Urabandai Lake Resort

I had a blast here. The double room was spacious, and the breakfast views were great. Loved the outdoor onsen, the ice cream at the dinner buffet, the electric piano, and the pool table. There's coin-operated laundry too. I loved everything about this place!

We spent four nights here in autumn and loved it. The hotel was comfortable and better than we expected, with a gorgeous Lake Hibara view from our room. The public onsen was enjoyable. A private onsen is available to book for a fee, but we had stayed somewhere with free private onsens before this and didn't feel the need to pay. Instead, we chose quieter times at the public baths, early morning and early afternoon. The outdoor onsens were closed for most of our stay because of bear sightings, which was a real shame since we'd been looking forward to the view. Luckily, they opened on our last day. The Five Ponds Walk starts at the hotel and ends in the tourist area, where there's a delicious restaurant. We drove to the other end to park, had a yummy brunch since we eat only two meals a day, then walked back to the hotel. It was an easy, leisurely route with lots of photo opportunities. Walkers are encouraged to wear bells to deter bears, but we played bell music and sounds on Spotify instead. It was beautiful, and we even saw large kois in one of the ponds. After reaching the hotel, we walked back along the trail to collect our car. You can rent a small boat on the lake or take the larger ferry. It's a lovely area for relaxing and enjoying nature. We drove to Inawashiro for dinner, where there were plenty of options, and found a few good restaurants in the area for lunch or brunch, since some only open at lunchtime. Would love to return!

The bar has darts and billiards, and there are plenty of places for guests to sit and chat. The resort has lots of facilities, and dinner is plentiful with a different menu each day. It's very close to the ski resort, just a short flight away.

Cozy, comfortable interior, and near three different ski resorts, from beginner slopes to advanced ones. The heating just wasn't as strong as in the other hotels I've stayed at last winter.