Sui Suwako

Comentarios destacados

• Manish P

  06 enero 2018
  Amazing modern japanese inn (ryokan) on the shores of lake Suwa

  Me and my wife stayed at Sui Suwako for four nights. We used this city as a base for exploring the nearby towns of Matsumoto and Azumino primarily because we could not find a hotel or ryokan of similar standard. We are so happy that we chose this place over others. The inn has only 8 rooms so there is definitely the feel of exclusivity. The hotel itself opened only a few years ago so everything is fresh and modern. We stayed in a suite on the second floor and it was very spacious with a separate living room, bedroom, a wooden bath and shower and a hot spring bath in the enclosed balcony as well which we enjoyed to the fullest. All rooms offer views of Suwa lake and the panoramic view from the onsen on the top of the hotel is breathtaking. The hotel grounds have a small japanese garden as well. As with most Japanese Inn's your stay includes breakfast and dinner. If ever the phrase "breakfast fit for a king was apt' it would be so for this place. Dinner on all four nights was different with multiple courses using the freshest local ingredients. We also got to try horse meat sashimi which was a first for us. They also have sake pairing for dinner and a separate sake bar in the reception area. Oh and by the way, dining is in your own private dining room which just adds to the sense of exclusivity. As if the above were not good enough to earn them the five star rating, the service is impeccable. Right from the time of reservation to prompt answers to queries regarding sightseeing before we arrived, arrangement of shuttle service to pick us up from the train station, service during breakfast and dinner, every time was exemplary. They also have a free tour of the four shrines which Suwa is famous for. Special thanks to Ms. Naoko Okamoto san who is the manager and Ms. Indah Banarni who took care of us and made our stay memorable. We will sure be going back.

  

• teddyiris

  30 julio 2018
  In-room Onsen. Impeccable service. Almost too perfect!

  It was a hot summer afternoon, I arrived at the beautiful Hotel and was greeted by staff even when I was still in the shuttle van. I was then brought to the common area with a view of the lush green garden. Got seated and served with iced tea and snacks, while they did the check-in. There is a staff designated for each guest / group, who will take care of you during your stay. I was then led to my room on the 2nd floor. There are in total 8 rooms in the entire building; and each room is equipped with everything a traveller would need and like. My room (junior twin) is very spacious - almost too spacious for single use - and there is an onsen bathtub all to myself. The Hotel has just been established for a year or two, and everything is sparkling clean. Read the Introduction on the little table and it tells you from where and by what material everything is made of. Dinner and breakfast are "performed" in a private dining room at the time you prefer. The experienced staff would explain each dish with details and cook (e.g. sukiyaki beef) in front of you. Every single dish is impeccably presented and tastes insanely good. I couldnt finish the clay pot rice (which was perfect) as I was too full; but no worries, theyd make Onigiri (rice balls) out of it so that you could enjoy them as mid-night snacks. Not only is there an onsen inside each guestroom, there is also an open-air onsen on the rooftop, where guests (NB: men and women together) enjoy a panoramic view of the beautiful Lake Suwa (the scenery in Your Name. was reportedly modeled after it). Cannot stress enough how courteous, thoughtful and well-mannered the staff are. I particular remember that after the first dish of the dinner and they noticed my being left-handed, every dish thereafter was presented from my left. This is how you impress your guests! Overall, a one-of-the-kind experience that I will always miss. Its not cheap, of course, but the stay well justifies the price tag. Highly recommended to everyone who appreciates what one would call the Japanese quality.

  

• delboylin

  07 agosto 2018
  Excellent hotel - very clean and modern

  Spent a night at this excellent eight-room hotel. The room smelled great due to the quality of the tatami and there is an onsen as well. There is also a public onsen on the rooftop and we spent an amazing time watching the fireworks there! Very good service and the food was delicious and healthy - lots of tofu! Would definitely stay here again.

  

• Alaind75

  12 agosto 2018
  Great small-scale luxury hotel on the shores of Suwa lake.

  This hotel by the shore of Suwa lake in Nagano offers: - clean, large rooms (recently renovated) - an "exclusive" feel thanks to its relatively small size (only 8 rooms, two per floor) - a great view over Suwa lake which one can enjoy either from the room's private onsen or from the rooftop "infinity onsen" (note that the latter is a swimsuit-wearing mixed-gender one, a rarity in Japan) Wouldn't call it a top-notch facility though as its very high-price should be matched by excellence in all areas and, unfortunately, dinner is "only" quite good (we have enjoyed better food in other similarly priced or lower ryokans) and the "bar time" experience is not up to par either. All in all, still a great place if one wanders into the Southern parts of Nagano-ken, wish they would try a little harder on the food side.

