“The food at dog-friendly places is always a bit underwhelming, isn’t it?” — we found somewhere in Kyu-Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, that completely overturned that assumption.
We stayed at Le Chien Kyu-Karuizawa (Kyoritsu Resort) with our child and our dog. The room came with a jacuzzi and a private dog run, there are private-rental baths, and on top of that the food is delicious. The husband scored it 4, the wife 3.5 — overall a highly satisfying stay.
In this article we give as realistic an account as we can of the good and the not-so-good, from the point of view of travelling with both a child and a dog. There is important advice in particular about choosing your room type and what to watch out for with a baby that we would like anyone travelling with children to read.
What kind of place is Le Chien Kyu-Karuizawa?
Le Chien Kyu-Karuizawa is a resort hotel where pets are welcome in every room, located in the Kyu-Karuizawa area of Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture. It is run by the Kyoritsu Resort group. “Le Chien” is French for “dog”, and true to the name, the facility is designed around travelling with your dog in a thoroughgoing way.
At 50 rooms it is a manageable size, and you can choose from several room types including ones with a front garden, ones with a balcony, and separate types where the rooms are divided. There is a dog salon and an outdoor dog run on site, and you can bring your dog into the restaurant.
The basics
- Property name: Le Chien Kyu-Karuizawa (Kyoritsu Resort)
- Location: Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture (the Kyu-Karuizawa area)
- Rooms: 50 in total (pets welcome in every room)
- Hot spring: natural hot spring, communal bath, sauna
- Private-rental baths: two (the natural hot spring “Nagomi-no-yu” and the sparkling bath “Kaori-no-yu”); no booking needed, free of charge
- Dog runs: an outdoor dog run (approx. 40 m², bark chips) plus a dog run attached to each room
- Also: dog salon, photo booth, dog-friendly restaurant
Getting there, and the Kyu-Karuizawa setting
It is about 15 minutes on foot from Karuizawa Station. It sits in the green, natural part of Kyu-Karuizawa, with leafy walking paths and Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza Street nearby. From Tokyo it is about an hour and ten minutes on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, so access from the city is excellent.
By car it is about 25 minutes from the Usui-Karuizawa interchange on the Joshin-etsu Expressway. There is parking on site, so that side is straightforward. The standard plan is to enjoy the Karuizawa outlet mall or a wander around Kyu-Karuizawa before check-in, then head over.
The room: the jacuzzi plus private dog run is superb
* The photo above is not the room we actually stayed in.
The room we stayed in was the type with an indoor jacuzzi and a private dog run. Those two things together were the backbone of this stay.
The indoor jacuzzi
The sensation of bubbles wrapping around you is a different kind of pleasure from either the communal bath or the private-rental bath, and it gently loosens a tired body.
What was especially good was how easy it makes bathing with a child. In a communal bath you have to think about the other guests and worry about whether your child is going to run around; with the jacuzzi in your own room, none of that applies.
The private dog run
The dog run attached to the room is big enough for a small dog to get a decent run around, which was excellent.
Our dog is very shy around other dogs, and in a shared dog run there is always a risk of contact with them. Barking, or conversely shrinking into a corner out of fear — worrying about that had been a source of stress on previous trips.
With a private dog run the space is entirely your own, so there is no need to think about other dogs at all.
Our dog ran around happily, and we could watch without any anxiety. An environment where the dog can relax and be themselves while travelling is a genuinely welcome thing as an owner.
The private-rental baths: free to use, but not available before your child is out of nappies
There are two private-rental baths on site (the natural hot spring “Nagomi-no-yu” and the sparkling bath “Kaori-no-yu”), free to use without booking. You simply go in when one is free, and a lamp on the board in front of the post-bath lounge shows whether they are occupied.
However, there is a restriction anyone travelling with a baby should check first. According to the FAQ on the official website, children who are not yet out of nappies may not use either the communal bath or the private-rental baths. It is safer not to assume “there are private-rental baths, so we can get in the hot spring with the baby”. We did not use the private-rental baths on this trip.
With a child who is out of nappies, being able to use them free and without booking, with no need to worry about other guests in the communal bath, is a big advantage. Conversely, if you are going while your child is still in nappies, the in-room jacuzzi becomes the realistic bathing option (facilities differ by room type, so check when you book). Note also that neither the communal bath nor the private-rental baths provide towels, so you need to bring them from your room.
