Mominoki Hotel — Hotel in Hakuba

What we liked: The decor in the reception area with its big fireplace feels very welcoming and cosy and reminded me a bit of a British hunting lodge. Very stylish. We loved it! Very nice terrace with torch light in the evening. Great atmosphere. We also liked the glamping area in the forest next door, with its pub. The room was quite spacious and very clean. Very friendly staff, providing excellent service!

What we didn't like so much: It's a shame that the only two dinner options available are either buffet-style at the restaurant or barbecue in the glamping area. It would be nice to be able to have a served meal on the restaurant terrace, but unfortunately only buffet dinner is available. So we opted for the barbecue, which was great - except for the fact that between the salad and the barbecue, we were served cheese fondue. Apart from the fact that summer doesn't quite feel like the right season for a fondue, it was very filling, so that we - sadly - had to leave behind quite a bit of the excellent meat and vegetables, as our stomachs were already quite full. My suggestion to the hotel management would be to skip the fondue (and reduce the price accordingly). Or at least add it as an option for those who really want it. That said, the local beef was fantastic, and we also liked the presentation. Breakfast was a bit of a let-down for me as a Westerner. Only the standard choices of bread you find in most Japanese hotels (tiny soft croissants, soft rolls and toast). It would be great if some Swiss/German-style rustic bread choices were available as an alternative for those who don't like a Japanese breakfast. Also, the coffee (served from one of those big containers) was very disappointing. For an establishment like this, I would have expected an espresso machine, offering guests different kinds of coffee (cappuccino, cafe au lait, espresso), which should be seen as the general standard nowadays. We didn't quite understand why the glamping area as well as the bar were only open until 9pm - in the middle of the summer holiday season! With no other places within walking distance (as far as we were aware), that very much limited our options for after-dinner drinks. There was live piano entertainment in the bar area near the reception, but it stopped at 9pm sharp, just as we were coming back from dinner in the glamping area. Such a shame! While the room was OK (spacious, functional and clean), there is one thing that annoyed us: The step to get into the bathroom. I almost stumbled on two occasions when getting out of the bathroom, because I didn't expect a step to be there. I think it could potentially be quite dangerous. If there were a light at the bottom of the step, that would at least make it a bit safer.

Overall a very nice stay, even though it was (unfortunately) only...

What we liked:|- The decor in the reception area with its big fireplace feels very welcoming and cosy and reminded me a bit of a British hunting lodge. Very stylish. We loved it!|- Very nice terrace with torch light in the evening. Great atmosphere.|- We also liked the glamping area in the forest next door, with its pub.|- The room was quite spacious and very clean.|- Very friendly staff, providing excellent service!||What we didn't like so much:|- It's a shame that the only two dinner options available are either buffet-style at the restaurant or barbecue in the glamping area. It would be nice to be able to have a served meal on the restaurant terrace, but unfortunately only buffet dinner is available.|- So we opted for the barbecue, which was great - except for the fact that between the salad and the barbecue, we were served cheese fondue. Apart from the fact that summer doesn't quite feel like the right season for a fondue, it was very filling, so that we - sadly - had to leave behind quite a bit of the excellent meat and vegetables, as our stomachs were already quite full. My suggestion to the hotel management would be to skip the fondue (and reduce the price accordingly). Or at least add it as an option for those who really want it. That said, the local beef was fantastic, and we also liked the presentation.|- Breakfast was a bit of a let-down for me as a Westerner. Only the standard choices of bread you find in most Japanese hotels (tiny soft croissants, soft rolls and toast). It would be great if some Swiss/German-style rustic bread choices were available as an alternative for those who don't like a Japanese breakfast. Also, the coffee (served from one of those big containers) was very disappointing. For an establishment like this, I would have expected an espresso machine, offering guests different kinds of coffee (cappuccino, cafe au lait, espresso), which should be seen as the general standard nowadays.|- We didn't quite understand why the glamping area as well as the bar were only open until 9pm - in the middle of the summer holiday season! With no other places within walking distance (as far as we were aware), that very much limited our options for after-dinner drinks. There was live piano entertainment in the bar area near the reception, but it stopped at 9pm sharp, just as we were coming back from dinner in the glamping area. Such a shame!|- While the room was OK (spacious, functional and clean), there is one thing that annoyed us: The step to get into the bathroom. I almost stumbled on two occasions when getting out of the bathroom, because I didn't expect a step to be there. I think it could potentially be quite dangerous. If there were a light at the bottom of the step, that would at least make it a bit safer.||Overall a very nice stay, even though it was (unfortunately) only...

We stayed at the Mominoki Hotel in February 2025. The experience was amazing! All the staff were incredibly helpful, starting even before our stay with them helping make reservations at local restaurants (a must in Happo during peak season).

We stayed in the Japanese and Western Style room. It was super spacious for 2 people. With 4 people (using the beds and tatami futons) there would have still be plenty of space.

Breakfast was excellent, with lots of variety to get fuelled up for a day on the mountain.

The onsen, while a bit dated in some areas, was always clean. It may be best to bathe during off-hours since the hotel offers non-staying guests to pay-to-use and the bath can get busy shortly after the chairlifts stop spinning.

The hotel has a system where you earn credits for each day you do not request your room to be cleaned. Many hotels in Japan do not clean your room each day by default, so it was great to see an extra incentive to put up the DND sign. The credits can be used towards, (alcoholic) beverages, snacks, etc. Having the room cleaned 1 day of 6 nights we were able to earn enough credits for several highballs, beers, cookies and potato chips.

The hotel has a free ski shuttle stop at the end of their driveway, and some of the larger, paid buses stop at the nearby Tokyu hotel.

The hotel also offers guests shuttles to and from nearby restaurants in Wadano, Happo and Echoland. Note the shuttle stops running around 9pm.

The drying room was kept tidy, warm and dry. All gear was dry each morning.

Overall, our stay at Mominoki made our experience in the Hakuba Valley all that...