Shigakogen Prince Hotel

You can get to several ski areas from here, and the hotel has rentals, which made things easy. The onsen was great, and there are three hotel restaurants, a buffet, Chinese, and ramen. The ski in and ski out location is excellent. There isn’t much of a bar scene nearby, so we spent most of our time at the hotel. Don’t come expecting nightlife.

I wouldn’t stay here again. The room was pathetic and the whole place felt filthy. There were just two outlets, the beds and pillows were rock hard, and the thermostat didn’t work. The kettle sprayed water around once it was hot, the shower flooded the bathroom, and switching on the bathroom light also turned on the main room light. So much for letting your partner sleep if you need the bathroom in the middle of the night. The facilities were sparse, too. Nothing in the area looked great, so we settled for what we expected would be a mediocre night. The next day we checked several hotels and restaurants for food, and everything seemed rundown and pathetic. Japan has much better ski areas. I wouldn’t waste time at this hotel or in Shiga Kogen. I can’t believe we paid $200.

This was our third ski trip to the excellent Shiga Kogen area, and we stayed at Prince Hotel West again. The facilities are top notch, from the efficient ski rental and storage area to the huge dining hall with plenty of breakfast and dinner choices. After a long day on the slopes, the onsen is one of the best places to soak. Highly recommended.

The slope access is what makes Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel work so well for a ski trip. You walk out, put your skis on, and you’re on the snow; at the end of the day you can glide right back to the door. No bus rides or long walks in ski boots, so it’s easy to spend more time skiing. The rooms are small, but practical, with a sensible layout and enough storage. You probably won’t spend much time in there anyway, and the big windows are nice when it’s snowing. A few things took away from the peaceful feel: some tourists were loud or inconsiderate in shared spaces, and although staff were friendly and tried their best, their English was sometimes limited. We had to be patient with questions and small problems. Shiga Kogen is fantastic for skiing, but the green runs are steeper, longer, and more technical than the ones in Australia or New Zealand. Beginners, or people returning after a break, may find them harder than expected. Once you get used to them, though, the terrain is rewarding and gives a real sense of progress. This is a very convenient, snow focused place to stay if skiing matters more to you than luxury.