Nakanohara Ginrei

Pretty good.

The first person to use the bath should turn on the shower ahead of time since the water takes a while to warm up. Aside from that, I enjoyed my stay during my Shimane trip at the start of Golden Week. The hotel sits inside the ski resort, with lovely views and fresh air. Meals were generous and tasty, especially the rice. They also offer free coffee, which I think comes from the same machine used on Kintetsu express trains. It was delicious.

The slopes are right outside, which made it easy to make the most of my first two-day, one-night snowboarding trip. I arrived at 10:30 in the morning, dropped my bags in the room, and headed straight out. The next day I could ski as soon as the lifts opened at 7:30, so I was really happy with that. Dinner was Daisen chicken hotpot, and they even made rice porridge for me. Breakfast was tasty too, with a Japanese-style feel. The shared bathroom and bath took some getting used to, though. Still, the staff were kind and I came away with a great memory.

I come here in winter, mainly because it's so close to the slopes. The shuttle is useful, the building feels comfortable throughout, and my friends love the place too. It's got a warm, family-like feel, and the meals hit the spot after a workout.