Donaludo Pension

We used the hotel as a base for driving to Jododaira to hike Mt Azuma Kofuji. It's right across from the national park visitor center and the Goshikinuma Ponds, and it ended up being our favorite resort of the whole trip. We'd return just to stay there. The breakfast buffet was amazing, mixing international dishes with local specialties. I especially liked making my own Croque Monsieur. There are fluent English and Mandarin Chinese speakers on staff, which was very helpful for international guests. The onsen was lovely, especially the outdoor bath, and there's free, delicious Amazake in the onsen lounge after 8pm. Drinks are unlimited from 3-6pm and 9-11pm. The buffet dinner costs 5000 JPY and includes unlimited drinks from a wide selection.

We've stayed at several Mercure hotels before, but this one was a real disappointment. Check-in staff were friendly, yet the process was frustrating. We got there at 2:30 p.m. and completed check-in, but although the room was ready, we couldn't have the key until exactly 3:00. Instead, we waited with other guests in a room, each of us called one by one at 3:00 to pick up a key. It felt unnecessary and unprofessional, more like a school procedure than a hotel welcome. The rooms are about 40 years old and haven't been modernized. For an older property, management could make up for that with better service and some flexibility. Letting people into ready rooms half an hour early would make a world of difference. They should rethink their approach to hospitality, and Accor should consider whether this hotel still meets Mercure standards.

Mercure Urabandai Resort & Spa is a comfortable, nice property for this area. It's very modern and offers pleasant services, including evening welcome drinks. I missed having coffee in the guest room, though. There were tea packets but nothing else. For people staying without breakfast, coffee or English tea in the lounge in the morning would be great.

Great applause from Taiwan! I loved it. The hot springs were awesome, the rooms were big, and the lounge was generous with two time slots. They even offer quick snowboard waxing, which was really helpful. Best hotel I've ever stayed at, a great place!