Hotel Tagawa

The 24-hour onsen was enjoyable, the slopes are close by, and the staff we met were friendly and helpful. The hotel itself, though, was pretty dreadful. Our room was extremely dated, with stains on the walls and carpet. The beds were old, uncomfortable and yellow, and the tiny bathroom had a strange smell. After checkout, leaving our bags at the front desk cost 1000 yen. Meals were frustrating. Friday dinner came at a set time with no choice of food. Saturday breakfast was the same, with a designated time and whatever was brought to the table. Saturday dinner was a buffet, but it was cheap, unappetising and depressing.

The staff were really nice, service was good, and there was plenty to like: a hot bath, English information, good dining and a nice view. The hotel checks every customer’s temperature. It is a little old, though, and the pictures look prettier than the place does in real life. The area is forest, with not much to do besides stay at the hotel or go snowboarding. We had to wait six hours for our bus and ended up just walking in the forest 😂. That was down to the tour company arranging things badly, not the hotel, so I’m not counting it against them. One star off because it was older than the pictures suggested 😃.

We came with family and friends to hunt wild mushrooms. We didn’t have much luck, but the hotel served lots of mushroom dishes, and they were so tasty. We enjoyed a short autumn in northern Nagano Prefecture.

The 24-hour public bath was nice, and the hotel is right in the middle of the ski track, so it’s perfect for skiing. The room smelled of smoke, though, which might bother you if you don’t smoke.