Schole Hakuba — Hotel in Hakuba

Watch out for all the ridiculous additional costs and unreasonable conditions.

Arrived 06.30hrs after an 8 hour overnight bus journey with our three sons and Japanese friend. Tracked through the snow from bus terminal to accommodation. Three rooms booked and paid in advance. On booking, hotel manager advised of expected time of arrival. We were told, if rooms were available we could check-in, no mention of early check-in cost. We were happy to pay early check-in on one of the three rooms, to secure our bags and change prior to going skiing.

The male manager insisted that all three rooms needed to be checked into early and we pay an extra $1080 YEN for all six of us (about $90AUD). His attitude was extraordinarily rude and the extra money demand excessive (ie greedy), on top of what we had already paid.

Seeking a more financially reasonable alternative, we sought to store our luggage elsewhere within the hotel which had occurred at every other hotel during our stay in Japan. He confirmed we could store our luggage ‘for a fee’ - again unreasonable.

We questioned the ‘fee’ as our experience was in other Japanese hotels, this was a service provided free of charge. On principle, we stated this was unscrupulous and would not pay him such monies because this was never part of the deal. He suddenly left the check-in counter and left us waiting in the foyer. Out of our sight, we could hear him speaking, however despite ringing the check-in bell, he rudely ignoring us for over half an hour. Following him speaking quietly with a woman, she attended the desk and stated this was normal in Japan. We advised requesting a fee to store luggage had not been our experience in Japan. Our Japanese friend was also very offended by their rudeness in speech content and delivery. Ultimately, we left, dragging our belongings through the snow to an information centre where we paid $50AUD for storage over two half days.

Be warned, actual check in time was 1600hrs with check out at 0900hrs (again extraordinary). Breakfast was strictly 0700hrs to 0730hrs (also extraordinary). Restaurant staff pleasant.

A great couple of ski days tarnished by rude and unethical hotel staff who clearly consider foreign tourists easy pickings to rip off. IF A NEGATIVE SCORE WAS AVAILABLE, THIS PLACE...

Arrived 06.30hrs after an 8 hour overnight bus journey with our three sons and Japanese friend. Tracked through the snow from bus terminal to accommodation. Three rooms booked and paid in advance. On booking, hotel manager advised of expected time of arrival. We were told, if rooms were available we could check-in, no mention of early check-in cost. We were happy to pay early check-in on one of the three rooms, to secure our bags and change prior to going skiing. ||||The male manager insisted that all three rooms needed to be checked into early and we pay an extra $1080 YEN for all six of us (about $90AUD). His attitude was extraordinarily rude and the extra money demand excessive (ie greedy), on top of what we had already paid.||||Seeking a more financially reasonable alternative, we sought to store our luggage elsewhere within the hotel which had occurred at every other hotel during our stay in Japan. He confirmed we could store our luggage ‘for a fee’ - again unreasonable.||||We questioned the ‘fee’ as our experience was in other Japanese hotels, this was a service provided free of charge. On principle, we stated this was unscrupulous and would not pay him such monies because this was never part of the deal. He suddenly left the check-in counter and left us waiting in the foyer. Out of our sight, we could hear him speaking, however despite ringing the check-in bell, he rudely ignoring us for over half an hour. Following him speaking quietly with a woman, she attended the desk and stated this was normal in Japan. We advised requesting a fee to store luggage had not been our experience in Japan. Our Japanese friend was also very offended by their rudeness in speech content and delivery. Ultimately, we left, dragging our belongings through the snow to an information centre where we paid $50AUD for storage over two half days. ||||Be warned, actual check in time was 1600hrs with check out at 0900hrs (again extraordinary). Breakfast was strictly 0700hrs to 0730hrs (also extraordinary). Restaurant staff pleasant.||||A great couple of ski days tarnished by rude and unethical hotel staff who clearly consider foreign tourists easy...

We thoroughly enjoyed our 3 day stay at Schole Hakuba. The room exceeded our expectations with cleanliness and more space than usual for a private inn. The onsen is spacious, clean, and well-kept. The ski room is easily accessible and well heated.

We opted for the half-board plan which included a great breakfast buffet and a traditional Japanese dinner. Be sure to consult with the front desk ahead of time if you have dietary restrictions.

Most of all, the staff were incredibly helpful and accommodating. Despite our limited understanding of Japanese, they went out of their way to make us comfortable. On our last day, our car got stuck on ice in the parking lot and they helped us get it out. I hope to return some day to repay them for...