Dog-Friendly Hotels in Karuizawa: A Visit to Eau Sol Vert Karuizawa Club
Karuizawa has no shortage of dog-friendly hotels. However, places actually built around time spent with your dog are much rarer. We visited Eau Sol Vert Karuizawa Club this spring to experience the difference.
The club sits down a winding forest road, about 15 minutes by car from Nakakaruizawa and 30 minutes from Karuizawa Station. The property has thirteen hotel rooms, six of them dog-friendly, set across a full resort with an 18-hole course and Mt. Asama visible in the distance. We were shown around by Kosuke Inaji, the club's president, who has been building the property since acquiring it in 2021.
A place built around time with your dog
The dog run opened about a year ago, though the hotel's welcoming approach to dogs predates it. Dogs have always been able to ride along the course by golf cart since the club opened, but this year introduced a two-seat cart that gives both owner and dog their own seat, so you can spend your round of golf fully together.
The dog run itself came about in response to growing demand from hotel guests. It's now open to day visitors as well, not just overnight guests, and comes equipped with a barbecue area, so it can also be booked out for private events.
Next to the dog run is a small café and shop in collaboration with PEANUTS. The terrace has an outdoor space where owners and dogs can relax together.
A dog-friendly stay together
Plenty of hotels call themselves pet-friendly, but in practice the space where you can actually spend time with your dog is often limited. At Eau Sol Vert Karuizawa Club, that space opens up notably.
The clubhouse restaurant has terrace seating where dogs are welcome, and throughout the hotel you're free to walk around with your dog on a lead. If you'd like to book the dog run exclusively, reservations open a month in advance.
Eau Sol Vert Karuizawa Club is a members' club, but the residence hotel is open to general guests too, for both overnight stays and day visits. Six of the 13 rooms allow dogs to stay. According to Inaji-san, these rooms tend to book out faster than the standard ones.
Rooms that allow dogs accommodate up to two. Some are two-bedroom units with a loft, giving families or larger groups more room to spread out. Every dog-friendly room comes with its own private dog run, and the interiors have been fully renovated; the feel is like staying at a private villa.
All rooms are at least 48 square metres. Rates vary considerably by season, so it's worth checking Eau Sol Vert's official website for current availability and pricing.
The PEANUTS collaboration extends through the property too. The golf course includes two Snoopy-themed holes and breakfast features a Snoopy-inspired menu.
The essentials
Dog run fees: ¥1,500 per hour for the first dog (¥1,000 per hour for each additional dog), with a ¥3,000 daily maximum. Private bookings are available and walk-ins on the day are generally welcome.
Book the hotel through the official website. Dog-friendly rooms fill up especially quickly in summer and autumn, so it's worth booking well ahead.
Terrace seating at the restaurant is limited, so reserving in advance is recommended. It's open to non-guests as well.
A car is needed to reach the club, though a shuttle service from Karuizawa Station is also available.
Everyone’s Karuizawa
We visited Eau Sol Vert Karuizawa Club to see for ourselves just how far their consideration for dogs really went. Spending time there, it was clear this thinking runs through the whole property. Whether golfing, eating outdoors, playing in the dog run, or walking through the forest, your dog is always right there with you.
More and more people in Karuizawa are living with dogs and travelling with them. Eau Sol Vert Karuizawa Club is a place that recognised this early and built a resort around it.
