We visited this big hotel for about 4 days which we really enjoyed, but 4 days was probably long enough. As there’s no village at Joetsu Kokusai it can start to feel a little claustrophobic at the hotel, despite it being huge and taking about 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other. We also can’t do buffet breakfasts and dinners for too many days; basically because we just can’t be trusted with that much food!

We stayed in a twin room with a tatami area, so it was nice to have the combination of the comfort of the western beds along with the Japanese experience. Our room overlooked the ski slopes and it was delightful to watch the night skiing in action from the comfort of our room. The room was OK but the décor was looking rather tired. Overall the hotel looks like it needs a good coat of paint and it’s definitely not as swanky as the Hotel Green Plaza Hakuba with its fancy lifts.

We visited mid week when it was very quiet. Most of the restaurants were closed and we were limited to the Monte Rosa buffet restaurant with its plastic table cloths that provide little for the ambience, and the Tori Chinese restaurant which was at least a little more intimate. There was a “bar” at the hotel, but it wasn’t open at après ski time when we actually wanted a drink.

Pros: convenience of ski-in ski-out location; good amenities; and family friendliness.

Cons: absolutely no nightlife; long walk to get to the onsen; limited restaurants mid-week; and the hotel looks a bit tired.

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective: only a couple of the staff spoke English, but there was only one other group of westerners so that felt nice.
See our video here