Mercure Urabandai Resort & Spa

Mercure Urabandai Resort & Spa is a comfortable, modern place, and the evening welcome drinks are a nice touch. I did miss having coffee in the guest room, though. There were tea packs, but nothing else. It would also be great if the lounge offered coffee or English tea in the morning for guests without breakfast arrangements.

The spacious areas were a plus, from the front of the property and dining room to our Japanese-style room with folded futons. There was also a lounge with free-flowing drinks and snacks. The onsen was nice, though the rotenburo felt a bit tepid to me. It's close to Nekoma, Inawashiro, and Granddeco resorts. I'd rather keep the good pricing than see superficial renovations push costs up and turn it into another Nagano. The dated parts didn't bother me, and I don't want to nitpick. We stayed four nights and five days, and the buffet was almost identical each day. Some staff were good, but others hurt the overall impression. Management should train staff to use common sense and be flexible when customer service calls for it. When I checked out, my wallet had fallen out of my bag into the cupboard and was hidden by the futons. Luckily, staff told my friend, who was still there. The hotel didn't try to contact me and planned to hand it to the police, which would have been extremely tedious. They wouldn't send it by takyubin because it contained cash. If they'd asked, I could have told them the cash was minimal and there was no need to declare it was a wallet in the package. They made zero effort to find a solution.

The restaurant had an impressive choice of food and drinks, and service there was attentive, though the dining area was crowded and bustling with so many guests. The onsen was a nice extra. Rooms were spacious, if perhaps not the newest, and the service staff were excellent. The location near local attractions makes this a very good base for tourists exploring the area. I'd recommend it to travelers coming here.

We loved the onsen, especially the outdoor bath, and there was delicious free Amazake in the onsen lounge after 8pm. The hotel is right across from the national park visitor center and Goshikinuma Ponds. We also used it as a base to drive to Jododaira and hike Mt Azuma Kofuji. English- and Mandarin-speaking staff were a big help. The breakfast buffet was amazing, with international dishes and local specialties. My favorite was the DIY Croque Monsieur. Drinks were unlimited from 3-6pm and 9-11pm, and the 5000 JPY buffet dinner also included unlimited drinks from a wide selection. This was our favorite resort of the whole trip. We'd go back just to stay here.