La Foret HAKUBA

We stayed at La Foret Hakuba last month to ski Hakuba Valley, and the staff were really friendly. A few didn’t speak English, but Google Translate made communication manageable. The hotel has its own bus and schedule, which helps because it’s not close to the nightlife or main bus system. You can walk to tsugaike to catch the main bus, but I wouldn’t recommend it in winter because there isn’t much of a pedestrian trail. Arrange the hotel bus schedule with staff ahead of time, since phone conversations in English can be difficult. After skiing, the hotel’s onsen was lovely to relax in. The place isn’t fancy and could use an upgrade, but the price and friendly staff made up for that.

Had a great time doing snow activities.

Nice to see the stars.

At peak season, the stay includes hot springs and two meals, and costs under 10,000 yen before tax, which is a great price. Tsugaike Kogen Ski Resort is too far to walk to, but the hotel runs a shuttle. The meals are filling and I had no complaints. My room was warm, although the building itself felt cold, so bring an extra layer when stepping out. The bath was pleasantly hot, but the body soap and shampoo seemed weak or possibly watered down. It’s better to use the shampoo from your room.