Monkey Rider Lodge — Hotel in Hakuba

This hotel is more of a hostel and that's fine. But fine is all it is. I came in expecting great things as friends have stayed here before, however after 11 nights left feeling underwhelmed.||Bathrooms: We didn't book an ensuite and I wish we had (although friends who have stayed prior said they are quite small, aw is normal in Japan). The showers are not private at all. It would be easy to put screens between the shower heads but instead they are communal. I luckily didn't encounter anyone while showering but I'd expect better. Bathrooms and shower rooms also do not have adequate heating which is pathetic for a hostel in a ski resort.||Boot room: There isn't enough space for all skis/boards when the hostel is full but it better than nothing. The "drying room" does an average job so instead I dried my gear in my room.||Room: We ended up with four beds for the two of us and pushed two together to create a kind of double bed. The other two beds were bunk beds. Our room was spacious because it was a 4 person room with only 2 of us in it, and the heating was great. The room was comfortable and we'll lit. It needed a mirror though and proper storage as we were unable to unpack our suitcases.||Staff: The majority of the staff at Monkey Rider this season were disconnected and more concerned with drinking than their jobs. They were clique-y and when I asked questions about local restaurants or buses, the answer was usually "I don't know"...with no offer to find out. That was highly unexpected as I have stayed in numerous hostels and have never had such unhelpful staff (Akira was friendly and helpful). A group of us were kicked out of the common room at 11 on a Saturday night ("The common room closes at 10:30"...okay fair) but the next night the staff were in there drinking and listening to music until 11:30. They were generally abrasive and complained about other hostel guests within earshot of us.||Breakfast: Breakfast was basic but filling. It was nice to have it included. The kitchen is great (and cold unfortunately) and stocked with great utensils.||Location: Close to some GREAT restaurants and a convenience store! Closest ATM is about 1km but that's normal for Japan, in particular Hakuba. It's quite easy to get buses to any of the mountains from nearby bus stops.||The staff did provide pickup and drop off for us on arrival and departure to the train station. It would have been nice to be given information about restaurants and the local area on arrival. Our room was quite noisy at times as it was beside reception and the front door and soundproofing was not the best.||We wouldn't stay here again unfortunately and would opt for a hotel next time which was closer to the slopes. It felt like it should be a hostel but lacked the awesome atmosphere of every hostel...

The Monkey Rider is more like a large house than a hostel. It has a real homely feel. Everyone that works there treats you like a guest in their home. We had a triple room however my partner and I didn’t have to share the room with anyone. The room we got didn’t have an ensuite which was fine as it was cheaper which we were happy about. The room was warm and cosy. Enough room to semi unpack. The WiFi was free and fast. I always had the shower room to myself. Showers had great pressure and were always nice and hot. The toilets were always clean also. Drinks at the bar were cheap on happy hour and we had some great nights in with other guests. There is a vending machine in the hostel which sells booze also  Massive kitchen. Bring your own oil and salt and pepper though. Breakfast was simple however yum. Breakfast times change pending on snow forecast and whether or not it’s a POWDER DAY! The monkey rider is fairly close to most things. However as the town is quite spread out it’s a little bit of a walk. Nothing is more than 10mins away. You can walk to Happo one chair lift. Maybe 20 min walk. Or get a shuttle to any mountain. Ross and Annie were able to give us advice on where the shuttle stopped and times. They were also kind enough to take us to the bus terminal when we arrived and departed. Great no frills hostel with nothing but good vibes and smiles....

Highly recommended the Monkey Rider Lodge to anyone looking to stay in Hakuba. Brad, Hugh and Akira were wonderful hosts and extremely helpful, providing amazing service to my group and I over the week we spent there. Whether you’re looking for somewhere close to shuttles that take you to the mountains for a ski/snowboard, or somewhere cosy to hang out in the living room and relax, they tick all the boxes. As a bonus the living room comes with an awesome bar, some heated floors and one of the all round best playlists you’ll be able to find (good job Hugh🤝). To top it all off Brad was a legend helping me get around Hakuba with no hesitation after i dealt with a crippling injury. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. Cheers Brad, Hugh and Akira for having us and making our Hakuba trip that much better. Would love to come back when...