A Tasty Christmas at the Famous Hoshino Resort Karuizawa Hotel Preston Court

Everything is extravagant! A designer cottage perfect for couples

A 5 minute drive from Naka-Karuizawa is Hoshino Resort Hotel Preston Court. There is a free shuttle bus from the bullet train station of Karuizawa every day. This is the best way to go if you are taking the train. (By taxi from Karuizawa to Hotel Preston Court it costs about 2500 JPY)

At Hotel Preston Court there are 3 types of rooms. • Designer cottages (a chic all white designed cottage) • Standard cottages (wood houses where you can feel the warmth) • Terrace villas (a cottage with a terrace)

The designer cottages are almost like you are overseas they are fabulously designed. Here you are far removed from the hustle and bustle of the big city it is so quiet here. These rooms are for couples who want to have some quiet alone time.

With concrete walls and rough gravel filling the courtyard garden, the designer cottages make you forget that you are at a hotel. It is an atmosphere outside of day to day life here. The courtyard garden is only viewable to staying guests so it is really something to enjoy this limited access.

The marble floor with floor heating is a heavenly comfort in the guest rooms

This is the interior of the designer cottage.

The marble floor has heating in it that is turned on during winter, and you can comfortably walk around bare foot. The vaulted ceilings and large windows which let in tons of natural light make this room feel extremely spacious and free.

The first thing to do when you get in the room I suggest is to take a load off and relax with the welcome tea. The welcome tea is a fruity and a bit sweet and sour herbal tea. This tea stimulates all 5 of your senses it is so good. To steep the tea properly just flip the sand clock and wait until the last grain falls through. This is the best way to enjoy herbal tea.

Another thing that sets Hotel Preston Court apart is that almost all the rooms don’t have a TV. Calming music is the only entertainment here. When you get used to it you really are able to relax. You have to try this to really take in the atmosphere here.

Warm up in the fresh hot spring, Hoshino Onsen Tombo no Yu!

If you are staying at Hotel Preston Court, you have to check out Hoshino Onsen Tombo no Yu next door.

To get there just take the area shuttle bus from the main building.

The 1.5hrs between 8:30am and 10am are open only to staying guests. This time frame it is really void of crowds, so you don’t have to worry about anyone else and really unwind. (if you get there by 10pm you can bathe until 11pm)

Also, what’s unique at Tombo no Yu is that you can drink this onsen water. Drinkable onsen water is said to have different health effects from just bathing in it. Although it is a hot spring the water has no strange taste to it and is easy to drink. Try it out.

Breakfast is a half-buffet & a great galette made from buckwheat

Hotel Preston Court is known for its gourmet food and its perfectionism to it. There are chefs who have won international cooking contests hers, and you can enjoy some authentic French cuisine as it is their main focus here.

The breakfast area is at the restaurant next to the main building lounge called “No one’s recipe”.

The appetizers, soups, and sweets are buffet style and all you can eat. The main dish is a galette made from buckwheat. During Christmas season the galette has turkey inside, and a Christmas tree design on the plate.

To go with the galette is a Hotel Preston Court original apple cider. The apple cider is a spicy alcoholic cider, but it finishes very clean. Perfect for a special Christmas morning.

• Place: hotel main building Restaurant No One’s Recipe • Days: from 12-1-2014 until 12-26-2014 • Time: 7am until 9:30am

A sweet treat just for Christmas

Also, in the main building at The Lounge you can indulge in 3 types of gateau.

• Sweet sake and chocolate mousse • Strawberry and honey mousse that oozes freshness • Soba flavored cream with chestnut Mont Blanc (600 JPY each) *The item second from the right is a Christmas decoration.

All the ingredients are handpicked by the chef patisserie. Occasionally the patisserie would even go out for 3 hours just to pick some Yuzu even!

The cake really accentuates the flavor of the ingredients has the moistness and that slight bitterness of the fruit and is perfect for a mature palette. A couple can choose different things and double the pleasure by tasting each other’s choice.

• Place: Hotel Preston Court The Lounge • Days: from 11-29-2015 until 12-25-2015