Hotel Sunplaza Tsugaike

Good value for budget-minded visitors, with a convenient location, though the hotel is a bit dated. The hot spring and restaurant are roomy enough, and the rooms have their own bathroom and toilet. There’s also a self-help counter by the lift lobby. The bus stop is close, and there’s a convenience and souvenir shop directly across the road. The receptionist was polite and helpful, and checked the latest shuttle schedule to Iwatake resort for us for the next morning. That was useful since the information wasn’t online.

This place felt stuck in the 90s, and it’s 2025 now. The room smelled musty, along with what I first thought was cigarette odor. It needs remodeling. The public bath walls looked like they hadn’t been cleaned, with visible mustiness.

The main plus is that it’s close to the slopes, though some accommodations are literally right beside them. The rooms and furnishings are very dated. There’s no closet, just two hooks per person, and the pillow felt like a bean bag. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re on a budget, but it wasn’t even the cheapest option, which may explain why rooms were still available. The basement onsen is tiny, maybe five to eight people at most. There were also lots of day visitors, people coming in to bathe, or maybe students, I’m not sure.

The dining room was cramped, and our group of six was seated at the same small table as another group, which made everyone uncomfortable. Parking and even keeping snowboards and skis in the dry room cost extra, on top of poor value for the price. Staff were generally helpful and friendly, but after 9:30 pm there was no one at the front desk and they were very hard to find. The service system needs work. With such a good location, the hotel should improve its service and renovate instead of just charging visitors more without doing anything.