Guest House Climb Dining

The staff were really good, and I enjoyed the great food and my stay. I’m looking forward to coming back.

We had enough room for our family of four, including two small children, and there’s a shelf with hangers for clothes plus space under the closet for luggage. The location works especially well for a snowy mountain trip with little kids: we could rest quickly before the slopes, and the restroom felt safe and was kept clean. There’s a hallway sink with hot water, and rentals can be borrowed and returned right at the inn. Shampoo, conditioner, and face wash are supplied in the bathroom, with a hair dryer at the hallway sink. They also accept deliveries. There’s a pot in the hall, so I’ll bring instant noodles for a late night snack next year. I liked being able to see the slopes from our room, even at night when they were empty. Light still comes through the shoji screen over the slope facing window, though, so I think I’ll bring some kind of screen next time. The room has a small TV for both local and national broadcasts. My kids prefer watching things on their tablet, so I might bring some HTML code next year, though I’m not sure if it’ll work. The food is delicious. You choose dinner from a selection in advance, and children can choose too. The side dishes that come with the meals are tasty enough to make me want to return. The part time staff are all friendly and smiling, and really high quality. I’ll probably be back next year, so I’m writing this down as a reminder.

Breakfast and dinner were both delicious, with lots of dinner choices and flavors that weren’t too salty or heavy. The side dishes had plenty of flavor too. The landlady would use her phone’s translation function when talking with us, and I used basic Japanese with translation software, so we had no trouble communicating. The hotel is well placed if your whole trip is to Iwahara Ski Resort. For other ski resorts, you’ll need to think about transportation. The rooms are a bit dated but cover most skier needs. The comforters weren’t very warm, weren’t down filled, and were rather short. Heating comes from the air conditioning, which handles both hot and cold. There seems to be one small refrigerator per floor, and apparently no washing machine, so ask the hotel before booking. Several assistants are around during the day, but from dinner at 6:30 PM until breakfast at 7:30 AM the next day, only the landlady is there. If you need help retrieving luggage from parking lot 6, it’s best to avoid those hours.

The staff were very friendly, though the food was average and a bit salty. Maybe that suited people after exercising, or maybe they meant it that way. Prices felt like ski resort prices. During ski season, you write your name down and wait to be called. The instructions are in English and people wait at the entrance, but a few foreign visitors tried to sit inside. Staff or other customers can explain the system, but putting the notice somewhere more visible might help.