Shiga Palace Hotel

You have to walk 300 meters to the lift, so this isn’t a ski in and ski out hotel. The service was rude and terrible, especially from one middle aged man and one older man. They were reluctant to give us the right room or information about the ski resort. The elevator is tiny, and they won’t let you use it to get to the ski storage room, so you have to walk up and down two floors.

The food was tasty, with lots of choices, and the staff were friendly and helped make our stay pleasant. We slept well in a clean room with comfortable bedding and enough space. The decor is dated in spots, but everything seemed to work. We could hear the people next door whenever they used the water or toilet, though. The onsen was very good for warming up and relaxing, but the water felt a little too hot to stay in for long. There’s plenty to see around the area, and depending on the season you can enjoy snow or the changing leaves.

The Shiga Kogen shuttle bus stops almost in front of the hotel, and they can also give you a ride to the nearby chairlift. Very handy. There are large lockers for ski or snowboard gear, with a warm drying room, and each bedroom has its own locker. Zen spoke very good English and was helpful with all our questions. We had good food, large rooms, and nice little cakes with tea every day. Breakfast is usually a buffet, though when there are only a few guests they serve either a Western or Japanese breakfast.

It’s a prime spot for reaching lots of chairlifts, and it may be okay for a short stay. But after booking at the last minute in peak season, I found a place that seemed like it had been three stars 30 years ago, with little maintenance since. The interiors badly need renovation, and the rooms need a proper clean between guests. There was lots of dust and hair in the bedding, which is never a good sign. **EDIT: I lowered this to one star because the experience got worse!**