Kumanoyu Hotel

I went around 1:30, and the place was empty then. A few people showed up around 2 and it got a little busier. The day-use hours are 12:30-15:30. After four days of snowboarding, the green and yellow water seemed to ease my fatigue a lot. Probably the best day onsen in the Shiga Kogen area.

The location is great for getting to the snow, and the onsen is beautiful. We had set breakfasts and traditional dinners with more than ten courses, including fresh sashimi every night, and the service was great. The traditional rooms are lovely, though they could use a little updating. Otherwise, this would be five stars.

We rented skis from the shop below the hotel, where the staff were very pleasant, and then waited quietly in the lobby for our bus. Hotel staff told us to leave because the lobby was for registered guests, despite the money we had just spent at their ski shop. They were rude about it. I suspect we might have been treated differently if we were Japanese. That behavior says nothing good about the hotel. If you're not Japanese, I'd suggest staying somewhere else.

The room worked well for me, though it got warmer at night and cooler early in the morning. Breakfast and dinner were worth having. The room's shower didn't balance hot and cold water properly, but I didn't have that problem in the onsen bathroom.