Stay at Grand Phenix: Enjoy the Seasonal Beauty & Natural Splendor of Japan

Known for its wild landscapes and natural beauty, Nagano is a region where you can escape the hustle and stress of the cities and get back to nature – and Hotel Grand Phenix is the ideal place to do just that. Located deep within the beautiful surroundings of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, Grand Phenix provides access to a beautiful landscape of alpine valleys, mixed forests and multiple mountain peaks populated by a diverse range of wildlife and plants.

Hotel Grand Phenix Okushiga offers guests premium accommodation in the heart of the national park from where you can explore the beauty of the landscape through all seasons of the year. Whether you are an avid mountain hiker, keen nature photographer, skier, snowboarder or simply looking to enjoy one of Japan’s premier national parks in the comfort of high-end accommodation, Hotel Grand Phenix offers unrivaled convenience, service and setting to experience the natural splendor of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park.

Nestled within the expansive national park – the fourth largest park in Japan – the hotel also sits within the smaller designation of the Shiga Kogen Highlands Biosphere Reserve – a landscape recognised by UNESCO for its ecological importance and conservation principles that promote biodiversity and sustainable use.

Approximately 70 marshes, lakes and ponds are scattered through the highlands with secondary forests, bamboo groves and rare alpine flowers and plants creating an ecologically – and truly beautiful – landscape to explore. The highlands are also home to many species of unique fauna including Japanese macaques, serow and other species of deer, black beers, stoats, and more than sixty bird species.

By staying at Hotel Grand Phenix, access have immediate access to a landscape recognised and protected at both national and international levels. The varied highland landscapes offer visitors the chance to breathe and experience in the changing seasons of Japan. From the pristine white, heavy snow of winter, to the mountain flowers of spring and summer, and changing leaves – colored red, yellow, gold and brown – in autumn, Shiga Kogen has long been popular for Japanese wanting to wander through, photograph, and spend time in one of Japan’s most beautiful and important alpine landscapes.

For guests driving themselves, following the Kusatsu Shirane Kogen Route – open from late-spring until autumn – is an ideal way to enjoy the beauty of the region and highlights including Mt Kusatsu-Shirane – an active volcano said to hold the world’s most acidic lake within its caldera. Don’t let that somewhat fearsome reputation put you off! The area is blessed with outstanding hiking trails and a fertile landscape making it a perfect stop-off for a day’s walking before continuing your journey.

Running from the famous hot spring town of Kusatsu Onsen to the Jigokudani Monkey Park, visitors can enjoy the drive and park over multiple days by staying at Grand Phenix.

The route is closed through winter but of course, once the snow starts falling it’s all about skiing and snowboarding as the hotel provides ski in-out access to the Okushiga ski fields of Japan’s largest ski resort, Shiga Kogen. From the early season snow until the beautiful fresh snows of spring – and everything in between – winter visitors to Hotel Grand Phenix are blessed with some of Japan’s best powder and Nagano’s longest season. The resort’s altitude and reliability of snow make it a particularly enticing destination for visitors wanting to experience a white Christmas.

On both December 24th and 25th, the hotel provides Christmas activities including a concert on Christmas Day – a truly magical time to visit! While the snowfall on any one day can never be guaranteed, Shiga Kogen offers your best chance in Nagano of experiencing the delight of a white Christmas in the warmth and comfort of the ski resort’s premier hotel