Hotel Kokusai 21 Nagano

The free shuttle between the hotel and Nagano station is really convenient. It’s dated, but clean and comfortable, and fine for a night or two. Food and convenience stores aren’t very close by.

There aren’t any convenience stores nearby, and walking back at night felt pretty discouraging. The hotel is clean, as most hotels in Japan are, but the pajamas or bath clothes, wallpaper, and curtains could all use an update. It looked much better in the photos. I got the impression older guests might appreciate it more.

The room was spacious and had great views, and the free shuttle was a nice bonus. But the place feels like it hasn’t changed much since the 1980s. It may have been where athletes stayed during the Winter Olympics then, and the decor still has that dated eighties feel.

We used the hotel as a base for skiing in Hakuba Valley. It’s not central, but the shuttle makes getting around easy, and we had a rental car too. The 50-minute drive was worthwhile for the better accommodation at a much lower price, plus more to do in Nagano on non-ski days. Our twin room was spacious, comfortable, and well equipped, and we enjoyed all five nights. The service was excellent, as we expected at this level. Breakfast was very good, with a wide selection of tasty dishes, though most weren’t Western style. Very good value overall.