La Vista Akangawa Reviews

Astonishing beautiful boutique hotel with personable and professional staff and services!

The hotel with the best view of the whole Hokkaido. Waking up and finding wild animals in front of the window is priceless, as is doing private onsen from your room and being able to observe the flora and fauna from the window. We met this beautiful deer in front of our room who came to eat fresh herb and drink from the stream, letting herself be watched in peace and transmitted to us a huge peace and gratitude. Thank you La Vista!

This hotel definitely lives up to its hype on Xiaohongshu! The environment is absolutely stunning. We made the right choice not to opt for the two meals since we heard the food wasn't great. We even saw deer while soaking in the outdoor public onsen and right outside our room window in the morning! The only minor inconvenience was the short flight of stairs from the front desk lobby to the elevator on the first floor, which was a bit of a hassle with a rolling suitcase. Other than that, no complaints!

The hotel's scenery is absolutely breathtaking, truly worth all the travel effort. The outdoor hot spring views are simply magnificent. You'll even spot deer while dining and soaking in the onsen. My only real issue was that I found the Kaiseki cuisine difficult to get used to; it looks beautiful, but if you're not a big fan, you might want to bring your own snacks, especially considering the price. However, dining while watching deer roam in the snowy landscape during blue hour is definitely one of life's great pleasures. I was a bit apprehensive before coming because online reviews for this hotel were mixed, but I can honestly say you *must* visit during the snowy season – it's absolutely worth it.

February 2026, Eastern Hokkaido – The Life I Dream Of~ We arrived at Akan Lake Onsen Town around 3 PM via the White Bus. Since La Vista is a bit further out, the White Bus drops off guests staying there at the Akan Lake Bus Center, from where guests then take the hotel shuttle. Among our fellow passengers, some had pre-arranged a 3:30 PM shuttle via email with the hotel, but despite craning their necks, the shuttle was nowhere in sight. So I called them, and they said it would be there in 5 minutes. That basically confirmed it for me: the La Vista shuttle won't come unless you call them… because the hotel is only a 5-minute drive from the bus center. The small van was completely full, and even though the road was covered in ice and snow, the driver's skills were quick, accurate, and steady, getting us to the hotel swiftly. Check-in was a bit slow, but I wasn't in a rush. I took my time to admire the floor-to-ceiling windows and the view outside – a lake, trees, snow, and small animals, all quiet and beautiful. The lobby, though not large, was decorated warmly and comfortably. After 5 PM, they offer complimentary drinks and snacks here. Our room was spacious with an amazing view. Sitting quietly by the window, watching the snowflakes fall, I wished time would slow down even more. The atmosphere at La Vista is truly romantic~ The bathroom also offered direct views of the outside scenery. The room's facilities, layout, and amenities were all excellent, with comfortable colors and a novel, super spacious style. La Vista has three private onsen baths, no reservations needed – you can just enter if it's not occupied. The Free Lounge offers a variety of complimentary beverages. Perhaps it's because La Vista is a bit more secluded that it can create such a wonderful environment and ambiance. For those who haven't booked the buffet, make sure to stock up on food in advance, as it's pretty much wilderness around here. Aside from a slight complaint about the shuttle, I was very satisfied with the hotel's facilities and environment. If I have the chance, I'd love to spend 2-3 days here immersing myself in it – it would surely help me forget a lot of worries.

This hotel is truly a victim of deceptive photos on social media (Xiaohongshu). There might be one window that's good for pictures, but besides that, it's all downsides. The room is quite run-down, and the most frightening thing is how poor the cleanliness is. The private hot spring tub in our room was severely moldy, and there were even many long strands of someone else's hair stuck in the corners... The public bathhouse was also unbelievably bad, especially the three small private hot spring rooms, where the wooden floors and tubs were so dirty they were slippery. I've stayed at many ryokans (one-night, two-meal stays), and this one's restaurant setup is the laziest. For all four nights we stayed, the main course required guests to cook it themselves, and there was absolutely no ventilation for smoke in the restaurant, so we were smoked out and smelled like food every evening. Also, definitely do not choose the later dinner seating. The front-of-house staff is understaffed and disorganized. When we went in for the later seating, many tables still had leftover food and dishes that hadn't been cleared, and we ended up waiting for dishes and eating until nine or ten o'clock.

Best of the best! I didn’t wanna leave the hotel at all. The dinner was amazing and soo much food with free Sapporo beer as a complimentary! The bedroom view is magical and I love the onsen both in our room or the private one! Sooo amazing!!❤️❤️

Nice place which is 10mins away from main lake akan area. Kaiseki dinner and breakfast was very good. Room was large and had a great view right in front of the river.

Beautiful cute special place with little thoughtful touches of luxury. Would recommend to anyone

The location is pretty good, but there's not much to do in the Akan area, and it's heavily affected by the weather.

Nice hotel and nice view, will come bc to this hotel again.

This hotel maintains top-notch standards even in a small location. The room was surprisingly clean with exceptionally high ceilings, Netflix, and excellent soundproofing. Upholding JAL's sophisticated style, the restaurant host was a distinguished, handsome older gentleman in a suit. I initially wanted to give a perfect score, but we waited 15 minutes for breakfast on the first day, and an astounding *hour* on the second day! Moreover, the breakfast area was incredibly crowded, with narrow aisles and tiny tables where our elbows almost touched the next table – very uncomfortable. I hope the hotel can open up a larger space during breakfast hours, as waiting until after 9 AM to eat breakfast can really disrupt a traveler's daily plans.

The room is spacious and comfy. Facilities are average for onsen -- limited but sufficient supplies provided but would expect better standard given it's La Vista. The supplies and late night ramen are quite the same with the standard of Dormy Inn (the average priced brand within the same hotel chains).

Staff is nice and onsen is perfect in the room, private or public.