Just finished a trip to Nozawa Onsen 12/19-12/22/11. This is a great place to stay if you find yourself in Nozawa. The hotel is on the outskirts of the main village and is a short 10 minute walk to the bars and restaurants and a quick walk up the hill to the shuttle stop and to the Karasawa base area. The hotel is traditional Japanese. The rooms are Tatami style with futons for sleeping. The bathrooms and the common rooms are shared although there are rooms with private facilities available. Most of the bathing is done at the town onsens and there is one in site of the hotel. The common area has a lovely wood burning fire place and many games to play after a day on the slopes. On the bottom floor, there is a small kid zone complete with a DVD player and TV. There is a beer vending machine to supply your post skiing nutrition. The provided breakfast was excellent and typically included a hot item (waffles, eggs, pancakes) and fruit, cereal, coffee etc. There are ski rental, English speaking ski instructors, and childcare available onsite. There is also a drying room in the basement to store your wet gear. They offer trips to see the snow monkeys and there was a Christmas dinner planned for those staying over the holidays. Overall I cannot say enough about the courteous and thoughtful staff. Mark and company were outstanding and we are looking forward to our next trip!
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