Ryokan Ikoisanso

The staff are nice. Breakfast included is ok. The biggest issue is the smell of the fuel used to heat the properties. Each room also has an air conditioning unit that can be used to heat the room but the insulation is not very good. The window is single pane and you can feel the cool when getting close. So they have a heater which burnt something like kerosene. It has an exhaust duct but is the a sealed unit. It is a potable unit but you cannot move much because of the duct. It can provide sufficient heat but the smell is horrible. They are using similar unit in the reception area and probably in other common area as well. I feel so much relief when a get outside and get the smell of fresh air even it it is cold. You also have to leave your shoe outside which becomes quite cold. Having storage inside would go a long way in winter time.

Nice ryokan, pretty quiet. Did not see any other guests when we were there. Had hotpot for dinner which was good and very filling! Meals can be requested by directly messaging the hotel on Facebook. Rooms were a little small for 3-4 people than what I would have preferred but it was a relatively comfortable size for a bunch of small-sized people. No heater in the toilet so might be a deal breaker for some people especially in the winter. Otherwise great service and nice place. There is also free pick up service from the station (which we did not utilise) and free parking on site.

The womens hot bath (onsen) was very nice. 8 tatami mat room was very nice.

What a lovely welcome we had, the staff is amazing! Everyone tried their best to make our stay special, they also drove us to the station in Karuizawa! The ryokan is very clean, the room spacious and beautiful, and the location is in a quiet area, very close to popular Harunire Terrace and Hoshino onsen. Highly recommended!!!

Traditional Japanese ryokan and very good value for money

It’s overall a good traditional Japanese hotel to stay with such price. Cleanliness is good. The staff was helpful. The location is great, near some popular spots in karuizawa. We recommending driving a car though.

Service was excellent. Concierge recommended a fantastic restaurant that exceeded our expectations. This is also located in a nicer, more charming area of Karuizawa than the main drag. The onsen was simple but great for a relaxing bath at the end of the day. The hotel shows its age, and ryokan style perhaps isn’t for everyone, with futon beds and shared bathrooms and tatami mats, but the Japanese people we spoke to informed us it was a very authentic experience, and we enjoyed it very much. Dinner at the ryokan was also quite good, but the local restaurants really blew us away. Don’t miss the Sawa Mara bakery, just a five minute walk from the hotel.

poor insulation from the cold. inadequate heating facility. additional kerosene heater (overhead cabin size) offered, but smells of kerosene and fire risk.

Knowing that it is not a new hotel we didn't expect things are new with modern facilities. However, being a traditional Ryokan with an in-house onsen, and yukata are also provided, I would say this hotel is certainly a good choice among Karuizawa. Convenient store is very close and hotel also provide microwave oven.

Rooms decor n furnishings dated. Relatively small western style room. Was told original room booked (Trad Jap r