Crowne Plaza Resort Appi Kogen by IHG

We were very disappointed with IHG and Appi Kogen. We had prepaid for December 10-15, 2025, but after around four tremors in 24 hours from earthquakes in the Aomori region, we wanted to leave because we were frightened and anxious. The shaking and swaying were noticeable on our higher floor. Our phones issued an earthquake warning, so we took the stairs to evacuate. They led to staff quarters in the basement, though, and the emergency exit there was locked and bolted shut. We were trapped in that area. After that, we didn't feel safe. There also seemed to be no easy way out in a fire, so I believe the stairwell and locked exit should be checked and reported to the authorities. I raised the safety issue with IHG, but they did not respond to my concerns. I want this recorded in case an incident happens and needs to be reported. The hotel and IHG would not refund the nights we hadn't used, or offer hotel credit as a goodwill gesture. Our Airbnb provider and even the ski rental company refunded unused stays and amounts when we shortened the trip because of the earthquakes. It's unbelievable that a large, highly profitable chain like IHG showed less compassion and understanding than those smaller businesses.

We won't look for a room here next time. The hotel is old, with dated furniture and awful beds, and the heat couldn't be turned off. Our room stayed at 26C overnight. Service felt very average for Japan. When we arrived with a lot of suitcases, the male bell person was just standing at his desk and made no move to help. Most of the non-Japanese staff seemed uninterested and unsure what service work involves. The breakfast restaurant staff, on the other hand, were professional and proper. With no other restaurants nearby except at the Intercontinental, guests are pretty much stuck with the hotel's very expensive dining. We had Teppanyaki, which was good but nothing exceptional, and paid JPY 40,000 for two. This didn't feel like a four-star hotel to us.

Our stay was prepaid for December 10-15, 2025, but in one 24-hour stretch we felt around four earthquake tremors from the Aomori region. On a higher floor the building shook and swayed enough to cause real fear and anxiety. An alert came through on our phones, and we evacuated by the stairs. Those stairs ended in the staff basement, where the emergency exit was bolted and locked, leaving us effectively trapped in the staff quarters. We no longer felt safe there. If there were a fire or a stronger earthquake, the exit route seems unclear and inaccessible. That stairwell leading to a locked exit is a serious safety concern that should be inspected and brought to the relevant authorities. I told IHG about it directly, but got no meaningful response or acknowledgment. I want the issue documented so it can be reported if something happens. Despite the circumstances, IHG and the hotel refused to refund the unused nights. They also turned down my request for hotel credit as a goodwill gesture. Our Airbnb host and even the ski rental company were understanding and refunded the unused parts of our bookings when we cut the trip short because of the earthquakes. It's shocking that a large chain like IHG, with its resources and profits, showed less empathy and flexibility than those small businesses.

Appi is a great mountain for skiing and snowboarding, but our family's five-day stay at the Crowne Plaza left us feeling that the hotel doesn't care much about guests. My wife and I visited in 2025 and enjoyed it enough to return in 2026 with our three kids. This time, two things around the hotel's facilities and rigid service were a major letdown. Our family room was on the seventh floor and came with just one ski locker. We had to cram in five snowboard sets and five pairs of boots. We asked whether we could rent another locker, since there were tens, perhaps over a hundred, sitting unused throughout our stay. Staff gave us a firm no, with no alternative or thought for the inconvenience to a family with three kids. Signs barred ski gear and boots from the rooms, and other signs said not to leave skis or boards on the wooden racks overnight. So that one locker was our only option, despite all the empty ones around. At check-in we also asked for a couple of extra key cards, so our teenage kids could return to the room on their own if they finished the day early. Again, the answer was a curt no, with a policy limit of two cards per room and no consideration for what our family needed. At checkout I politely asked to speak with a manager or someone who could hear feedback. The front desk told me to put it in the hotel questionnaire or on the website. There were smaller frustrations too. We arrived before check-in and asked the concierge to hold our luggage until the room was ready. They said no and sent us to the basement ski locker cloak room to ask its staff instead. That seemed odd, because during those five days we saw other arriving and departing guests get luggage storage help from the concierge without any apparent trouble. The seventh-floor family loft was okay, and the room and bathroom facilities worked, though they were clearly outdated. The clean mattress and pillow were uncomfortable. Breakfast was the same as on our 2025 visit, an average buffet with standard fare and nothing to look forward to.