Naeba Prince Hotel

The slopes are friendly, and the ski lockers are easy to get to. There are lots of restaurants, an onsen, and the Azalea buffet is a favorite of mine for both breakfast and dinner. Kids and adults both enjoy it. The resort dates back to 1961 and feels a little tired, but it has what a family needs for a lovely ski holiday, and it's good value. Getting there on JR East is easy. There are fireworks on Christmas Day, and you can reach Mount Kagura by Dragondola!

The ski area was packed even on weekdays, with long waits for the lifts, and I imagine weekends are worse. The ski rental staff were rude and spoke to customers as if we were criminals. At the hotel, the staff weren't helpful or friendly either. It looks good in photos, but the place is run-down and poorly maintained, and it doesn't feel like a three-star hotel. The Chinese tour groups made it feel as though we'd traveled to China rather than Japan. A very disappointing stay. Avoid it if you want to enjoy your holiday.

The location by Naeba mountain was perfect, and renting gear went well. The stay itself felt dated, though, and Building 6 especially needs serious updates. We were on the seventh floor, where the paint was peeling, the rugs were torn, and there was an unpleasant smell. Our room was very hot. If you're after somewhere cleaner, cozier, and more polished, you might want to look elsewhere.

The room had a nice view of the slopes, which helped take my mind off how dated it was. Building 6 was functional, but stains and torn items were common. There was a sofa bed, but we had to set it up ourselves even though it was clearly needed. We were three family members there to ski and had mixed feelings about the stay. Check-in was strict: arriving at 1:30 meant paying an extra 2,000 yen, so we waited until 3. Since everyone was turned away from early check-in, the line was very long. We had already paid a lot for the room, and checkout was at 10am, an hour earlier than the usual 11am. Most staff were helpful and respectful, though the man at reception came across as arrogant or rude. I'm not sure whether he lacked English proficiency. There are plenty of restaurants, but they're expensive and the portions are on the small side. The ski runs are short and steep, over a 15% gradient, so they aren't beginner-friendly. Beginners may prefer longer, gentler runs where they can ski more and spend less time queuing for lifts. The resort has two longer trails at either end, but during our three-day stay we couldn't use them: one opened late in the morning or was closed in the afternoon, and we couldn't get the timing right. We did get to see the New Year's Eve fireworks on the slopes. It's convenient for skiing near Tokyo, but be ready to spend once you're inside, much like at a theme park, and keep your expectations in check. First-time skiers might have a more pleasant experience at a smaller resort like Appikogen or even Niseko. Hope this helps.