Hot spring and sauna (husband’s score: ★☆☆☆☆ 1.5)
The communal bath is a natural hot spring with an indoor bath, an outdoor bath and a sauna. The indoor bath is on the cooler side, at a temperature you can sit in for a good while.
That said, the sauna-loving husband’s score was a harsh 1.5. The reason is clear: the communal bath and the sauna are simply small. That may be proportionate for a 50-room hotel, but for anyone choosing a property for its baths and sauna, it falls well short.
On top of that, we could not find a cold bath to use after the sauna (the facilities list on the official website mentions only the communal bath and the sauna, with no cold bath). If you go expecting the sauna → cold bath → cooling off sequence, you will be caught out here.
It is true that having the in-room jacuzzi, the private-rental baths and the communal bath gives you plenty of bathing options in three tiers. But our conclusion was that this is not a property you choose for the hot spring and sauna.
The food: good enough to overturn what you expect of a dog-friendly property
The biggest surprise of this stay was the quality of the food.
To be honest, we had a preconception about dog-friendly properties: “the pets come first and the food is so-so”. We had had exactly that experience on several previous trips with the dog. Le Chien Kyu-Karuizawa overturned it completely.
Dinner: a course menu you spend two hours over
Dinner is a course menu, with so many dishes that extra ones not listed on the menu keep arriving. Before we knew it two hours had passed — there was ample time to enjoy the food. The dishes make good use of produce from around Karuizawa and are beautifully presented; every plate was a pleasure to look at as well as to eat.
Being able to bring your dog into the restaurant is another big plus. With the dog beside you during the meal, you do not have to eat while wondering whether it is all right to have left them in the room.
Breakfast: a well-stocked buffet
Breakfast is a buffet with a wide range of dishes — and every one of them is properly good.
From a dog owner’s point of view: the private dog run is the deciding factor
- Private dog run attached to the room: reassuring even for a dog who is shy around others. They can run flat out without worrying about other dogs
- Outdoor dog run (shared): approx. 40 m² laid with bark chips, a surface that is kind to paws
- Dogs allowed in the restaurant: the reassurance of having your dog beside you at mealtimes
Given that the property’s name is French for “dog”, the whole place conveys an attitude of having been designed with travelling with dogs seriously in mind.
From a parent’s point of view: four things worth knowing
1. Until your child is out of nappies, neither the communal bath nor the private-rental baths are available
This is the biggest restriction for anyone with a baby. The FAQ on the official website states explicitly that children who are not yet out of nappies are asked to refrain from using the communal bath and the private-rental baths. If you are choosing it as a hot-spring property, assume that the in-room jacuzzi is the only place you can bathe with your baby.
2. You can borrow a bed rail — but with a caveat
To stop a baby falling out of bed, the front desk will lend you a bed rail on request. That is a very welcome arrangement when you have a baby.
There is one caveat, though. The rail can only be fitted on one side, so the side that is not against the wall is left unguarded. If you can borrow two, fitting one on each side is more reassuring. Ask the front desk whether two are available when you book or on arrival.
3. The carpeted floor — the difficulty of a dog and a baby coexisting
The room having a carpeted floor was a slight concern for a household bringing both a child and a dog.
As long as there is a dog, the risk of an accident is not zero. Once something soaks into carpet it cannot be removed completely, and we hesitated a little to let a baby crawl on it. There was an instinctive reluctance to simply put the baby down on the floor to play in a space where a dog lives.
Bringing a picnic sheet or a baby play mat lets you lay it over the carpet and secure a clean area. If you are planning to bring a dog and a baby together, we strongly recommend packing one.
4. Your choice of room type decides how satisfying the stay is
The room we stayed in this time was a studio type, with the living area and bedroom not separated. After settling the child to sleep, the adults were still in the same space, so noise and lighting easily disturbed the child, and we could not properly enjoy time to ourselves.
If you are staying with a child or a baby, we strongly recommend a separate type where the bedroom and living area are divided. Being able to relax in another room after the child is asleep translates directly into how satisfying the trip is. Do check the type carefully when booking.
The travel-loving wife’s score (★★★★☆ 3.5)
The wife’s overall score is 3.5 — an honest verdict with a fair mix of good points and reservations.
