Meitoya So

The WiFi worked very well, even for streaming Netflix, and the staff were generally friendly. The entrance looks nice, and although the onsen is clean, it’s a bit small. Still, the stay was only acceptable overall, with nothing special for what we paid. Housekeeping was a real problem. There was dust behind the entrance door and a spider web on the ceiling lamp, and the room itself didn’t seem to get cleaned. By the end, four days’ worth of onsen towels were still on our bathroom floor. There was almost no cold water, so the shower was far too hot to use. When we raised it, staff blamed the cold weather, which isn’t a good excuse at a ski resort. The hotel dining room was fully booked every night, so we couldn’t eat there. Also, the Booking.com information about a shuttle to the ski slope is outdated. There is no shuttle, and the walk involves a fairly long stretch on a very slippery road.

The walk to the chairlifts involves going up or down a hill, and the hotel is quite far from the slopes. That made the location less convenient than we’d hoped. The food was good and the onsen was nice when we could get a slot, but the service didn’t feel warm or welcoming. We’d paid for half board in advance, called before the trip, and confirmed our meals in writing. At check-in, though, the staff simply told our group, “no dinner,” without apologizing. We had to show the written confirmation and argue our case before they recognized and arranged our meals. The reception service and management made it an unpleasant experience. There were some bright spots: one receptionist was very patient helping with our Taqbin deliveries, and the foreign dining room team were great. That level of care just didn’t seem typical here.

The outdoor onsen looked beautiful, but the frozen steps hadn’t been cleared and were dangerously slippery. Safety and upkeep overshadowed what might have been a relaxing weeklong ski stay at Meitoya So Onsen Hotel. The room was poorly maintained: the wallpaper was frayed, the bedsheet had holes, and the toilet was positioned so the door wouldn’t close properly. The electric bidet had an exposed earth wire, which felt unsafe. Housekeeping was advertised as daily but only happened twice. The kettle also didn’t switch off by itself after boiling, and we had to leave our room key at reception whenever we went out.

The outdoor baths were two separate tubs, one natural stone and one concrete, both filled with milky white sulfur hot spring water. There’s also a nice walking path down to the old main street, with two foot bath stations. Dinner and breakfast were delicious, and the Filipino receptionist was warm and helpful. Thanks for letting us check in a little early so we could rest. The grilling lamb smoke was really bothersome for those of us eating shabu shabu. It stuck to our clothes and hair, and made the lobby areas smell too, which isn’t comfortable in a nice onsen hotel. It would help to separate the shabu shabu diners and the grill lamb diners. The shuttle to the bus terminal could also run more flexibly, rather than only twice in the morning. We ended up walking there to catch an earlier bus to Yamagata station at 08:40.