Salji

We spent eight days here at the start of March, during the ski shoulder season, and had a lovely time. We’d definitely return. A few notes for anyone considering it: There are five en-suite rooms. Four take up the whole ground floor, and the first floor has most of the shared living space. There are two kitchens, two washing machines, and two living areas, so the property is bigger than it looks. Every room sleeps at least two. One is a much larger master bedroom with lots of wardrobe space. The two entry areas, front and back, are useful for hanging ski gear and drying it, with portable dryers you can switch on. The place is clean, modern, and new. Underfloor heating was great, and the living room’s large double-glazed windows look out over the snow and surrounding area. The dining space is huge and has a WeWork-like feel, which worked well for remote work on rest days. The toilets are high-spec Toto models, and the standing showers are modern and new. Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are provided. The kitchens are well stocked with cooking utensils, cups, plates, and cutlery, plus a toaster, kettle, drip coffee machine, and mini grill. There’s also a regular stove and exhaust, a microwave oven, dishwasher, and a giant fridge-freezer. No food or leftover basics like salt, pepper, or sugar are supplied, presumably for hygiene, so bring your own coffee or whatever else you’d like. It’s in Echoland, a short walk from shops and restaurants, and close to a bus stop for the ski resorts. I still recommend renting a car for grocery trips to Aeon and the flexibility to come and go from the resorts. Oak Forest Hotel has an onsen about a five-minute walk away. It has indoor and outdoor baths, is clean and nice, and costs JPY 600 per visit, less than the other onsens we tried. Bring a towel to avoid the rental fee. That was our go-to onsen during the stay. The location is also central for the main resorts: Happo One is a 12-minute drive, Hakuba 47 is 10 minutes, and popular restaurants and ski shops are within 10 minutes or less. Aeon Big supermarket is a six-minute drive.