Lodge Canada

Our host was really nice and helpful, though we relied on Google Translate a lot because he didn’t speak much English. At $120 CAD a night, the price felt pretty good for Hakuba in January, and I can imagine the lodge being fun with a bigger group. A few resorts are fairly close. We were the only guests there for our night, and the lodge felt cold and empty when we arrived. It seemed a bit run down, with few amenities. We’d been looking forward to the big fireplace, but it wasn’t lit and the whole place was cold. Our room hadn’t been made up and was freezing too. The lodge is quite far from Hakuba, around a 30-minute drive. There’s a shuttle about once an hour that takes roughly 30 minutes, but our cab back from dinner cost over 7,000 yen. There’s only one bath and shower area in the basement, with men’s hours from 5 to 7 and women’s from 7 to 9, so we didn’t use it. Later, after we went to bed, our host and some friends got a fire going. Smoke spread through the lodge and even into our room with the door closed.

This old lodge has a classic, warm feel and makes a very nice place to rest. It’s quiet, unlike a resort hotel, and you can enjoy the beautiful nature around the Hakuba and Otari range. A great place to bring family and friends, including small children.

Ken, who owns the lodge, is friendly and knows how to show people around. The place is spacious, with a big fireplace, and it’s a fun spot to stay in a beautiful part of Japan. Looking forward to visiting again!

Really authentic. The owner knows a lot about hiking in the surrounding mountains and backcountry skiing.