Maiko Kogen Hotel

The room was clean and roomy, the dinner buffet was delicious, and staying right at the ski resort was convenient. But I wouldn’t call it beginner or family friendly. There’s almost nowhere for a beginner to practice. The little practice spot is nearly flat, so it doesn’t help you feel safe trying the mountain. I paid for a beginner lesson despite never having tried skiing, and the instructor treated me like a child and made fun of me for struggling. I went to have fun, not to be made to feel useless. The timing around check-in and check-out was rough too. Our bus tour arrived at 8 am. We could leave our bags in a locker, but couldn’t get into the room until 3 pm. By 1 pm I was tired, and the lobby was full of other tired people trying to rest, so there was nowhere to sit comfortably for the remaining two hours. The next day we had to check out at 10 am, earlier than the 11 or 12 o’clock checkout common at many places. Our bus wasn’t leaving until after 3 pm, and again there was nowhere to rest. We missed the 3 pm bus because we mistook 3:30, shown on the schedule, for the departure time when it was actually the time it reached the stop. The bus times are posted at the entrance, which we hadn’t noticed. The paper schedule we asked for was hard to understand, especially as a foreigner who can’t read kanji. I wish the staff had simply pointed us to the times at the entrance. Luckily, one of the drivers kindly took us to the bus stop, and we’re very grateful. Without that help we might have missed the bus. I guess it could work well for young people who already ski or snowboard and don’t get tired.

We were a group of five, and a Shinkansen delay caused by an accident made us late. Shinkansen trains are very rarely eight minutes late in Japan, and this delay wasn’t our fault. I called the hotel twice to ask if they could make an exception, even just wait five extra minutes, but they wouldn’t compromise or help at all. Taking two taxis to the hotel would have cost half of our accommodation price. This was the worst service we’ve ever experienced. If you’re not Japanese, I wouldn’t visit. It felt like foreign tourists weren’t welcome.

We came during the summer holidays, so there were lots of families and kids around. The property sits at the base of a ski area with plenty of space to run around, which makes it a good choice for a family stay. Our room was clean and spacious, and it was nice to have smoke-free rooms, free parking, and free Wi-Fi. Both meals were buffet style, with typical fare for dinner and breakfast.

The free shuttle bus made the location convenient. It isn’t a cheap stay, but for what they offer I thought it was a pretty good deal. Ms. Angelica at the front desk was friendly, spoke great English, and helped us a lot. Thanks to her, we had a very good stay.