooms, and a bar counter beside a fire pit sits out in the garden.
Skiing
In winter the hotel runs a shuttle to a ski resort via Karuizawa Station, out in the morning and back late in the afternoon.
Pets
Pets cannot stay overnight; the restaurant has dog-friendly seating, taken on a first-come basis with no reservations.
Rooms
The 32 m² rooms and eight 64 m² suites are finished in warm wood with local art; some have a private garden, others look over the Yagasaki River or come with a view bath.
Every room has a haori, pyjamas and slippers, an espresso machine and tea, a smart TV, minibar, safe, Bose Bluetooth speaker, Karuizawa-inspired tableware and décor, and free Wi-Fi.
Standard Garden View
A warm, wood-finished room overlooking the hotel garden, with a king bed or two twins. A sofa bed allows up to three guests.
Standard River View
A quiet room facing the Yagasaki River, within earshot of the water, with a sofa by the window and a king bed or two twins. Sleeps two.
Standard Private Garden
A room with its own private garden and wooden furniture, with a king bed or two twins.
Standard River View with ViewBath
A room with large windows onto the river and forest, a view bath and a furnished deck for breakfast outdoors; king bed or two twins.
Suite
A suite with a private garden, a spacious bathroom with a view bath, a double vanity and a walk-in wardrobe; king bed or two twins plus a sofa bed, for up to three. Extras include a coffee-grinding set with the hotel’s own blend and a skincare set.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.