I love everything about this mountain lodge—the spacious entrance, the cozy restaurant, and the delicious meals. The only downside for me is that the pillows are a bit small. This year, the restroom near the dining hall was renovated and looked much cleaner. I’d love to stay here again.

One of my traveling companions wasn’t feeling well, so we visited the clinic. The staff was very attentive and gave us helpful advice, and the next day we were able to watch a magnificent sunrise from the summit of Mt. Hakuba. Thank you so much.

It would be great if there were an outlet in the room♪ It was very comfortable. I’d love to stay there again.

Compared to other mountain huts, the service at this price point is a bit disappointing. ・ Customer Service: I wonder if the staff has any mountaineering experience. They didn’t mention the drying room when I checked in. ・ Room: There was quite a bit of the previous guest’s hair on the bedding. The sheets also had stains. The moment I walked in, there was a strange odor. The service at this price is disappointing. With this number of guests, having only four sinks in the washroom is far too few. ・ Breakfast: I opted for a bento box, but if you don’t keep it level, the pickle juice drips out. The paper bag was also crumpled. Even if the juice spills, there’s no easy access to water outside, so you can’t wash your hands or clean the stains off your backpack. Can’t they anticipate that people will carry it inside their backpacks? At other mountain huts, they’ve made arrangements—like serving rice balls with salmon slices and rolled omelets—to prevent liquids from leaking. Is pickled vegetable really necessary in a hiking lunch box?

Breakfast and Lunch Boxed Meals: I also ordered breakfast and lunch boxed meals at Yari Onsen. Since it’s part of the same lodge group, the contents were similar, but both were decent and satisfying. Check-in was around noon, and lights out was at 9:00 PM. I was surprised at first, but since dinner is served in five separate sittings—with the last one ending around 8:30 PM—I understood why lights out was at 9:00 PM. Since this is one of Japan’s largest mountain huts, it’s noisy with many people stomping down the hallways or jogging about. Because I checked in early, I was the first to be seated for dinner at 5:00 PM. It was the second room from the drying room, accommodating eight people. I was surprised at how cramped the room was—there wasn’t even space to put my shoes or backpack—but we were moved to a room right next to the transport room, which we shared among four people, so there was plenty of sleeping space. There was also space to store our backpacks and shoes, so it worked out well in the end. I was surprised to see heavy machinery and drink vending machines in front of the outdoor restaurant, but I realized this mountain lodge is unique. It would be nice if Wi-Fi were available not just near the front desk, but in the rooms as well. I eat very slowly, so by the end, I felt like I was being rushed to finish. I was put off by the staff rushing around frantically to clear away the trays and dishes from the surrounding tables. This time, I ordered breakfast and lunch box meals at five mountain lodges: Harinoki-goya, Taneike Sanso, Hieike Sanso, Yari Onsen, and Hakuba Sanso. The boxed meals provided by the Yari Onsen and Hakuba Sanso groups were particularly commendable.

The space between the tables in the cafeteria is too narrow, making it difficult to get tea or refills. I appreciate that they offer small, medium, and large portions of rice, but it’s a shame there’s no soy sauce or other condiments on the tables.

It was nice that there was a spacious drying room. The flush toilet was nice. It was cold inside the building.

My stay was more comfortable than I had imagined, and I’m very satisfied. I thought the private room might be a bit small, but since I was staying alone and there was a luggage rack under the window, it didn’t feel that cramped. I did get the sense that it would be a tight fit for two people, though. Unfortunately, the view was completely white during my stay, but given the wonderful location right near the summit, I hope to see the clear views someday. Breakfast and dinner were served one after another, almost like an assembly line, which was kind of amusing. It’s astonishing to think that they manage and run such a large mountain lodge on-site. Despite that, the cleaning and maintenance were meticulous, and I could really feel the effort and thoughtfulness of the staff. I definitely want to stay here again next time to enjoy the beautiful views.