IHG Hotels & Resorts operates 19 hotel brands with more than 6,300 hotels in over 100 countries. In Japan, IHG Hotels & Resorts currently operates approximately 47 hotels under seven brands from Hokkaido to Okinawa (as of March 2024). For this interview, we asked Mari Takara, general manager and portfolio general manager of Ter Indigo Karuizawa, about the charms of the area surrounding the hotel.
Name: Hotel Indigo Karuizawa
Location: 18-39, Aza Yashizoe, Nagakura, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano, Japan
–How did you come to work at Hotel Indigo Karuizawa?
I had visited Karuizawa before arriving at the hotel and was fascinated by the clean air, the fusion of Western and Eastern cultures, and the beautiful scenery. I was fascinated by the clean air, the fusion of Western and Eastern cultures, and the beautiful scenery. I felt that the hotel had potential as a business, and I am currently serving as the general manager of Hotel Indigo Karuizawa, overseeing two other hotels, the ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa and Hotel Indigo Karuizawa, where I worked before.
–What kind of hotel is it?
The HOTEL INDIGO brand is a lifestyle boutique hotel that reflects the “Neighborhood Story” of the town where the hotel is located. Karuizawa is an artistic town, with Western culture and art, and is one of the most popular vacation destination in Japan, surrounded by the magnificent nature of Mount Asama. Hotel Indigo Karuizawa strives to provide a relaxing, curious, and creatively stimulating stay as if you were in a vacation home, based on the concept of “a fire lit in your heart and time in a vacation home”.
The first is the “Bonfire Lounge” located in the Forest Garden courtyard. Guests say that watching the flickering flames relaxes and unwinds them. Just as Karuizawa’s salon culture has been nurtured around a blazing fireplace, the flames seem to have the power to bring people together, and we often see guests who happen to be sitting around the fire talking with each other. The bonfire lounge has its own advantages by day and night, and we hope you will enjoy it to your heart’s content.
The second is a treatment at The Spa by HARNN. This Thai natural spa brand has been nominated for an international award and is also available for visitor use. It is also recommended for relaxation after golf.
The third is a conversation with a Neighborhood Host. Neighborhood hosts wear pins associated with their areas of expertise in Karuizawa. For example, those who are familiar with the driving courses in Karuizawa wear a car badge. During your stay, we hope you will enjoy interacting with your Neighborhood Hosts as a chance to learn more about what makes the Neighborhood so special.
–please let me know if you have any personal favorites tourist spots or restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.
This is the “Karuizawa Hiroshi Senju Art Museum. The artwork is of course stunning, but the presentation of the artwork changes depending on the time of day, the season, and the weather. Senju’s picture book, “On a Starry Night,” is composed entirely of pictures, and visitors can add their own words to create an original story for their children, making it a great gift idea.
I also like to play golf and have been to many golf courses in Karuizawa, but “Karuizawa 72 Golf” is not to be missed. I recommend the exhilarating feeling of playing golf in a great location with a magnificent view of Mt. Asama, and especially the West Course (Blue), which has holes that will challenge and inspire players.
We also like “Atelier Notebooks,” which created the pin badge worn by our Neighborhood Host. We happened to stop by the store when we were strolling along the Old Karuizawa Street, and were so charmed by the lovely work that we decided to ask them to make the pin badge for us. The postcards and other items displayed in the store are also wonderful and I have them displayed in my office.
–What restaurant menu do you recommend?
The signature menu item at KAGARIBI, an all-day dining restaurant offering wood-fired Italian cuisine, is the wood-grilled Shinshu pork with bones. Shinshu pork and vegetables are dynamically grilled over a wood flame, concentrating the flavor and sweetness of the ingredients and bringing out the best in them. The Shinshu pork, in particular, is grilled bone-in, so the juices and umami are preserved, resulting in a crispy, savory outside and a moist, juicy inside. The pork has a smoky aroma from the wood fire and goes well with wine and whiskey.
–What souvenirs do you recommend?
This is “Dried Fruit Herb Tea” by Karuizawa Natural Foods. It has the original gentle sweetness and aroma of dried fruits such as apples from Shinshu, and its light and lovely appearance is also a key point. It can be purchased at “Karuizawa Hatsuchi Ichiba.
Nagano Prefecture is also one of the most famous wine-producing areas in Japan, and the area surrounding the hotel is particularly suitable for wine production due to its low precipitation and long hours of sunshine, known as the “Chikumagawa Wine Valley. Various wineries, from long-established to up-and-coming, produce high quality wines, but my favorite among them is the “Solaris” series of Mann’s Wine. These popular wines have won awards at international wine competitions and are also served at KAGARIBI. We hope that many people will enjoy these wines that make the most of the local climate.
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