Rockwood Hotel & Spa — Hotel in Ajigasawa

We had a fantastic trip in February staying at Rockwood Hotel at Aomori Spring. The hotel has been even further updated from our last visit, and it’s great. Normally, I am wary of buffets, but the food at Rockwood Hall is really tasty and varied. Both breakfast and dinner are served buffet style (or you can dine in style in the bistro with expansive views of mountains and the Sea of Japan). There is a huge choice of both Japanese (including sushi/sashimi) and Western food, so there is something for everyone. The place is kept super clean, and the staff members are all very willing to help (language barriers aside!). We were lucky to stay in one of the new junior suites, which are very spacious and beautifully furnished. Everything looks modern and expensive. There is a huge leather sofa and some comfortable arm chairs - perfect for lounging, entertaining and watching the giant smart tv. We brought some films on a USB flash drive and had a proper movie night in. One night we had some drinks at the bar and played pool. Another time we had a ping pong challenge, while some of the others played the Wii and Xbox games in the game room. There are tons of other things to do, like relaxing in the indoor and outdoor onsen (natural hot spring), hitting the gym, karaoke room and you can even book a session with a professional masseuse (fantastic). As for the snow – it was amazing! There are hardly any lines for the lifts and there are plenty of runs so that you don’t feel crowded or constrained . You can ski right up to the hotel and right down to the lifts. It’s very chilled. They even have a full sized half pipe if you’re brave enough to try it. The number one snowboarder in the World happened to be training while we there. There are photos and videos throughout the hotel lobby of the many top athletes/Olympians who have trained and visited Aomori Spring, which is pretty cool. Highly...

We were quite disappointed with the Rockwood so much so that we and our travelling companions left a day early. While the rooms were comfortable and location to the slopes great the food and dining options were disappointing. The buffet is a “free for all”. There are no set times and you just turn up whenever. While this might appeal to some the result is no table, food empty, staff struggling to replenish and very unhygienic serving utensils and mess. It felt like you were at school camp in a big hall with absolutely no atmosphere. We tried different times during our stay in an attempt to make this work to no avail. The food is totally catered for western palette with even the Japanese options very basic and boring. The salad bar and breakfast options did not change for the 4 days we were there. The staff were great and tried to help with seating however they were short staffed and trying to manage. I can’t fault the staff as they were run off their feet. The iwate cafe and bar had very odd opening hours that don’t cater for anyone. The pool table was 1800 yen for an hour.. this should be free or at least a bit cheaper. The clientele were 80% Non Japanese so a very international mix of guests. This was evident when I asked a girl to put away her phone in the onsen as she sat there fully clothed. This was not the hotels fault as there were signs up about onsen etiquette but added to the bad feel. The rooms were comfortable with a great view of the Sea of Japan and the proximity to the mountain was great. However the limited food options and overall eating experience which we likened to hunger games was very...

The hotel's the only lodging available next to the slopes at Aomori Spring. There is not public transport available except for very pricey taxis or shuttle buses arranged by the hotel. If you want more flexibility, your only option is to drive.

The hotel and ski resort dates back to 1989 and was previously the NAQUA Shirakami Ski Resort before becoming Rockwood Hotel and Aomori Spring Ski Resort in 2015. The rooms as such, are a little dated. The onsen is quite basic, without lockers, vending machines or massaging chairs etc.

There is a ping pong table, an arcade machine, a billiard room (additional fees applies) for recreation. There is two main dining options at the hotel. Dinner is served buffet style but there is no live stations most of the time. Breakfast is also pretty basic. The organization could be better for getting drinks, cutlery at the buffet line.

All in all the hotel's sufficient, the WiFi's alright for some work when you want to take a break from skiing and snowboarding. As the only lodging here, you can find tour groups here, and thus crowds on some days, such as a Singapore based winter sports group and a skiing club from Kyoto. Nonetheless, it is still pretty quiet.

Hotel rates can range from 120 SGD to 200 SGD...