Snow Elephant

Friendly staff, a cozy place and a handy base for skiing or snowboarding nearby. The resort is about a 15-minute walk away, and the shuttle stop is right by the hotel. There’s a ski and snowboard room, a place to dry clothes, and even a small dryer in the room. Breakfast was tasty, and coffee and tea were available all day in the kitchen. They offer free wifi and a smoking area on the terrace. At checkout, they offered us a free ride to the nearest bus stop, which was very useful with luggage. The soundproofing isn’t great, so you can hear people in other rooms. Our room was clean overall, though there were a few small spots and mold at the window. Hot water wasn’t available from 10 am to 3 pm in our case, but we were out then, so it wasn’t a problem for us.

We stayed five nights and would happily come back. The owners, a lovely couple, were very helpful. They gave us free rides to and from the bus station before check-in and after checkout, and arranged luggage forwarding, which was a big help since we don’t understand Japanese. They’re snowboard instructors, so ask them about lessons if you need one. They speak English and Mandarin. Our room was clean, heated and a good size for two. The large common room has water, tea, a TV and a massage chair, with space to relax, work or chat. Since we visited in February and the guests, owners and staff all love skiing or snowboarding, there was plenty to talk about, and we even went to an izakaya together. There’s a dry room for gear and snow clothes. Breakfast was huge, cooked when you arrive in the common room, and the dumplings for dinner were great.

The hosts were extremely kind and helpful, and the breakfasts kept us going all day. We took the free morning shuttle to ski Goryu, then at the end of the day followed a route through the forest and skied back to the front door. We had an excellent stay at Snow Elephant.

Snow elephant was clean, spacious and comfortable, and the hosts were lovely, kind and so helpful. Our group of six families with kids had a great time. We’ll definitely come back. It’s the best place we’ve stayed!