Lake Shikotsu Tsuruga Resort Spa MIZU NO UTA — Hotel in Chitose

From the moment we arrived at Mizu no Uta, Tsuruga Resort at Lake Shikotsu, we were enveloped in an atmosphere of tranquil luxury. Valet parking greeted us, and we were swiftly escorted to a path lined with zen music, setting the tone for a stay where every detail exudes serenity.

Upon entering the reception, a majestic wooden carving of an owl, a powerful symbol of protection in Ainu culture, watched over us. In a delightful and intimate touch, we were asked to remove our shoes – a gesture that immediately made the resort feel like a sanctuary. Walking barefoot on soft wooden floors in such a refined environment felt like the ultimate indulgence.

Live harp music floated through the air as we were led past a live fireplace, its warm flames inviting guests to roast marshmallows, adding a whimsical, yet homely feel to the elegant surroundings. The staff, attentive yet discreet, escorted us to our room via separate lifts, ensuring our luggage was seamlessly handled.

Entering the room, we were struck by its sheer spaciousness. A half-sized fridge, thoughtfully included, perfectly stored all our chilled treats from the road trip. But the true star was the view: an uninterrupted panorama of lush greenery, stretching out to meet the serene waters of Lake Shikotsu. The combination of the stunning scenery and the luxurious in-room robe made us feel like chaebols, lounging in opulence and shielded from the cool lakeside breeze.

As for the dining, the buffet at Mizu no Uta is nothing short of spectacular. Where many buffets struggle to balance quantity and quality, this resort excels at both. Highlights included a live dessert station and a live pizza-making corner, where thin-crust pizzas, surprisingly better than those from Furano’s famed Cheese Factory, were expertly prepared. The spread also featured an incredible assortment of sashimi – the freshest I encountered during my 1.5-week trip across various hotels. The salmon and mackerel, both raw and uniquely marinated in glass jars, were exceptional.

The hot dishes maintained the same elevated standard. A simple tomato-based clam spaghetti was transformed by the quality of ingredients, while even the sautéed kailan was enhanced with the addition of Parma ham. Local produce, such as the fresh broccoli used in the cream-based dishes, lent an unmistakable brightness to each bite. The combination of Japanese and Western cuisine was balanced beautifully, with every plate delivering a sense of thoughtful craftsmanship.

Of course, no stay at a lakeside resort would be complete without a visit to the onsen bath. While slightly smaller than the one at Lake Akan, the onsen here is far superior in cleanliness and upkeep. Conveniently, the bath is stocked with towels, so there’s no need to carry your own from the room. The experience is further enhanced by a sauna illuminated with soothing blue light, adding a layer of tranquility to the ritual. The open-air onsen is another highlight.

For those who appreciate the purity of nature, the bath even features drinkable Lake Shikotsu water, renowned as one of Japan’s top 100 spring waters. This thoughtful touch, coupled with the stunning views, creates an immersive experience that is equal parts restorative...

