It's a weekend off. While the usual girls' get-together at a cafe or bar is nice, sometimes it's nice to let loose and go on a two-day, one-night girls' trip. This article is a record of a relaxed girls' trip with a photographer friend, based at "Hoshino Resorts BEB5 Karuizawa," which has been steadily gaining repeat guests since its opening last February.

A hotel for a relaxed stay with friends
"Hoshino Resorts BEB5 Karuizawa"

After a 20-minute taxi ride from Karuizawa Station, we arrived at our stay for the night, Hoshino Resorts BEB5 Karuizawa.

While we were enjoying a casual chat, the driver announced, "We've arrived, sir." Look for this sign.
BEB5 Karuizawa, developed by Hoshino Resorts, is a relaxed hotel perfect for relaxing with friends, loved ones, or family. It's the perfect place to stay, just like in your own room. With relaxed rules and time constraints, this relaxed hotel offers ample freedom to customize your stay however you like. I highly recommend this hotel for girls' trips like ours.



The front desk with a DJ booth is new. Apparently, you can even request songs from the records provided.
I thought the DJ booth looked really stylish, but it turned out to be the front desk. I quickly checked in using the self-service check-in machine.


Is this really the equivalent of a hotel lobby? It's innovative!
You can have breakfast, enjoy a late-night snack, chat, play games, or even hold a wedding reception here. It's fun to leave your room and gather at "TAMARIBA." There's a 24-hour cafe lounge with a bookshelf, a sofa-like area, card games, and even a ping-pong table. Even if you don't have any plans or it's raining, spending time with friends and loved ones is fun in itself.


The 24-hour cafe lounge also sells light meals. The bread looks delicious. They also have prosciutto and wine, so I think I'll have a drink there in the evening.
The ping-pong table was arranged by the staff, and the "BEB" logo was made out of cork art! Apparently, they sometimes play table hockey on ice outdoors.

The high ceilings create an airy feel, and pleasant music comes from the DJ booth. With cafe sweets and games, it's perfectly set up for a fun time (it's the best). And the "courtyard," which is an essential part of any BEB5 Karuizawa discussion, is apparently even more lively at night, so we'll talk about it later. First, I received a welcome snack (I found freshly made popcorn) and headed to my room! 

I wondered what this popcorn wagon was, and it turned out to be "Welcome Popcorn"!
You can customize the flavor with the provided flavor powder.

It's so fun, it's self-service. Please help yourself, they said. A nice touch. I packed my friend's share, remembering how I'd always dreamed of working at a popcorn stand at a theme park. We had a quick snack break in our guest room.



"Yagura Room"
There are two room types. First, I opened the door to the "Yagura Room," which I'd heard was the hallmark of BEB5 Karuizawa! This unique room features a yagura-style layout with a bed on the upper bunk and a sofa (which doubles as an extra bed) on the lower bunk. It would be a great place to plan a birthday surprise or a mini party with sweets and drinks.

The Yagura Room can accommodate up to three people per room. With the Eco Favourite Plan for those under 35, the price is 15,000 yen per room per night. For two people it's 7,500 yen per person, and for three people it's 5,000 yen per person! The reasonable pricing is also great.

"Twin Room"
This is what the other "Twin Room" looks like. Perhaps it feels a little larger because there is no yagura, and it has a more streamlined impression than the Yagura Room. (By the way, we had booked two rooms this time, so we decided to gather in the Yagura room until we fell asleep and then go our separate ways when it was time to sleep.)

Twin rooms can accommodate up to two people per room. The Eco-Friendly Plan for those under 35 is 15,000 yen per room per night. For two people, it's 7,500 yen per person. I thought this room would be good for secluding myself in writing before a deadline... It's not the kind of room where you can have fun together, but it's relaxing to feel the nature, and then you can concentrate on writing. When you get tired, you can go back to TAMARIBA for a break... It's not a bad way to use it.

I dozed off, gazing out the window for a while, but since I was in Karuizawa, I decided to put my luggage down and take a walk around the nearby area.



Harunire Terrace, a well-known Karuizawa spot, is also within walking distance. There's also a shuttle bus from BEB5.
A short walk outside leads to the Karuizawa Hoshino Area Harunire Terrace. Since the afternoon cafe at BEB5 Karuizawa only serves light meals, I think I'll have dinner at the restaurant inside.

Harunire Terrace is filled with sparkle. We visited during the Christmas season.
Christmas mistletoe illuminations. It is said that visiting here with a special someone will bring you good fortune.
Harunire Terrace is home to a variety of stores, including restaurants, cafes, a grocery shop, and a general goods store. There is a river flowing nearby, and you can see the water by descending the stairs leading from the property. The faint smell of water and the murmuring of the stream. Some people bring their pets, and the harmony between people, animals, and nature is a serene spot. It's fun just to stroll around here.




It was a little early for dinner, so I decided to get some supplies for tonight's drinks first. "CERCLE," located inside Harunire Terrace, is a restaurant, deli, and wine shop run by a sommelier and French chef.


Cercle's deli is convenient, yet perfect for those days when you want to indulge a little, or to add a touch of color to your table when entertaining. In addition to authentic dishes that incorporate Italian and other flavors into a French base, the wine booth stocks around 300 types of wine selected by the owner sommelier. Why not order some takeout food here and have a casual party in BEB's room?

There are also plenty of foods that make great souvenirs. It seemed like people who live nearby and even people who have vacation homes there also came to shop.


We checked out not only souvenirs for ourselves but also souvenirs for friends. In addition to the products shown in the photo, the lineup also includes Cercle Select olive oil, salt, vinegar, and jams. For those who enjoy cooking, high-quality spices would make a good souvenir.

By the way, the two sweet items we chose that day were these.

From left to right: Shinshu Hoshinomi Grape Shine Muscat, Karuizawa Uncider Semi-Sweet.
Curious about raisins? Curious about cider? This time, we had a sweet evening drink. (Enjoyed in the Yagura Room in BEB5.)
Have you ever tasted such luxurious and exquisite raisins before? No, you haven't.
"Shinshu Hoshinomi Grape Shine Muscat" comes in a box containing approximately one bunch of individually wrapped, additive-free Shine Muscat grapes. The packaging is said to be designed to resemble a wine bottle. "Karuizawa Uncidre Semi-Sweet" uses apples from Komoro, Shinshu, and I felt it had a stronger apple flavor than regular cider. Made using the traditional ancestral method, it is characterized by the natural sweetness of apples and soft bubbles. They also have a dry version, so I'd like to try that next time.

Well, it's almost dinner time, so let's continue in the second part. Click here for the second part.