Shikotsuko Daiichi Hotel Suizantei

We came for the ice festival, and there were plenty of people around during the day and evening, but it never felt overcrowded. Nearby, there are a few reasonably priced restaurants, a visitor centre about the area and local wildlife, and walking routes with benches and lookout spots. We saw deer wandering around too. Our room had a private onsen, with the shower beside it on a glass-enclosed balcony. You can open the balcony up for fresh air and sunset views over the lake. The one small issue was that the bath leaked into the room and left part of the floor damp. Dinner was served as a course, with extra beef or crab available to add. The dishes were explained and presented beautifully, and they sent us off with a snack to take away. Downstairs, the lounge had scheduled times for complimentary tea, coffee, and pastries, plus tea and coffee all day in the first-floor lounge. The bar opened at 9pm. The staff were attentive and helpful. I'd recommend it for a relaxing spa weekend.

This was our fourth visit, and it will probably be the last. The hotel's overall standard has slipped, which is a shame because we'd loved its quiet atmosphere and the attentive, thoughtful staff on earlier stays. We had booked a room with an open-air garden bath. I emailed ahead about food restrictions and got a reply, but at check-in they said they hadn't received the request. They did kindly make special arrangements after that. The outdoor bath itself was well maintained. The room, though, smelled noticeably mouldy, and the bathroom was very run down. The toilet had no seat cover, and the yukata jacket in the wardrobe smelled bad, as if it had only been sprayed with freshener instead of properly cleaned. Dinner was just average. Since I don't eat seafood, they arranged meat dishes for me, but the beef was disappointing. At over 800++ a night, I expected a lot better.

We got caught in traffic and arrived too late for dinner. Mr. Shiotani was so kind and arranged for a meal to be brought to our room. We really appreciated his help. The room was nice, the in-room onsen was great, and the snowy view was wonderful. Service here is good.

The view from the window was amazing, but the bar experience was awful. It was supposed to be open from 21:00 to midnight. I got there at 21:30 and waited 40 minutes with no bartender. I then went to the ryokan receptionist and politely asked, using Google Translate, if they could call someone. He waved me away and told me to go to the bar. I waited another 15 minutes, still with no one coming. I had a Japanese friend with me, so I went to get him from our room and asked him to speak to the receptionist. It turned out that the receptionist was also the bartender. By then it was 22:50. I asked for a drink and was told there were no drinks. When I kept asking, he said aggressively that he'd make some random cocktail and that would be it for the night. I insisted on the drink I wanted, and eventually got it. After that, he left the bar and didn't come back before midnight. In those three hours, I could only order one drink, and I still had to pay for it. I sensed some racial tension, though I'm not sure that's what was going on. The room cost more than 1000 euro, and given the service standards you normally expect in Japan, this treatment was surprising.