  

• KI-NRT

  20 febrero 2021
  Fantastic in every way

  We stayed at Sui Suwako in late October as part of a long Honshu road trip, and we couldn't be more pleased with our experience at Sui Suwako. It's a hybrid Ryokan/Hotel of sorts... it's a 4-story building that lacks a grand entrance or massive property grounds. But it offers rooms that are modern and comfortably appointed, the Omotenashi hospitality of a family-run Ryokan, an onsen bath in each and every room (as well as a terrific rooftop co-ed bath) as well as a terrific Kaiseki dining experience. Given its location in the middle of Nagano, it also serves as a good overnight rest spot if you're coming to/from places such as Tokyo, Fuji, Nagano, the Hokuriku Region, Tsumago/Magome and Karuizawa. Sui Suwako is located on the banks of the enormous Lake Suwa ("Suwa-ko" in Japanese), although there's a somewhat busy road as well as a small park/boardwalk between the property and the lake itself. It's not in the most secluded of locations, but upon entering the building and walking into the reception/common area you'll find that Sui Suwako is an oasis of tranquility. The furnishings and decor are a combination of traditional and modern - liberal use of brightly-colored wood, large windows facing a small yet charming garden, the earthly tones of the furnishings and a smattering of Shoji (dividers that consist of white, semi-translucent sheets on a lattice frame) lend an airy, homely feel. The same is true in the rooms themselves - it's a country home-style feel that gives it a warm, inviting vibe to the entire place. There are a total of 8 rooms (2 on each of the 4 floors) with two slightly different room categories. We choose to stay in the larger of the two types, dubbed the "Wide Japanese/Western-style Room with Open-air Hot Spring Bath, 75m²." It's slightly larger than the standard rooms, although every room contains a private, (semi-)open-air Onsen (hot springs) bath with views of Lake Suwa towards the far end of the room that also serves as a terrace of sorts. Our room was on the top (5th) floor with wonderful views of the lake, and was sufficiently spacious with a generously-sized living room and a separate bedroom with two large Western-style beds. Another neat feature of Sui Suwako is the open-air Onsen bath on the roof of the building. It offers commanding views of the lake, and it's also co-ed - unlike most Onsen baths, you're permitted to bathe in bathing suits, which allows for an enjoyable Onsen experience with friends and family of the opposite gender. And, given that only a maximum of 8 group of guests will be staying there at any given time, you're more than likely to have the bath all to yourself than sharing it with other guests. I recommend that you go just before dinner during the sunset hours. It's a gorgeous time to chill out and marvel at the beauty and serenity of the area. The dining experience was definitely a highlight. To start with, meals are served in one's own room (horray!) We love this aspect of the ryokan experience, and enjoy the intimacy, comfort and tranquility that it offers. The dinner is a many-course Kaiseki affair and focuses on regional produce and delicacies. The area is not very close to the ocean, so Sui Suwako emphasizes the wonderful mountain vegetables as well as fish from the Lake and its surrounds, and the flavors themselves are quite unique to the Shinshu region. Each serving was wonderfully prepared and beautifully decorated with local maple leaves, moss and other vegetation and served on unique plates, bowls, baskets and stone pots made by local artisans. It was definitely a delightful and educational gourmet experience. Among the highlights were the Wakasagi (Japanese Smelt from Lake Suwa) Tempura, which was light, crispy and very tasty; Chicken Houra-yaki, chicken and vegetables cooked on top of a large leaf with miso over a hot stone plate; and a small serving of Shinshu Soba with Karasumi (Salted Mullet Roe.) Breakfast was also not the same 'ol same 'ol. Sui Suwako focused, again, on the wonderful local vegetables, many of them pickled to serve as condiments for the rice porridge, and instead of the typical miso soup servings at most places, the breakfast soup was Kenchin Jiru, a wonderful, Umami-infused soup with root vegetables & tofu.) Very light and healthy, but still rich in complex flavors. We had an awesome time at Sui Suwako. It helped us learn and appreciate many of the wonderful aspects of the region, and the friendly staff, comfortable rooms and relaxing Onsen baths helped us recharge in the middle of a multi-week roadtrip throughout Japan. Should we ever venture through the area again (which is very likely), we would not hesitate to stay there once again. One final note: the Wakasagi Tempura was served to us via special request, and was not part of the menu for the evening. We had done some research in advance, and became aware of the delicacy that comes from Lake Suwa. We inquired about the possibility of trying out Wakasagi when we checked in earlier in the afternoon, and they thankfully were able to fulfill our request. The head chef supposedly used his connections to procure the Wakasagi from the local fishermen on short notice. It was awesome, and I would suggest you ask about Wakasagi in advance.