green hotel yamanami

The futon was on the thin side, which was the one real downside. The rest left a very good impression: clean facilities, delicious food for a winter mountain lodge, and customer service that stood out even after many ski stays at other Hachi Kogen lodges. I booked the same day at the last minute and was still treated courteously. There are no room amenities, but that fits the lodge’s policy of cutting plastic waste on the mountain. I’d definitely stay here again on an overnight trip to Hachi Kogen.

The food was much better than I’ve usually had at ski lodges, and even the extra meal charges and beer were fairly priced. It was a comfortable stay, and I’d happily return. They were polite and helpful on the phone from the moment I booked. When the rental skis didn’t fit, they quickly found a replacement. The friendly service and attention to detail were excellent.

We stayed four nights and five days from December 30, 2021 to January 3, 2022, and earlier had a three-night, four-day stay from January 1, 2021 to January 4, 2021. Green Hotel Yamanami has become a place I care about a lot, and one I’d recommend for a ski trip in Hyogo Prefecture. The owner, his family, and the staff were cheerful from check-in onward, and their support lived up to the warm feeling of coming home, or maybe to my parents’ house. A few things initially made me think “huh?!” in a good way, but they stopped bothering me as time went on. They don’t just cater to every request; they show consideration. There were a few careless moments, as people have, and the owner handled one problem well: when unsterilized slippers were piled on my carry-on luggage, three 170 cm color boxes, I was annoyed by the excuses and response. I’m not very popular, but the owner apologized right away and dealt with it. It gave me a glimpse of how much he cares about the employees. I also feel guests’ willingness to meet the staff halfway helps create a mutual sense of satisfaction. A few practical things I learned: 1. You can bring snacks and drinks to your room. It’s best to bring them along, since the hotel sells them but runs out quickly. 2. Bring a box of tissues, as there aren’t any in the rooms. 3. If you’re tall, around 180 cm, tell the hotel ahead of time. Your feet may stick out past the futon. 4. Lift tickets are convenient to reserve or buy at the front desk or by phone. Tickets bought elsewhere need to be exchanged for the forest course. 5. The room’s light sensor is very sensitive. A bit of cellophane tape and a 5 cm square piece of cardboard may help, though the hotel also has tape. 6. From the entrance, the path on the left leads to the lift for the central slope; the path on the right goes to the forest course. 7. Meals work best when staff and guests cooperate. Don’t expect everything simply to be served to you; although it’s called a hotel, it isn’t a restaurant. 8. WiFi is very slow during the day, around 190 kbps, but improves as the night goes on, reaching about 70 mbps around 10:30 pm. There seem to be a lot of users. Using 4G in the day and WiFi in bed at night might work better. 9. In rooms with a toilet and bathroom, toilet sounds carry through the room. There’s about 3 or 4 cm of space under the door, so there’s not much to be done, though some people may find it bothersome.

My son and I had a sudden opening in our schedule this winter, so we came here. There wasn’t enough snow to ski as much as we’d hoped, but the friendly service at Yamanami made for a relaxing stay. I’m used to the impersonal feel of big resorts lately, so the difference was a treat. The building feels a bit cramped and has an old wing alongside a newer one. The old side brought back memories of the guesthouse where I first stayed when I started skiing, back in the Showa era. The new wing has a big multipurpose room and seems to host school events often. I thought it was nicely planned that they also offer private rooms with en-suite bathrooms. The menu is limited, but the food was delicious. The crab hot pot was especially superb. A child at the next table muttered that it was better than [a major crab restaurant chain], which made me laugh. I hope there’s lots of snow next time.