Pension Puutaro

The breakfast was hearty and delicious, and there’s a large drying room for ski and snowboard gear. You can also buy discounted lift tickets at the hotel. Getting around is easy: the main ropeway station for the snow monsters is a minute away on foot, the nearest onsen is three minutes away, and the convenience store, bus terminal, and several good restaurants are within a short walk. The owner gives a ¥100 coupon for the nearby day spa. Our room felt homey, with a futon and a Kotatsu that was so cozy I didn’t want to get up. It was clean, spacious, and comfortable, with excellent heating. There was an air cleaner, fridge, TV, and a humidifier available to borrow, plus basic amenities and a yukata. Shared toilets are on the second floor and in the basement. There’s also a microwave, and the owner can lend you plates and utensils. The owners were incredibly kind and helpful. The lady owner went out of her way to make things convenient, including calling a taxi reservation for me. It felt like real Japanese omotenashi. I’d happily come back next winter.

The two ropeway stations are the big advantage here: Zao Onsen Ropeway Sanroku station is a one-minute walk, and Zao Ropeway Chuo station is three minutes away, so you can avoid the crowd at the first one. It suits skiers and snowboarders who want to catch the first ropeway and aren’t too focused on the onsen. I stayed two nights without meals while snowboarding at Zao Onsen. The price felt fair and worth it. The ski room was large and clean, and the beds and Kotatsu were so comfortable it was hard to get up. The bathroom is small but fine. The owner was polite and quick to reply to messages, and discounted lift tickets are available at the front desk.

The host was great about helping with anything we needed, and replied to messages quickly. Breakfast and dinner were both terrific. I’d highly recommend this pension.

We had a really nice time here. The owners were gentle and so friendly, everything was tidy and clean, and breakfast was awesome. The location was convenient too. Hope to come back soon :)