Hotel Mount Shiga

The fridge worked, but smelled really bad. I guess the room power shuts off completely, including the fridge, when you take the key with you. Otherwise, this is a tidy little hotel with fresh rooms and kind staff. The onsen is nice, the ski lift is about a five-minute walk away, and there’s a small convenience shop two minutes away that seems to open only in the afternoon. Towels are changed every third day. Breakfast and dinner aren’t buffet meals, but they’re professionally prepared and should suit most travelers. I’d definitely come back.

The staff were super kind, and the included breakfast was generous. The onsite onsen was clean and convenient, with a couple of restaurant options nearby. Our traditional room was charming, comfortable, and large by Japanese standards. It’s also perfectly placed for skiing Yaneki and Okushiga.

Food was the best part of our stay. Both breakfast and dinner had several dishes, including hot pot, and everything was delicious and satisfying. We kept looking forward to the next meal. We nearly skipped booking dinner, but were so glad we didn’t because of the quality and variety. The hotel is huge but had very few guests, which felt a little post-apocalyptic. The upside was having the onsen to ourselves. Some hotels are closer to the slopes, but this one is still only a five-minute walk away. Our room was spacious, a bit dated, and had traditional tatami mats and a futon. There’s a dry room and a locker for each room, but no boot warmers.

The driver was kind and helped clear the snow off our car when we left. The service otherwise felt very average for such a high price. Our room was spacious, but the tea set hadn’t been washed. When I rinsed it with hot water, the water turned yellow. There was no Wi-Fi in the room, and even our own mobile internet barely worked. We had to put a phone right against the window to get any signal. The heater made loud noises at night and woke us several times while we tried to work out how to shut it off.