Hotel Villa Hakuba

I had one of my worst hotel stays here. They advertise it as a luxury hotel, but on arrival it felt more like a hostel. There were few basic amenities, no safe for valuables, and just one room key for our group of six. Staff would try to help if pushed, but mostly seemed like junior staff who needed prompting for basic service. The front desk goes off duty after 7pm, so there’s no service then. The ski-in, ski-out access only works when the Sakka lift is open, depending on weather and snow levels. Otherwise, it’s a short drive to the nearest mountains. The place might be okay if you’re happy to arrange everything yourself, but I’ve stayed in hostels and Airbnb places that were much better.

The two-bedroom apartment worked well for our family holiday. It’s convenient for the Happo-One slopes, with modern, spacious rooms, a heated ski locker, washer and dryer, and food and drink options. It’s under a five-minute drive to Happo-One Gondola, 15 minutes to Tsugaike, and ski-in, ski-out if the Sakka Lift is open. It hadn’t opened when we visited. There’s a free shuttle to Happo-One Gondola if you don’t drive. Check-in was seamless, and the welcoming staff gave us helpful information about rentals, dining, and transport. Their hospitality was among the best we’ve had at Japanese ski resorts. Our room had a small kitchenette with a gas stove and microwave. The downside was having to share one toilet among four of us. Guests can use the heated ski locker room and washer and dryer, and breakfast is included at the connected "Rabbit Hole" restaurant and bar.

The reception staff were super helpful, real gems in an otherwise pretty “meh” place. The hotel is a bit tired and grubby, and had the feel of being mostly staffed by slightly hungover Australian seasonal workers. It’s close enough to the Sakka lift to be practically ski-in, ski-out, but it’s a 25-minute walk to Happo village and the bus depot. Breakfast is served at the Rabbit Hole bar, with solid Australian-style food like eggs on toast and good coffee. Just know that the Rabbit Hole downstairs is a lively music venue. The music usually stops around 9:30 to 10pm. If you want a peaceful night in or find thudding music in your room annoying, don’t book here. If you want to join the party at the bar, go for it.

The apartment was booked for six, but we only had five wine glasses and five forks for the whole stay. The location is great, but this was the filthiest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Public areas weren’t vacuumed, and bins in the public spaces and drying room overflowed for days. Our drying area was filled with other people’s returned rental ski gear for days, and the same was true for later arrivals. Used shoes and rubbish under the drying-room seats had been there six days. A review from two years ago described much the same problems, and apparently nothing had changed. That review said the room was comfortable and skiing access convenient, but little else was. Service was terrible, with the hotel run by 20-year-old Australians and no senior management. Staff seemed more interested in socializing with each other than helping guests. On arrival, the receptionist gave no information about the hotel or mountain and didn’t show where to leave ski gear. They couldn’t answer questions about the area. The room was supposedly cleaned daily, but they only changed towels and toilet paper, not even straightening the bed. Families should know the Rabbit Hole bass vibrates through the whole hotel until around 11pm. This definitely isn’t a luxury hotel as advertised.