What she rated highly was the quality of the food and the walking country that only Karuizawa offers. A morning walk with the dog through the trees of Kyu-Karuizawa was a luxury you simply cannot get in daily life. On “the food is good and the walks are enjoyable”, she felt it came close to the ideal of travelling with a dog.
Three things pulled the score down.
The studio-type room made it hard for the adults to relax after the child was asleep
The carpeted floor made it difficult to let the baby crawl
And the bed rail only covered one side, so both sides could not be guarded
That said, all three are things you can check or plan around next time, so we think they would be solved on a repeat visit.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Cot / baby bed | Not available. The guidance is to co-sleep with an adult |
| Co-sleeping and child rates | Free for ages 0–2 / from age 3 a facility fee of 2,200 yen (incl. tax) / primary school children 70% of the adult rate. Meals for preschoolers: ask the property |
| Baby food | Not served. You need to bring your own |
| Baby items for loan | Bed rail available (as described in this article, it can only be fitted on one side) |
| Children in the baths | Children who are not yet out of nappies may not use the communal bath or the private-rental baths |
| Kids’ space | Not stated on the official website (ask the property) |
| Dogs | Welcome in every room. Outdoor dog run plus a dog run at each room, and dogs are allowed in the restaurant. Crates (hard crate / pen) and buggies available to borrow. They cannot look after your dog while you go out |
* Confirmed on 26 July 2026 on the official website of Le Chien Kyu-Karuizawa (FAQ) (Japanese). Facilities and rates are subject to change, so please always check the official website for the latest information before booking.
Summary of what was good and what gave us pause
| Category | Good | Gave us pause |
|---|---|---|
| Travelling with a dog | Private dog run is excellent; dogs allowed at mealtimes | Nothing in particular |
| Travelling with a child or baby | In-room jacuzzi; bed rail available to borrow | No communal or private-rental bath until out of nappies; carpeted floor makes you hesitate about crawling; rail on one side only; a studio room is hard once the child is asleep |
| Hot spring and sauna | Plenty of bathing options between natural hot spring, private-rental baths and jacuzzi | Communal bath and sauna are small; no cold bath to be found |
| Food | Dinner course has a wide range; breakfast buffet is well stocked | Nothing in particular |
| Location | The walking routes around Kyu-Karuizawa are superb | Nothing in particular |
Our rating (out of 5)
At Kozure Tabi we score every property we have actually stayed at on the same five criteria, each out of 5. To keep the standard consistent from one property to the next, we always use the same five: travelling with kids, travelling with dogs, bath and sauna, food, and value. The overall score is the average of the applicable criteria. Criteria that do not apply are marked "Not applicable" and excluded from the overall score.
Facilities check for children and dogs
Here are the items we end up asking about every single time we choose a property with a child or a dog. The figures and yes/no answers are based on what is stated on the official website.
Packing checklist for travelling with a child or baby
- A picnic sheet or play mat: lay it over the carpet to secure a clean play area
- Bed rails (two ideally): one can be borrowed, so bring your own or check about a second if you want both sides guarded
- A baby monitor: the rooms are large, so it is reassuring when the child is sleeping in a separate room
- Children’s slippers: to keep feet clean on the carpet
A guide to choosing your room type
- With a baby or small child: a separate type is essential. Check on arrival whether you can borrow two bed rails
- With a dog who is shy around other dogs: choose a type with a private dog run
- Couples only: any type will be satisfying
- If the sauna matters: the sauna is supplementary in size. Better to enjoy it in combination with the jacuzzi and private-rental baths
Summary: a property that changes what travelling with a dog can be; with children, preparation and room choice are the key
Le Chien Kyu-Karuizawa is, for travelling with a dog, unquestionably top class. The private dog run, the well-stocked amenities, a restaurant you can bring your dog into, and food good enough that the qualifier “for a dog-friendly place” is unnecessary — all of it is at a high level.
For travelling with a child or baby, it is perfectly satisfying as long as you get your preparation and your room type right. The carpeted floor and the bed rail can be handled with a play mat and a phone call in advance, and choosing a separate type secures adult time after the child is asleep.
If you think travelling with a dog involves a lot of compromise, Le Chien Kyu-Karuizawa is the place that changes that assumption. Go prepared and everyone — the dog included — should come home smiling.
