mep14
Google
It was our first visit to Hokkaido and we picked the Asahidake Onsen area because it was relatively close to Sapporo, accessible by train and then bus via Asahidake. (We noticed that many of the visitors to the area seem to have their own rental cars, but others like us took the bus, which seemed to operate just fine in the snow.) The property is clean, well maintained, and has a cozy lodge-like feeling with only two dozen rooms or so. The service during our February 2018 visit was pleasant, warm, and simple. (It helps to speak a little Japanese, if you can...) We paid extra for the tatami room since that was all that was available, and enjoyed the option of sleeping either on the beds or on cozy mattresses on the tatami floor. The room was simply outfitted but extremely comfortable and spacious. Food at Deer Valley is exceptional -- every meal was delicious and exceeded our expectations for such a small property. The management and the chef clearly take pride in producing memorable meals. My husband and I never started our day or went to bed hungry!||||The Asahidake Onsen area is basically a 0.5 mile stretch of road with several properties on it, starting with the Deer Valley as you work your way up the hill and then ending with Bear Monte, which is the sister property to Deer Valley. Deer Valley guests can use the Bear Monte onsen, which are indoors and outdoors and much larger. (Deer Valley only has indoor onsen, which are neat and pleasant.) Walking in the snow from Deer Valley to Bear Monte takes about 15 minutes, and it's moderately uphill, which after a long day of hiking or, I imagine, skiiing is pretty tough to do. There are sidewalks but they are covered in snow, and although there are street lamps one needs to be careful walking on the road in the dark (bring your own flashlight), as there is occasional traffic, and it's easy to slip even with boots on. The national park's information center and gondola station building are at the end of the road just across from/next to Bear Monte. The gondola building is, I believe, the only place open for lunch, as the hotels seem to shut down their kitchens at that time, probably to prepare for dinner. ||||Most guests at these hotels seemed to be skiers, but my husband and I just came for the onsen, to go snowshoe hiking, and to see what 12-15 feet of snow and bitter cold felt like! We did the somewhat difficult snowshoe walk in the woods behind the Bear Monte. It's not for the faint at heart, since it would be easy to get lost if you have a poor sense of direction or can't match together symbols on map with hard-to-see markings on trees that are veiled in heavy snow. The walk through the deep snow drifts and gorgeous forest took us two hours, readying us for a final round of onsen. Nature abounds here, and we were lucky to see a fox roaming around at night.||||If you're not a skier, two nights at Deer Valley or any of the properties is probably sufficient. That would give you enough time to try the onsen, explore the nature, and take the gondola up the mountain (which we didn't do because visibility was so bad from the peak, according to the weather report at the gondola station). ||||Deer Valley for us was the perfect mix of comfort, nature, and Japanese culture. It's our fondest memory of Hokkaido, and has us yearning to go back.