Karuizawa "Mampei Hotel" begins taking reservations for grand opening in October

Karuizawa's Mampei Hotel (Karuizawa, Karuizawa-machi, TEL 0267-42-1234), which has been closed for its first major renovation, will have a grand opening on October 2nd. Reservations for the renovated Alps Hall and Usui Hall began on September 2nd.

The hotel was founded in 1894 (Meiji 27). With a history of 130 years, it is a classic hotel that is said to be one of the pioneers of Western-style hotels in Japan. The renovation work was carried out due to deterioration. The Alps Building, the hotel's symbolic main building, was built in 1936 (Showa 11). It is also designated as a national registered tangible cultural property. For that reason, the wooden framework, beams supporting the ceiling, stained glass, lighting and other components were reused to preserve as much of the original as possible. In addition, the latest renovation work improved the hotel's earthquake resistance and insulation.

The rebuilt Atago Hall, as well as the main dining room, cafe terrace, and shop on the first floor of the Alps Hall, had a soft opening on August 16th, but will be closed again from September 24th. The second floor of the Alps Hall and the Usui Hall will reopen on October 2nd, when they will have their full grand opening.

The Alps Building has 12 rooms ranging from 36 to 57 square meters. It has been renovated with the "Japanese-Western fusion" concept inherited by Mampei Hotel, featuring round, warm pendant lighting, glass shoji screens, claw-foot bathtubs, and Karuizawa carved furniture, a traditional craft representative of this area. The Usui Building has 44 rooms ranging from 45 to 90 square meters. There are four types of guest rooms, as well as suites and rooms with terraces. The Atago Building has 30 rooms ranging from 45 to 91 square meters. All rooms have indoor baths with Shiozawa Onsen water.

The hotel is also known for being the place where John Lennon, a member of The Beatles, stayed with his family for about a month in the summer in the late 1970s. The famous apple pie (1,100 yen) that Lennon ate at the cafe terrace and the royal milk tea (1,300 yen) that he taught the staff how to make are still the same as they were back then, but the cafe terrace has been expanded from 73 seats to 102 seats.

While keeping the tradition alive, the renovation also aims to attract new customers. For the French dinner course "Keyaki" (21,000 yen) served in the "Main Dining Room" where the new head chef has been appointed, the basic sauce and bouillon will not be changed, but "the ingredients will be locally produced and locally consumed, and the presentation will be more colorful."

The Shop will stock new items such as the "Manpei Hotel Premium Cookie Tin" (6,800 yen), "Traditional Fruit Cake" (2,800 yen), and "Wooden Key Chains" shaped like the hotel sign (1,500 yen).

A family in their 40s and 60s visiting from Osaka said, "Our daughter and her husband looked into it and we came here during our stay at the villa. We enjoyed the apple pie and royal milk tea on the cafe terrace. The building is very quaint and we're glad we came."

The newly appointed general manager, Sasaki Ichiro, said, "We really wanted to bring back the staff (from other departments) who were there before the closure, and we've made it happen. We're able to welcome customers by combining the parts that have remained the same with the new parts."

Manager Nishikawa Shinji said, "This year marks our 130th anniversary. We have walked from the Meiji era to the Reiwa era. We have created a building that is new yet nostalgic, and will impress people. We also want to continue the hospitality aspect that we have cultivated over the years."

Reina Sato of Mori Trust's Public Relations and Marketing Department said, "We are committed to preserving registered tangible cultural properties and long-standing properties like Mampei Hotel, while making use of them and updating them to a modern style, and Mampei Hotel is a symbol of that. Until now, most of our customers have been regulars, but we would like to increase inbound demand in the future. Until now, most Japanese guests have been older, but with the retro boom, more young people are finding authenticity in classic things, so we think they will be pleased with this renovation."

To commemorate the grand opening, the "Grand Opening Commemorative Classic Plan" will be on sale for a limited time. It includes a stay in the Alps Hall Classic Premier Room, a signature dinner in the main dining room, dinner and breakfast at Keyaki, and royal milk tea in the room. The eligible stay period is from October 2nd to December 27th. Room rates start from 68,000 yen (for two people sharing a room, including consumption tax and service charges). Bookings can be made via the website or by phone.