Hotel Tsuruya — Attraction in Karuizawa

Stayed at Tsuruya for one night while walking the Nakasendo Way.||||The accommodation was booked by Walk Japan as part of their self-guided Nakasendo Way walk and is described positively in their guide including with references to it having opulent food.||||Tsuruya is well located for the Nakasendo and is close to a range of pleasant, French influenced, shops. Its external appearance is also appealing. The ground floor reception area is spacious and comfortable if rather old-fashioned (sort of a faded glory feel).||||The rooms are good sized and there are ensuites (albeit small), free WiFi and a safe.||||So, there are positives. ||||My Poor rating reflects the fact that Tsuruya feels tired and shabby. The room had two upright seats at the small window (nice because in a Japanese style room you don't have to necessarily sit at floor level). However, one of the two chairs was an old fashioned tired leather recliner arrangement with a tired hand towel draped over the headrest to protect the leather. I gather a similar arrangement applied in other rooms. A couch in the corridor was draped in a tired old bedspread. These are small things but they are reflective of the style of the place.||||The dining area is quite bleak and the Kaiseki style evening meal was the least inspiring I have had in a ryokan in several trips to Japan. It wasn't awful food it just wasn't up to usual ryokan standard. The breakfast, served in a different room, was a buffet style and similarly uninspiring.||||Service overall was efficient but not as warmly friendly as in most ryokans.||||So, in summary, not bad but certainly below average in my experience. My brief sense of Karuizawa is that it is a pleasant small town and worth a visit. Next time I would look for another...

The Ryokan is old (which I personally like) rich with history. It's not your first tier but it is nicely eclectic with period furniture, decor and artifacts. Lots of great historic pictures from its heyday when Karuizawa was coming to age as the vacation spot for foreigners living in Japan. The rooms are clean and comfortable as our the baths. The staff is very friendly and helpful. And you feel comfortable right away which I often do not at the higher end formal Ryokans. ||||I do like Kaiseki cuisine in the room when I stay at Ryokans for the full experience which they did not offer but the old downtown area is just in walking distance (just outside the door) with lots of restaurants and touristy shopping in the old town. Walking distance also to the historic churches and worth taking a cab or renting a bike to the waterfalls. ||||I am ranking this place higher than I have for places I have paid 4X in Kyoto simply because I was comfortable and I liked it for what it is. ...

The Ryokan is old (which I personally like) rich with history. It's not your first tier but it is nicely eclectic with period furniture, decor and artifacts. Lots of great historic pictures from its heyday when Karuizawa was coming to age as the vacation spot for foreigners living in Japan. The rooms are clean and comfortable as our the baths. The staff is very friendly and helpful. And you feel comfortable right away which I often do not at the higher end formal Ryokans. ||||I do like Kaiseki cuisine in the room when I stay at Ryokans for the full experience which they did not offer but the old downtown area is just in walking distance (just outside the door) with lots of restaurants and touristy shopping in the old town. Walking distance also to the historic churches and worth taking a cab or renting a bike to the waterfalls. ||||I am ranking this place higher than I have for places I have paid 4X in Kyoto simply because I was comfortable and I liked it for what it is. ...