de L'ALPAGE
French auberge — warm, art-filled interiors, serious food, unhurried pacing. The feel is less 'resort' and more 'very good French house in the mountains'.
The hotel closes every Tuesday and Wednesday (excluding peak periods) and for all of February — confirm dates before booking
Why It Matters
One of the few hotels in Japan where the dining programme is genuinely the reason people visit. The on-site restaurant Le Jardin was led by Chef Keiji Azuma (who trained at Michelin-starred restaurants in France) and holds a Michelin listing. The property sits on grounds befitting its history as an imperial summer residence, and carries that sense of quiet remove.
Opened in March 2024 on the Tateshina highlands of Nagano, HÔTEL de L'ALPAGE is a 12-room French auberge that sits on the former site of an imperial family villa — and before that, the much-loved Hotel Heidi. Owner Hirosuke Tobe grew up in a Francophile household and made countless trips to France before building the property he actually wanted: not a grand luxury hotel, but something that feels like a very elegant French home. The lobby has double-height ceilings lit by a skylight, the walls are hung with paintings exactly as you'd find in a Parisian apartment, and every room has floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of Mt. Tateshina and the Yatsugatake range.
Where You'll Stay
4 room types available
Executive Room
Available on both the second and third floors at 61–64㎡, with noticeably different personalities depending on the floor. Second-floor rooms have 3-metre ceilings, tall vertical windows, and a balcony — designed after the proportions of a 19th-century Parisian mid-range apartment. Third-floor rooms have the sloped attic ceilings and roof windows typical of European mansard architecture — more intimate but equally charming. Room assignment within this category is not guaranteed. SOTHYS bath amenities. Carpeted floors with room slippers.
Hollywood Twin (2 semi-double beds) · 61 sqmJunior Suite Room
A 64㎡ second-floor room with an interesting split-level layout — the sleeping area and living area sit at different floor levels. The sofa faces a full 'picture window' that frames a wide panorama of the Tateshina landscape. The split-level design creates the sense of moving between spaces without physically walking into a separate room.
Hollywood Twin (2 semi-double beds) · 64 sqmSuite Room #21
A 107㎡ second-floor suite with a living room whose windows open in two directions across the Tateshina countryside. On fair weather days the balcony facing the garden is a genuinely nice spot. Interiors are warm-toned and elegantly furnished — the same Duvivier sofas and DUXIANA mattresses throughout the property.
Hollywood Twin (2 double beds) · 107 sqmSuite Room #31
The largest room in the house at 126㎡, located on the third floor. Separate living room and bedroom. Corner positioning means windows on two sides. The sloped mansard walls and angled roof windows look exactly like a Parisian apartment — in a very good way. The bathroom has a round Jackson-brand soaking tub large enough for two, twin basins in the powder area, and a dressing area. A terrace off the bathroom lets you step outside after a bath.
Hollywood Twin (2 double beds) · 126 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
2 venues on property
Restaurant
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Seasonal French-style afternoon tea served in Bar Le Rêve, featuring pâtissier-made sweets with seasonal fruits (strawberries in spring), plus savoury bites. Returned for the 2025 spring season from mid-March. Special lobby concert editions include live flute and piano.
Work with the in-house sommelier to navigate a collection of 2,000+ bottles directly imported from France, matched to your dinner course and personal taste.
The hotel provides trail information and guides for the Yokoya Valley hiking route, which passes Kirifuri Falls (known for high negative ion levels) and Otaki waterfall. Trail leads up to a scenic observatory deck. The route changes dramatically by season — frozen falls in winter, vivid autumn foliage, lush greenery in summer.
Lake Tateshina is approximately 12 minutes on foot from the hotel. A man-made lake completed in 1952, it reflects the Yatsugatake range on still evenings. A roadside station at the lake offers activities, day-use hot springs, and shops.
Occasional one-day lobby concerts. A live flute and piano performance was held in April 2025 as part of the Goûter de L'Alpage afternoon tea series.
Multiple ski resorts within 30–60 minutes' drive. Hotel has a dedicated dry room for ski gear, boots, and boards.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Adjacent to Bar Le Rêve — for post-dinner cigars with Cognac or French spirits.
Rare art and architecture books from owner's personal collection, housed in Bar Le Rêve.
Fireplace area near the hotel entrance — described as the 'winter garden'.
Lobby with double-height ceilings and a skylight roof. Thick walls and floor-to-ceiling arched windows.
French-household tradition of hanging paintings throughout — in corridors, rooms, and public spaces. Many are from owner Hirosuke Tobe's personal collection.
French skincare brand SOTHYS toiletries in guest bathrooms.
Swedish-made DUXIANA (DUX) mattresses in all guest rooms.
French sofa brand Duvivier furnishings in all guest rooms.
Bang & Olufsen speakers in every guest room.
Staff can provide local information including Suwa Taisha shrine details and area attractions.
Dedicated drying room for ski wear, skis, snowboards, and boots — useful given several ski resorts are 30–60 minutes away.
BUILD YOUR HOTEL DE L'ALPAGE PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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