Staying at Shishi-Iwa House
A few months ago, I was thumbing through a travel magazine and stumbled upon the Shishi-Iwa House in it. It looked stunning, and while I originally hoped to stay at Hoshinoya Resort when I travelled to Karuizawa, I decided to plan to stay at Shishi-Iwa House instead. Phases one and two of the hotel were designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. Phase three is being designed by Ryue Nishizawa and is scheduled to open in 2023. All three phases of the hotel blend into the landscape and utilize community spaces to provide a unique place to stay close to nature. I first saw Shishi-Iwa House in a travel magazine earlier this year and knew I wanted to visit.
Last week, we decided to take a weekend trip because life has been hectic recently and what better way to escape than to go to the mountains in Nagano. I booked the Shishi-Iwa House No. 1 Superior Room, and everything began to fall into place. If you want to learn more about the trip to Karuizawa, check out this blog post. For this one, I will focus solely on our experience at Shishi-Iwa House.
The design of the hotel is very much a rustic modern look. Japanese design and local materials are used throughout the complex, and most of the furniture inside is made in Japan. There is a focus on sustainability and recycling at the compound. In the main reception area and restaurant, there are interesting pieces of art and antiques that you should check out. Both spaces are located in ShishiIwa No. 2. In ShishiIwa No. 1, you’ll find the library and the large Grand Room. This space would be ideal to watch the snow while curled up near the fire, but each building has no shortage of beautiful spaces.
We arrived at the hotel right at 3:00pm for our check-in. Three employees immediately rushed out to greet us and help us with our luggage. Two employees whisked our luggage away to our room while a third employee took us into the reception area to give us a brief explanation of the hotel. One of the things I really liked was that I could do an online check-in before arriving at the hotel to reduce the time spent doing paperwork. While receiving the information, they allowed us to book our breakfast reservation and even asked about our allergies and food preferences. This was very refreshing considering that I have a tomato allergy. Once the explanation was complete, we moved our car to the parking area down the road.
After parking the car, we walked over to Shishi-Iwa House No. 01 where we were greeted by another employee who gave us our key, explained the common areas, and showed us to our room. There were three rooms—one downstairs next to the common area and two upstairs—in our building. We were upstairs. The room offered beautiful forest views from both the bed and the bath. The architecture was very minimalistic and modern. Most of the toiletries and other things provided in the room were eco-friendly and natural. If you are coming from a Western country, it’s important to note that shoes aren’t allowed in the common area or the hotel rooms. There is a shoe closet next to the entrance downstairs, and this is very common at some boutique hotels and ryokan in Japan.
After unpacking a bit and checking out the room, we headed downstairs to look at some of the shared spaces. In Shishi-Iwa House No. 1 there is a beautiful library and an open room with views of the forest, a fireplace, a large table, and places to relax. We didn’t make much use of this area. However, if we visited in summer or winter, I think we would have enjoyed sitting there enjoying a book and the view. We headed over to Shishi-Iwa House No. 1 to visit the bar and look at the common spaces there. The restaurant has exposed beams and natural lighting with forest views. While some items on the restaurant menu looked good, we were there to check out the building and bar.
I made sure to peruse all the art, books, and antiques on display before entering the bar to look at the whiskey and wine lists. We settled on a coffee and beer. In addition to beer and coffee, they had many interesting whiskies and possibly one of the biggest collections of rare and unique wines in Japan. If I return, I’ll definitely go to one of the wine tastings or try some of the unique whiskies. The space, the drinks, and the staff made this a very relaxing and easy experience. The bartenders were very friendly and spoke excellent English.
We enjoyed walking around the hotel grounds a bit before heading into town for shopping and dinner. Most things in Karuizawa close early, so, after our dinner, we headed back to the hotel to relax. Every night before bed, I take a shower and soak in the tub. Soaking in this tub allowed me to open the window to let cold but fresh mountain air into the room. The only downside is that the sink and bath are only separated from the room by a curtain. If you are traveling with friends, there is a lack of privacy for sure. Plus, opening the window means that cold air seeps into the rest of the room.
Since there was no TV in the room, we talked and dozed off quite early. The bed and pillows were incredibly comfortable. I slept for seven hours which is quite the record for me, especially considering I fell asleep early. When I woke up, I felt refreshed and began to get ready for breakfast and a morning walk.
Breakfast was served in Shishi-Iwa House No. 2. It consisted of local apple juice, coffee, ham, a poached egg, salad, fruit, cheese, bread, and soup. All ingredients were locally sourced and very fresh. While I would have preferred a Japanese breakfast, this was good and light. We continued walking around the hotel after we ate and decided to check out after that.
In my opinion, Shishi-Iwa House was a great option for a weekend away. The staff were incredibly friendly, and even though we speak Japanese, they could easily support English speaking guests better than many hotels in Japan. The food and drinks gave us a sample of the local cuisine. The room made us feel as though we were in nature. Overall, the stay was pleasant.
Our only negative impressions were that the bath and shower were only separated from the room by a curtain, the rooms were small compared to the vast common space, and the breakfast menu could have had options or variety. Despite these small complaints, I’d recommend Shishi-Iwa House to anyone traveling to or in Japan. If you visit, I recommend the rooms in No. 2 over the rooms in No. 1. Those seemed to be substantially smaller and less private.
Make sure you consider a trip to Karuizawa in the future and check out the beautifully designed Shishi-Iwa House.
