Dog-Friendly Inn Hakuba Pension Alyeska

The included breakfast and dinner are very good, and the owners are people I really like, so I feel bad giving the pension a lower rating. Dogs are the focus here, and they do that part really well. The house’s age and condition are the problem. The windows rattle, the floors sag and creak, and the wallpaper is peeling. It feels worn out rather than pleasantly rustic. There’s a strong kerosene smell from the heaters in every room. The living room and baths are shared, the bedrooms are small, and the bathrooms are old. The bath itself... I’ll just say I was glad there are plenty of onsens nearby.

The rooms are cozy and reasonably priced, and this is a great place to stay with dogs in Hakuba. They’re on the small side, so I wouldn’t choose it for a long stay, but it works really well for a short trip.

I booked this pension because several websites advertised it as pet-friendly, and I’d stayed there with my pet the year before without any problem. When I arrived on the day of the reservation, I was told pets weren’t allowed. The owner had changed a year earlier, and the new owner no longer accepts pets. By then it was too late to cancel, so I lost my money and had to go home without staying. The owner showed me on a computer that the booking site said pets weren’t allowed, but I’d made the reservation on my phone, where that information wasn’t shown. The pension has let inaccurate information remain online for almost a year, which is extremely irresponsible. My long-awaited trip was ruined. Please be careful.

We checked in on August 15th. I have mobility issues, and the first concrete step up into the building was so high that it was difficult for me. My dog is 18, and getting inside and into the room was hard for him too. The stairs were steep with narrow risers, so he couldn’t manage them on his own. The room’s floor was slippery enough that I couldn’t walk comfortably, and I wish they’d put down vinyl flooring. The path to the bed was low, so I kept hitting my head, and the sofa was worn out. I understand that the price is low, but for a pet-friendly hotel, I wish they’d at least use vinyl flooring.