From the moment we arrived at Mizu no Uta, Tsuruga Resort at Lake Shikotsu, we were enveloped in an atmosphere of tranquil luxury. Valet parking greeted us, and we were swiftly escorted to a path lined with zen music, setting the tone for a stay where every detail exudes serenity.Upon entering the reception, a majestic wooden carving of an owl, a powerful symbol of protection in Ainu culture, watched over us. In a delightful and intimate touch, we were asked to remove our shoes – a gesture that immediately made the resort feel like a sanctuary. Walking barefoot on soft wooden floors in such a refined environment felt like the ultimate indulgence.Live harp music floated through the air as we were led past a live fireplace, its warm flames inviting guests to roast marshmallows, adding a whimsical, yet homely feel to the elegant surroundings. The staff, attentive yet discreet, escorted us to our room via separate lifts, ensuring our luggage was seamlessly handled.Entering the room, we were struck by its sheer spaciousness. A half-sized fridge, thoughtfully included, perfectly stored all our chilled treats from the road trip. But the true star was the view: an uninterrupted panorama of lush greenery, stretching out to meet the serene waters of Lake Shikotsu. The combination of the stunning scenery and the luxurious in-room robe made us feel like chaebols, lounging in opulence and shielded from the cool lakeside breeze.As for the dining, the buffet at Mizu no Uta is nothing short of spectacular. Where many buffets struggle to balance quantity and quality, this resort excels at both. Highlights included a live dessert station and a live pizza-making corner, where thin-crust pizzas, surprisingly better than those from Furano’s famed Cheese Factory, were expertly prepared. The spread also featured an incredible assortment of sashimi – the freshest I encountered during my 1.5-week trip across various hotels. The salmon and mackerel, both raw and uniquely marinated in glass jars, were exceptional.The hot dishes maintained the same elevated standard. A simple tomato-based clam spaghetti was transformed by the quality of ingredients, while even the sautéed kailan was enhanced with the addition of Parma ham. Local produce, such as the fresh broccoli used in the cream-based dishes, lent an unmistakable brightness to each bite. The combination of Japanese and Western cuisine was balanced beautifully, with every plate delivering a sense of thoughtful craftsmanship.Of course, no stay at a lakeside resort would be complete without a visit to the onsen bath. While slightly smaller than the one at Lake Akan, the onsen here is far superior in cleanliness and upkeep. Conveniently, the bath is stocked with towels, so there’s no need to carry your own from the room. The experience is further enhanced by a sauna illuminated with soothing blue light, adding a layer of tranquility to the ritual. The open-air onsen is another highlight.For those who appreciate the purity of nature, the bath even features drinkable Lake Shikotsu water, renowned as one of Japan’s top 100 spring waters. This thoughtful touch, coupled with the stunning views, creates an immersive experience that is equal parts restorative...

Coming to our second Tsuraga chain hotel on our trip, we were really looking forward to the try out the new hotel but was greatly disappointed the moment we checked in.

Our final verdict, writing this while we are still in the room, is to definitely Avoid the room with private outdoor bath( not onsen) at all cost! We are stucked with this room type not by choice but because of the lack of availability of rooms with private onsens when we booked.

We only came to Google to check out reviews after a really bad and chaotic check in experience with guests being herded in the lobby like cattle and ending up with us standing around the entrance without our shoes not knowing where to go next and having to try hard to catch the the attention of a staff to ask her what we should do next.

It’s through recent Google reviews that we came to realize our room’s outdoor bath water is really just stagnant water in a tub which is kind of gross to think about.

The cherry on top of the poor experience is paying 650 USD a night only to be told that our room is too low level to be even provided with basic bottled water??

The story is that when we returned to our room later in the night, we found that our fridge was empty except for a non sealed pitcher of water that we are not too comfortable drinking from, and no signs of bottled water in the room. We respectfully went to the front counter to ask for bottled drinking water thinking that it might have been missed out, only to be asked our room number and told that it is correct that our room type does not include bottled water, basically telling us that our room is too cheap to be provided with the bottled water and that if we INSIST, it would be chargeable.

I was then lectured in a VERY CONDESCENDING tone by a senior male receptionist about how water in Japan is the cleanest in the world and is all drinkable straight from tap ( no signs of any notice of that in the room) While we definitely respect the culture and pride, I feel there should be some form of respect for personal preferences. We have never been forced to drink water from tap in all the hotels we stayed during the trip or previous trips to Japan.

Of course, there is no issues with paying a mere 150yen for one bottle of water but it really makes us feel so discriminated against simply because of our “cheap” room type and it left a really bad taste in our mouths.

This is really one of the worst experiences we have had with both high end and low end hotels in Japan, and definitely does not live up to the expectations for a hotel of the Tsuraga group. 100 dollar old school ryokan does hospitality much better than here.

Only redeeming factor of our night is that food and service at the restaurant was pretty good.

Definitely never coming to here again though. To the rest of you coming here, Good luck on your experience and hope nobody has to go through...