Charade Inn Shiga

The staff were nice, but the hotel is in the middle of nowhere, with no transport late at night. The cafe never opened, and there was very little food nearby.

At mealtimes, there were only foreigners there, and nobody even greeted us. That felt very unpleasant, and the food was disappointing too, with some vegetables still undercooked. The bathroom was terribly dirty and smelled awful, as though it had been neglected. There were other problems in the room as well: dust blew around when the air conditioner was switched on, and the toilet was broken.

I was told that wild monkeys might come in through an open window, which left me feeling uneasy. I stayed in summer at what seemed like a hotel geared toward skiing. When I arrived, the toilet in my room smelled so bad that I had it changed. The staff were very accommodating, though, and I didn't have any other unpleasant experiences. The food was delicious and seemed thoughtfully prepared.

The rooms are clean, and there's a computer at reception. I liked the large public bath and the nice tea lounge with a view over Maruike Ski Resort. Breakfast is fun too, since you can cook your own fried egg on a ceramic plate.