Yuzawa Toei Hotel

The hotel is a little dated, but it's looked after, and the onsen area is kept very clean and tidy. There are free soft drinks in the lounge. It's very convenient for Yuzawa Kogen, and you can buy discounted lift tickets at the front desk for Yuzawa Kogen, Gala Yuzawa, and Ishiuchi Resprt. The on-call shuttle between the hotel and Echigo Yuzawa station was really convenient. There are also plenty of restaurants within a 5-10 minute walk. Front desk, restaurant, and housekeeping staff were all professional, helpful, and polite.

The newly renovated onsen was the main highlight in a hotel that otherwise feels like an old-style business hotel. I was disappointed by the meals, which were scheduled buffets for half board and not very good. I'd imagined a Keiseki, especially since we were there on Christmas day and hoped they'd make some effort to mark the occasion. To be fair, though, we got what had been advertised.

We drove, so we didn't use the hotel's shuttle, which runs from 9-6pm. The hotel is some distance from the train station, and we walked there for dinner, about 15 minutes. In summer it was very quiet. It seemed like there was only one other male guest in another room while we were there. The place is dated but clean, and we liked it. The open-air hot spring was great, with cool air and hot water that made the heat bearable.

A nice hotel, but it's in the middle of nowhere, so don't expect malls. There's lots of hiking, onsen, and mountains, which suits active people much more than me. The rooms are small.