Joetsu hotels from HK$389

"Great location and ski in ski out. Small but comfortable room for family of 4, Onsen is a blessing! It’s a little tired, super busy hotel. Outrageously priced buffet dinner, go elsewhere. Free shuttle makes that easy, but make sure you book all offsite options. "

"Our stay at Aburaya Tousen was a memorable experience. We arrived quite late but had no trouble finding the place. There are a few free parking lots around, which made things easy. Service stood out right from the start.. a staff member came out to greet us and helped carry our luggage from the gravel parking area. Check in was done while we were seated in a nice, modern lounge, with snacks and tea served. It felt very welcoming and thoughtful. We went for a more traditional Japanese style “Bath” room with futons on tatami, and honestly, it was very comfortable. The room was spacious and had a great layout, with a seating area facing a stream and the mountains.. really nice spot to just sit and take in the view. Everything was clean and well equipped, including the toilet and bath area. They do have more Western style rooms, but I’d recommend going for the Japanese-style for the full experience. The onsen is definitely a highlight. The public bath on level 7 is large and has a variety of pools. We also booked a private bath, which was great for a more personal, relaxed experience. Breakfast is served on level 5 and is quite a spread… lots of options from Japanese dishes like sukiyaki to even some Western-style items. It was a bit heavy for us in the morning, but if you enjoy a big breakfast, you’ll appreciate it. The owner personally saw us off at checkout, which made the whole stay feel even more warm and genuine. Overall, a really solid stay and one I’d definitely recom"

"Our family of 5 had an enjoyable stay in a large Japanese style room. Great location for the ropeway and gear hire available too so very convenient. Nice to have the communal kitchen and dining areas as we got to meet some other guests. The ping pong table got a lot of use too. They lend toboggans for free, which is heaps of fun for the kids and the owners kindly didn't charge us when we accidentally broke one! (Even though we offered). Traditional onsen is worth a visit and in walking distance, just note the etiquette before you go as it's not focused on tourists. No supermarket nearby so stock up beforehand eg the train station. Highly recommended."

"Nice place to be. Staff very nice and cordial. "

"I used this hotel as nothing more than a place to store my bags and crash for the night, oh and take a shower. It did the job no frills, and I’m pretty happy. The staff were very friendly! That being said, the room I was in could use an update. Everything was well worn and there was age that just can’t be scrubbed away. Fine for me, maybe not everyone."

"The hotel room was clean. I asked for the eco service but still didn’t receive towels. At check-in I felt very rushed. As I was entering my information, I was asked for my passport, then in reaching for my passport they wanted me typing my information. Three front desk staff talking and explaining while checking in. Difficult getting a taxi. Anytime I went to the desk I was treated like I was bothering them. After traveling throughout Japan, this is not the hospitality of other top Japanese hotels. The experience was just ok."

"Hotel housei was my favorite stay in Japan, even after spending triple as much money for some other hotels. The staff is simply amazing, they went above and beyond for accommodation. Kei at the front desk was very helpful in showing me around the hotel & also recommended a restaurant that was one of my favorite I’ve been to. The gentlemen at the front desk even set up a specific shuttle for me to the snow monkey park because I was going to leave before their set time. They took me alone to the park in the morning, and even offered to pick me up and shuttle me back after I had checked out to the train station! Seriously an amazing establishment, I could not recommend them more. "

"This resort was significant to how amazing our snowboarding vacation turned out. Breakfast and dinner buffet was delicious! It’s true they don’t change items but there were so many choices that it really wasn’t necessary. We looked forward to breakfast and dinners there the entire 4 night stay. We had the junior suite which has the stone tub as our bath and it was a dream come true. Japanese style futons were so comfortable even after a long day of snowboarding. I didn’t mind that we had to set it up ourselves, it was a fun experience. The ONLY/main issue I had was that their public bath started off amazing until I noticed the insane amount of heavy black mildew/mold all over the walls and ceilings, it was like a horror movie and I couldn’t unsee it. Please please get that cleaned/disinfected, it is such a health hazard. I wish to come back and enjoy the facility again!! The saving grace was that we had our private tub as an option. The town is quaint so not much to do, so it was great that they had a game room with arcade games and ping pong table, our kids loved closing the night out there. The value we got for the experience was great and we want to return and do it all again! "

"One of the best stays I've ever had!! Great service, great food, extremely friendly and helpful staff!! "