Hakuba Highland Hotel

I am not an hot spring person but my wife love it so we booked this hot spring hotel with open air hot springs bath! My wife enjoyed very much! I was very impressed with the dinner buffet! The buffet here is the Japanese cuisine in an art form! The freshness of the ingredients, the cooking style, the selections, the plating all beautifully done! We are so glad that we are here. The decoration is also nice! Highly recommended!

We stayed at Hakuba Highland Hotel during our trip to Hakuba, and it turned out to be a very enjoyable and relaxing base. The first thing that took our breath away was the amazing view right outside the room windows—mountains, wide open skies, and the kind of scenery you could stare at for hours. One of the best parts of the stay was the onsite onsen, Hakuba Highlands Onsen. The family absolutely loved it—especially soaking in the outdoor bath while taking in the panoramic alpine views. It was the perfect way to wind down after a day of exploring or skiing. The buffet dinner included with the stay was surprisingly good, with a wide variety of options that suited both adults and kids. Fresh ingredients, warm dishes, and even some local specialties made the meals enjoyable and satisfying. If there’s one thing that could be improved, it’s the furniture in the rooms. While everything was clean and functional, some of the furnishings felt a little dated and could use a refresh. That said, it didn’t detract much from the overall comfort of the stay. All in all, Hakuba Highland Hotel was a great value for money, with excellent views, a wonderful onsen, and a solid dining experience. We’d happily stay again.

Even if the hotel is quite old, the room still remains wonderful with the picturesque mountains view. There are plenty of parking but all were outdoor. The hotel also offers breakfast and dinner in buffet with beautiful view.

TERRIBLE HOTEL WITH TERRIBLE SERVICE.|I booked a room for two nights (spring season so it’s not peak). The room I was assigned to is RIGHT in front of the lift, so it’s very noisy and disturbing because you can hear people chatting and giggling as if they are talking right next to you. I am a very light sleeper too, so I called front desk to ask if I can change to another room. I assume all their other rooms have really bad soundproof too, cos it literally sounded like someone talking next to you. They told me that (in exact wordings) ‘I should know this is a noisy room when I booked’. As confused as I was, I digged out the confirmation email, and told her that it doesn’t state anywhere. Then she came back and told me, oh yes it doesn’t state anywhere but we are fully booked (I asked if I can pay to upgrade to another room). I then went out to talk to her because she was constantly holding up the line (I assume she was talking to her supervisor). Mind you, her attitude was pretty blunt from the beginning. So I went out, showed her the confirmation email, and she pointed at ‘訳あり’. I said that translates to special offer according to google translate, it doesn’t state noisy in any way. She said ‘No, that’s not what it’s meant, not special offer’ (without the intention to explain what it actually means if google translate got it wrong). I asked her what does it mean then, she said it means the room may not have a good view, or just anything ‘that’s not good’. And I said, it still doesn’t state that it’s noisy. I suggest you put it on the remarks because it’s common for travelers to be light sleepers, so people can avoid booking this room. She just nodded and looked away despite my dissatisfaction and discomfort with the noise, and didn’t even apologize for the inconvenience caused, as if this is not their responsibility at all. This is NOT acceptable, their attitude was bad too.

Open from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM with natural hot spring water. (a sign at the entrance of the bathhouse says 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM) I visited around 11:15 AM, and there were already nearly ten bathers in the men’s bath. Aside from a grandfather and grandson, who seemed to be locals, the rest were visitors from Western countries. The view is spectacular, with the snow-covered Hakuba mountain range visible not only from the open-air bath but also from the indoor bath. The admission fee is reasonable, making it an excellent choice. It is also within walking distance from JR Hakuba Station, so I can confidently recommend it to visitors. Upon entering the entrance, you will find the front desk on the right, where you can pay the bathing fee. The bathhouse is located further inside. There are also lockers for valuables.

Onsen rating: Tattoo friendly confirmed by staff. This onsen is gorgeous and overlooks the Hakuba valley. The baths have soap and shampoo. I can’t remember if there was conditioner. Towels are extra. I would prioritize this onsen if I were to visit again. We drove here and it might not be the easiest place to get to with public transit/taxi. I didn’t stay at the hotel.

Big recommend if you have a trip to Nagano in your itineraries! Staff were really generous and kind, they provided a free shuttle service to Hakuba Iwatake Resort (both going there and returning back to the hotel) and the onsen facility was great!

My rating is solely based on the onsen experience. The views from the outside bath are breathtaking. Natural hot springs water feel incredible after a long winter day. Things to note - a hand towel is the largest you can hire for 500 yen. I would take my own! The shower products provided are nice, just take your own facial skincare and lotion for afterwards.