Zao Astoria Hotel

Very convenient for skiers. Lift discount vouchers are available in the off-season in March. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about them on the first day and couldn’t use one. Many Hotels around here are like this, but it’s great that you can still take a bath after check-out once you’re done skiing. The open-air bath has excellent water quality, but it was a bit disappointing that after check-out only the indoor bath is available.The meals were more than enough, and I didn’t have room for the all-you-can-eat imoni soup and dessert. I wanted to have the imoni soup the next morning even if it was just reheated, but it seems it’s only served at night.I thought it would be nice if the foreign staff smiled a bit more, but since I train Hotel employees as a Japanese-language teacher, I tend to be overly critical. They are probably doing their best.

Despite being the high season, the stay was reasonably priced. The Room exceeded expectations with its cleanliness, and the staff at reception and parking were very accommodating. Additionally, there was a wide variety of yukata (for women and children), which was a nice touch. The richness of the Onsen's mineral content in the open-air bath was impressive! When I splashed some water on my face to enjoy its smoothening effect, it stung my eyes slightly and even had a salty taste despite not drinking it. The water left my skin silky smooth and warmed up my body perfectly—truly excellent Onsen water. Breakfast was served buffet-style with an abundant selection that was constantly replenished, including some local dishes that made for a very satisfying meal. I particularly recommend trying the "Dashi." The only downsides were that voices from other Rooms could be heard in the hallway, Wi-Fi in our Room was unstable at times, and it would have been nice to have an air purifier in the Room.