Hakuba Gondola Hotel

Had higher expectations of the lodging based on pictures and descriptions. Was not a comfortable or clean place to stay for those of us who aren’t in our 20s and who didn’t intend on staying at a large hostel. I love hostels but this was priced like a low cost hotel but without amenities.

We arrived at the hotel around 10 pm and there was noone at the desk.The keys were in envelopes on the desk with instructions. Our bags (that were shipped) were just unsecured. No instructions on the location of the elevator which was in the other wing (A). No locks on lockers for your ski equipment. There was no TV or WiFi (except inside the guest lounge). Bathrooms are communal and not every floor has one. Communal showers are in the basement. Just a very generic room. There were 3 of us, so we were in a small room with no dressers or closet. Our sleeping arrangement was 1 single bed and a bunk bed. The only positive to this place is it is a stone’s throw from the Happo ski resort. Just be prepared to have your clothes/bags strewn across the room. This is more a hostel than it is a hotel.

This "hotel" is one step above a hostel. It's basically a college dorm. The women's bathroom had 1 working toilet. Other 2 stalls said out of order. The beds were very uncomfortable and metal bed frames were very squeaky. 90% of the guests were under 25, at most. Two stars, 1 for breakfast was pretty good. 2 for location.

The people who work here are WONDERFUL. Sad that mgmt put them in this position. The facility is really in terrible shape, maintained in a patchwork, the grounds had snow boulders falling from roof and a treacherous entrance to reception. The worst arrival we've ever had; there was no shuttle service to the hotel. The roads were icy and there were no available taxis so we wandered around with gear and suitcases for 1 1/2 hours taking two nasty falls on the ice after a 12 hour trip to get there. Instead of skiing, we planned our second day of slope time there lugging our stuff back to the bus station for shipping in order to prepare for departure. The property is not a hotel, rather it's a dorm/hostel type of place. The shared bathroom was on another floor from us on 4, had one out of order, and it was flooded from the other leaking and smelly in the women's 3rd floor. Fire exits were blocked with old beds and furniture, tied open to window latches or inoperable with doors removed, no sprinklers, etc. It was completely dangerous as far as fire safety evac goes. Difficult to navigate by its byzantine corridors and lockers for gear don't lock. I never went to the communal shower but opted to use the hot springs (a 20 minute walk) after seeing the grunge reviews about not going in without shower shoes. If you wanted a nice bath there, it costs ¥3,000 extra which is more than the one in the village. Overall, the staff and location to lift were super.

This is a very basic hotel, catering mostly to young Australian tourists. It is extremely conveniently located next to the Happo One gondola and several popular bars / restaurants. The rooms are clean and generally the staff were very helpful, but the physical state of the building and the smell of diesel fuel is a little off putting. The breakfast is very basic but in the hotel’s defence, everything was pretty much exactly as described and the price reflects the value you get here.