The Address Akakura

What an incredible stay, John is the nicest and most service oriented hotel owner I’ve ever interacted. He genuinely cares about his guests enjoyment and comfort. He also makes the best sake himself, I bought a few bottles to take home. The rooms are large, comfortable and even have a kitchen for those that want to cook. That said the food at the hotel is exceptional, it’s apparent the cook Nakaito treats cooking even the simplest dishes with lots of care. The onsen was also really nice at the end of the day, temp was nice and hot during our stay. I highly recommend and will be staying here again for sure.

My wife and I recently stayed in a 1-bedroom apartment in this aparthotel for 3 nights in early August. We had a fantastic time and 5 stars are honestly not enough. LOCATION: Thanks to its location in the mountains, Akakura village is about 6-8C cooler than Tokyo in summer and we really needed a break from the heat. It was also a great base for exploring Nagano and Niigata prefecture by car. Within driving range, you'll find beautiful nature, ski lifts that will take you higher up in the mountains, lots of summer flowers, apple and peach orchards, vineyards, friendly (and chatty) locals, cool cafés, good coffee and at this time of the year, summer matsuri, too. Although Akakura village is not as developed as Hakuba (yet), we were pleasantly surprised to see a branch of Bakery & Table (of Hakone and Izu peninsula fame) in the village. Their baked goods are always a delight. ONSEN: Upon arrival, John, the super friendly owner of The Address, reserved the onsen in the basement for our private use so we could relax after the journey. The onsen was clean, had the perfect temperature (for us) and was well-equipped with towels, hairdryers etc. The onsen water in this area will leave your skin feeling really smooth. APARTMENT: It had everything you'd need for self-catering stays. You could probably stay here for a long time without missing anything. The things that stood out were the super comfortable mattress in the bedroom and the huge wooden bathtub for two (it's like your own in-room onsen but with normal tap water). FOOD: Although the apartment came with a well-equipped kitchen, we didn't use it since breakfast and dinner were included. We're vegetarians which is often a problem in Japan but not here: John and his team went out of their way to cook one delicious dish for us after the next. It was a great introduction to local delicacies from the region and we were really impressed by the novel flavours and the inventiveness that were on display in every dish. If that wasn't enough, John also generously shared his own sake with us in the hotel bar and gave us 2 types of jam and a pack of locally-produced miso to take home with us when we left. SERVICE: By now, you can see where this is going. The service was just off-the-charts amazing from beginning to end but you could tell that this was not about ticking boxes for them. John and his team treated us with such warmth & hospitality that we already miss being there and want to return. What more could you want from a stay...

The Hotel was absolutely amazing and incredibly service from the owner John. Rooms are massive by Japanese standards and extremely clean & modern. The location of the hotel is the best in Akakura - right on the main street, beside snowsports shop and a 50m walk to the lifts. Breakfast was great everyday and good coffee too. The owner John was also very generous sharing tastings from his private sake collection and hosting a drinks & food night for guests. He was also extremely accommodating with dinner recommendations. Absolutely 5-star. We look forward to coming back again many times!