Double Black Hotel

The hotel itself was pretty good, but the people are what made the trip great. Yudai, Lucinda, and Ben in the bar and restaurant took good care of us, with a really positive vibe. Ben (No2) and Sam, our regular drivers and shuttle drivers, were legends, friendly and happy to chat or offer suggestions. I didn’t catch the reception staff’s names, but one woman covered shifts for seven straight days and was especially friendly and helpful. All of them turned a good trip into a great one. We met the owner too, and he seemed like a legend. If he reads this, he should make sure to look after this top-tier team.

Ally, Miaka, Lou, and Onome, along with drivers Jake, Ethan, Ben, and Sam, were fantastic. Their friendliness and effort were the best part of our stay and made a real difference. A lot of the extras cost more than we expected. Food, drinks, and additional transfers felt unreasonably expensive, and the food quality and especially the wait times didn’t match the prices. The kitchen often seemed overwhelmed and out of its depth. Private trips also felt expensive given how quiet it was. Slightly lower prices might encourage guests to explore more and make greater use of the staff while they’re on shift. The staff made the stay enjoyable, and without them we probably wouldn’t consider returning. Thanks for having us.

The staff were friendly and helpful with basic requests, especially the shuttle drivers. The hotel is a pleasant, easy nine-minute walk from Happo One’s business area, with beautiful views. We’d stayed in four other motels during our 20-day Japan holiday, and their service was exemplary, with professional, well-trained staff. We spent four nights at Double Black Hotel at the end of the trip, but we won’t be back, though we would return to the area. Access was difficult for me because I’d recently had a knee replacement. There’s no ramp, and stairs are the only way to reach the floors. Our room also had no fridge or basic coffee or tea-making facilities. Breakfast was a basic continental spread plus three fixed hot options. The eggs benedict were quite nice and freshly cooked, but the English breakfast seemed pre-prepared, often with cold bacon and cold scrambled eggs. The cooked tomato was always cold. On the third night, the heating failed because of a boiler problem. It was minus 9 outside, and the room was very cold by morning. Nobody told us until we asked about the heating. We got a space heater for the last night, but it had no safety guard and only took the chill off. The dining room was freezing at breakfast too, with staff and guests wearing puffer jackets. The problem was still unresolved when we checked out. Not ideal for a Japanese winter. We were told the boiler issue hadn’t happened before, but there were other clear maintenance problems. The floor beneath our heater was badly rotted, and I could easily have pushed a finger through it. It seemed to stem from a leaking pipe. We did online check-in, but still had to check in again at the hotel. The ladies’ Onsen was too brightly lit, and the windows exposed women to the outside, where people could probably see in. Other onsens we visited were dark and private. There’s a no-noise-after-10pm rule, but the staff staying on site didn’t seem trained or willing to enforce it. Loud, disrespectful neighbours woke us on two nights in a row. My husband told them to stop at 3:15AM. When we reported it, staff said the group of young men “would not be staying here again,” but let them stay that night despite the disruption to other paying guests. If there are no consequences, they’ll do it again. We were offered 30000yen ($300AUD) in compensation, but we wanted sleep, not money back. After we complained, the group was even louder the next day, with loud music, slamming doors, and repeated use of the “c” word. The walls were paper thin and not soundproofed. We raised their behaviour with staff a second time and got the same response. We were left to deal with the neighbours ourselves because staff either lacked the training or weren’t willing to manage the situation. Don’t expect a relaxing stay. PS. Please feel free to check Vanessa R’s TripAdvisor review posted on the 8th of February 2025, which noted “Inedible Food” and inexperienced staff.

The room had plenty of space and everything we needed, and the staff were always kind and ready to help. They drove us to the slopes each day, about five minutes away. We stayed for a week and really enjoyed it. The restaurant was quiet on most evenings and didn’t have much atmosphere, but the food was great.