Hakuba Inn Bloom - Vacation STAY 95727

We had a car, though the shuttle bus was also within walking distance. The place was spacious and really nice, especially by Japan standards. Neighbours and staff were friendly and helpful, and the location was close to food options and ski resorts.

The apartments feel like a home away from home in the mountains, with private rooms. There’s a drying room, drying machines, free parking, and a free shuttle for check-in and check-out. Hotel guests get a discount for the pool and billiards room on the first floor, and there are traditional Japanese "Raden" craft classes. Jasmine cafe is also on the first floor, open from 10am, with a range of great take-away or delivery food from 3pm. Staff were super friendly and helpful with questions about the area. Multiple bus stops just outside or nearby make it easy to reach different ski slopes. Echoland’s restaurants, cafes and nightlife are a 10-15 minute walk away. There’s also a discount at a local rental company.

We stayed in January during high season. I’ve only been to a few ski places in Europe, so I can’t compare with other Japanese venues. The location is handy for public transport, and restaurants, cafes and ski hire places are a short walk away. The room had a hob, kettle, microwave, toaster/grill, cutlery and other basics, so you can eat in to save money. Beds were fine with a nice fluffy duvet. The shower and bath were powerfully hot, and the toilet seat was heated. There’s a bar and takeaway restaurant in the apartment, and free transfers to and from the bus station, though we had to ask for ours. The downsides: we paid about $800AUD a night and expected a more modern fit-out. Things feel old, and a few areas were a little dusty. We got just one small, thin towel each, though I assume we could have asked for more. For a place that sleeps five, there was only one two-seater sofa and the dining chairs felt a bit rickety. There’s no lift to the fourth-floor apartment, but we knew that when booking.

We loved our stay in this roomy apartment right in central Hakuba. It worked perfectly for a family ski trip, with the resorts easy to reach on the free shuttle buses nearby. Goyru bus is a 3-minute walk and Happo One is 8 minutes away on foot. The staff were friendly and even picked us up from and dropped us off at Hakuba station.