Hotel Route Inn Grand Nakano Obuse

The breakfast was a highlight. It wasn’t a huge buffet, but the quality was impressive, with several tasty local options. We ended up staying here after Nozawa Onsen was fully booked, and it was a great call. The drive to the ski slopes is an easy, pleasant 40 minutes, with beautiful scenery along the way. The hotel was spotless, and everything worked perfectly. Some front desk staff had a little trouble with English, but they were incredibly polite, and Google Translate worked fine for us.

I’d stay here again for sure. I booked two single rooms for one night for a friend and me on a road trip. Like the other Route Inn hotels I’ve stayed at, parking was free. There are a few restaurants within walking distance, and the snow monkey park is a 15-minute drive away. The staff were very kind and insisted on checking us in and explaining the amenities in English. Women get a separate key card for the public bath downstairs and the laundry area, which made me feel safe and looked after. The single rooms were surprisingly spacious, with a sitting area that came in handy for dinner. The hotel restaurant was closed and it was raining hard, so we were glad to eat indoors.

The hotel has been renovated in the last few years, and it’s very clean. The rooms are bigger than the tiny Nakano Route Inn. It’s a little off the beaten path if you’re driving, but right by the train station and on the way toward Myoko skifields.

The rooms are comfortable, and the indoor onsen is clean. There’s no outdoor onsen, but I appreciated being able to try the different shampoos.