I was expecting a small little ryokan given that it's out in the suburbs, but was amazed to see how big the hotel was. The lobby was huge, and I mean really huge! There was also a very big souvenir shop just beside the lobby area. And speaking of huge, the dining area was also a big giant hall. Rooms With such a big hotel, the room was relatively small, but I think it's just right for two people. We stayed in a tatami room. The room was relatively clean, except for the carpeting at the small end of the room facing the windows. But that was a small problem though since we spent most of the time on the tatami anyway. Not much space for our luggage, esp since we fear damaging the tatami mats, so we placed our luggages on the carpet area which made that area quite crowded if we want to sit and enjoy the view. The room had a very large picture window which was perfect for enjoying the beautiful lake. Since it was a tatami room, the low table was set in the middle of the room with some tea and snacks. The decors were simple and they even had an old rotary phone in the room, and it's still working :-) At night when you're out to dinner, the staff will come in and set the tatami beds. We arrived before dinner so...I was expecting a small little ryokan given that it's out in the suburbs, but was amazed to see how big the hotel was. The lobby was huge, and I mean really huge! There was also a very big souvenir shop just beside the lobby area. And speaking of huge, the dining area was also a big giant hall.

Rooms
With such a big hotel, the room was relatively small, but I think it's just right for two people. We stayed in a tatami room. The room was relatively clean, except for the carpeting at the small end of the room facing the windows. But that was a small problem though since we spent most of the time on the tatami anyway. Not much space for our luggage, esp since we fear damaging the tatami mats, so we placed our luggages on the carpet area which made that area quite crowded if we want to sit and enjoy the view. The room had a very large picture window which was perfect for enjoying the beautiful lake. Since it was a tatami room, the low table was set in the middle of the room with some tea and snacks. The decors were simple and they even had an old rotary phone in the room, and it's still working :-) At night when you're out to dinner, the staff will come in and set the tatami beds. We arrived before dinner so the beds were not yet set up. It's a minor hassle, but if you'd like to take a nap, then you'd have to set your own bed. I was so tired, I just laid on the tatami mat and got one of the pillows and had a snooze :-) They have yukatas (kimonos) for you to wear if you wish, and you can wear them anywhere in the hotel.

Meals
We've had a chance to have dinner and breakfast at the hotel. Dinner was great, we enjoyed the fresh sushi, different kinds of curry (black, brown and white), hot Japanese soup, yummy white rice with Japanese condiments, soft Japanese tofu, grilled fish, and tender teppan beef. There was so many choices. Water and coffee/tea were also available. The dining hall was packed with people and when one group left, another sat. The staff were very efficient, quick to clean up used plates and emptied table for a new group to sit. Since it was Xmas Eve when we were there, Santa Claus also made a stop to give us some gifts :-) Breakfast was also nice, but more Japanese choices and very limited Western selections, and limited fresh fruits.

Wifi/Power Sockets
They said the hotel had wifi at the lobby but we weren't able to connect that night. No wifi in the room definitely. Limited power sockets in the room, I had to charge my camera battery in the bathroom while charging my phone in the room :-)

Hotel Grounds
A big spacious lobby, and a coffee lounge which apparently is not very popular with the guests but has really nice big windows and excellent views of the lake. Outside, you can see lights along the shore lining the lake at night. They even offer big coats for free use when you're going outdoors to enjoy the light, in case you're wearing just your yukata. They also said there were fireworks every night, but we didn't see it. Anyhow, it's just a few minutes according to our guide, nothing really special. It was really dark out so we couldn't see the lake at night. We did go walk around the shore and saw some really beautiful big white swans swimming along the shore and seemingly enjoying our company as they came nearer to us as we approached. In the morning, we woke up to a breathtaking scene of the lake and snowy Edo Mt Fuji (Mt Yotei) in the far background. There is also a common area when you come out of the elevator on the first floor where you can sit and enjoy the view, they have a couple of lounge chairs and coffee tables in the area. A very large souvenir shop with lots of Hokkaido food and souvenir items is available by the lobby. Prices were pretty much standard.More