Palcall Tsumagoi Resort

We came at the end of February. Most of the snow was in bad shape, and half the courses were down to soil. The people working here mostly seemed to hate their jobs. The front desk staff were the only ones who were alright. The rental staff were lazy and rude. They handed over the snowboard and told me to adjust the bindings myself off to the side. The cafeteria food wasn’t good, and there were hygiene problems. The cutlery and plates were dirty. WiFi didn’t work either. Guests on other floors complained, and staff said they’d ask maintenance to check, but two days later nothing had changed. We ended up giving up the last night of our stay and leaving the resort. The laundry detergent also smelled really off, from the yukatas to the towels.

We visited on 26/2 and booked three nights, but stayed only two. With the poor snow, we burned the final night and went back to Tokyo early. It wasn’t the hotel’s fault that the weather left us skiing on soil in the rain. The rental equipment was good. The buffet, facilities, and hotel transfer were cost-effective and good value. The weak service, though, made the stay subpar. Staff seemed unmotivated and lacking hospitality training. They mostly reacted when asked, without much concern for customer satisfaction. Even if they all spoke English, the lack of hospitality made it feel like an attitude or training problem. At reception, no one proactively told me about the free ski class included with my three-night stay. They only answered when I asked. I also had to ask about my baggage after sending it through Yamato, while other hotels usually have it waiting in the room. For the Yamato form, reception typically helps fill in the hotel’s details, but here they just pointed me to a sheet to complete myself. The place was so empty when we were there that staff had time to put more effort into service. At the cafeteria on checkout day, we reached the buffet line shortly before 9am as they were preparing to close. I was fine with choosing food they’d set aside, while staff were busy taking it for themselves. But a Chinese woman on staff made a point of telling me, “It’s closed,” even though there was still food there, apparently so she could clean up quickly. Honestly, not cool. Most guests we saw were foreigners and didn’t seem to know how to use the onsen. Some even wore sandals and shoes into the changing area. That put me off using the baths on the second day. Better signs and staff checking in could help. There didn’t seem to be enough staff anywhere, and the place felt like a soulless ghost hotel, especially since it’s old and not well maintained. Each issue on its own wasn’t fatal, but together they showed a serious lack of service. With nothing else around and no real service, it wasn’t worth staying. We’d rather pay more to go somewhere else. I wouldn’t recommend an overnight stay here, though day trips could be okay for the easy ski slopes when there’s good snow.

The Sunrise View room is a must if you stay here. Seeing the sun come up over the mountains is a lasting memory, and the Sunrise Gondola gives you a special view of first light over the peaks. Getting around is easy. The booking and communication were smooth, and staff were welcoming and spoke several languages, which made things stress-free for international visitors. The free shuttle to Karuizawa and Kusatsu makes it simple to explore nearby areas. Ski rentals were efficient, and the resort has free ski classes. There are free sleds for non-skiers too, a nice option for families or anyone wanting to play in the snow. There’s plenty of food. Breakfast is a hearty buffet, lunch has a good range of choices, and dinner is an excellent buffet with lots of quality dishes. The dining dome can be a bit chilly, but the food makes it worthwhile. Even without skiing, there’s plenty to do. The whole stay, from booking through the last shuttle ride, was close to flawless. I can’t think of any downsides right now.

I stayed six nights starting around Christmas. The number of guests went up near New Year, with a mix of Japanese and foreign visitors, mostly from East Asia. The shuttle van with Palcall signage was on time at the Karuizawa South Exit. I’d rate the slopes 4/5. Less than half the courses were open because of a lack of snow, so plan your visit accordingly if you want lots of different runs. There are red and green trails, plus an area for jumps and tricks. The gondola ride to the top takes about 18 minutes. Service gets 5/5. Every staff member I met was friendly and polite. Rentals were 5/5 too. Even at the busiest time, the staff were helpful. I rented a snowboard with a cracked high-back support, and they replaced it right away without fuss. WiFi was 3/5, spotty at times, with some buffering when streaming video. The room gets 4/5. It was clean and spacious, with two twin beds, space for a sofa, and an in-room shower. The heat worked very well in winter, so we had to borrow a fan. There was some wear and tear. Facilities were 5/5. The decor is a bit dated, but it made me nostalgic for my childhood, and the style fits the price. There’s a projector movie room where you can watch YouTube, and Netflix if you sign in to your own account. Other options include two table tennis tables, coin laundry with four washers and four dryers, a board game area in the lobby, a manga library, an infant and toddler playroom, two friendly dogs you can pet most days from 9 to 5pm, plus an indoor onset and sauna. Laundry costs 200 yen to wash and 100 yen for each 30 minutes of drying. Food gets 5/5. We bought the buffet dinner and breakfast plan. Breakfast has Japanese dishes and Western-style options like bacon, small sausages, eggs cooked several ways, omelettes, waffles, fruit, and yogurt. It’s a standard buffet. Dinner was good for me: shaba shaba with beef and pork, Kaisen Don, and salmon, pork, and beef grilled to order. There were also rotating fried dishes and pasta or noodles, desserts, a salad bar, snow crab, mussels, and prawns. Some people really love the seafood. Dishes were replaced promptly, so even during the busy year-end period there was enough food. It’s reasonable value, and there’s nothing else nearby. Lunch is available at two cafes. The pizza and burgers are decent, along with the usual ski resort food. Pizza is about 2000 yen and burgers 1200 yen. There are drink vending machines around too. The submit cafe wasn’t operating during our visit. Alcohol isn’t included with the buffet, and beer costs about 800 yen. I’d consider coming back, maybe in January when all the courses are open.