Togakushi Kogen Hotel

At 18,000 yen per person for one night over Golden Week in May, this felt like an exorbitant price for what was basically a student camp. I’d have given it three stars at 10,000 yen, but I got my hopes up and that was a mistake. Maybe people who rated it highly stayed when it was cheaper. Check the price before booking. I should’ve wondered why there were vacancies at this time of year. The mountain views were beautiful and the room toilet had been renovated. The meal quality gets one star from me, and the bath had hot water only. I won’t return. Pricing systems like this hurt a hotel’s reputation and drive customers away. I also wonder if they should even be using the hotel’s name.

The dining room had a lovely view through its very clean windows, and the food was delicious. Thanks for fitting me in at the last minute for a one-night stay with two meals.

My Japanese-style room was wonderfully quiet, and the large public bath was a pleasant temperature. This resort hotel faces the ski slopes. In the lobby, there’s a good selection of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure comics and all sorts of nostalgic board games.

The room air conditioner was so noisy it sounded like rain, and the bathroom and hallway were freezing. At the front desk they handed me the wrong key, then got the bath time wrong after checkout. They made those mistakes but didn’t apologize.