Hoshino Resorts KAI Alps

If you might want to have a late dinner or breakfast, you need to book the times when you reserved the rooms. Apart from this, their service, food and Onsen are very good

We stayed 3 nights at this hotel and were surprised upon arrival to learn we had to pick a specific time for breakfast and dinner every day. I checked in on time and there was already no choice to pick a later time for dinner and had to have dinner at 5:30 pm ! We drove from Karuizawa and had a meal on the way so 5:30 pm was way too early and I couldn’t enjoy the meal. We also didn’t know that the hotel had zero options for guests - everyone had to have to same meal which was too traditional to our liking (kaiseki cuisine). The lack of options is particular disappointing and not a luxury hospitality experience. Our breakfast time options were also left with 8:15-8:45 am which was way too early for a holiday - the lack of options, again a fixed menu of overly salty and traditional Japanese style breakfast was also a turn off. There were many family groups visiting the hotel so we wondered how the kids could have had an overcooked Japanese type grilled fish for breakfast with a bunch of fermented beans, and the same miso soup which was served every night as well for dinner. It would have been a lot of m6 enjoyable stay if there was a choice for a simplified or alternative western menu for breakfast ! The most ludicrous thing was that the staff told us we could not be late as otherwise we will have no food to eat. We were so unmotivated for breakfast by the third day that the staff called us (even though we informed them the night before we will skip it). This disrupted us from our restful sleep. The whole concept of the hotel is a bit odd given that Hoshino is trying to be a modern luxury hospitality but the whole staff training and options were too limited for us to feel pampered on our trip given the price we paid. Prior to this hotel we stayed at Hotel Indigo, and IHG experience which truly stands in contrast. Would really be hesitant to visit Hoshino hotels when I visit Japan. Lastly, the onsen place lacked illumination and light and I slipped and fell which has ice accumulated on a plastic floor mat. This showed that staff wasn’t there frequent enough to ensure the outdoor onsen area was safe and not slippery. As I didn’t speak Japanese and the staff didn’t speak English well I couldn’t be bothered to make this an issue but it was a pretty bad slip and fall incident.