Aratashi Minakami (ski days hotel) — Hotel in Honshu

The dinner started off good but it got so bad quickly. And the food is very light portions, we ended up eating sushi 4 minutes walk away from the hotel after! They also tried but did not cater to allergies properly. The staff were all really really nice though. The dessert was the worst I’ve ever had.

Overall it’s a good stay because it was quite reasonable, (around ¥33000 dinner & breakfast) but because it’s cheap they also cheap out on a few things. For example, not even a single bottle of water in the room? The heater also had a terrible smell when we turned it on. The bath in the room is quite nice but don’t think it’s pure Onsen water). If you stay, I’d opt out of dinner. Breakfast was okay but not amazing. Not commenting on the public Onsen, I did not use it.

It’s really beautiful in autumn, if it wasn’t for the ambience I think it’ll...

Ultra modern hotel. Each room has beautiful river and mountain views. Very clean everywhere. Private hot spring bath on balcony is wonderful. Dinner and breakfast were fantastic. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Maybe the best standard sized room of any hotel I've visited. We have visited a number of onsen hotels around Japan and this one was our favorite; both for the room and the meals. |The problem here is that the beautiful small shops on the quaint street are almost all closed; and not for the season. I know business will pick up in the winter when skiers from nearby Tokyo come here but it is too bad that the shops have failed. Something needs to be done to bring more traffic and create things to do outside the hotel. The river in September is low so no rafting or kayaking. If you like to hike there are many trails in the...

We spent 3 nights at Aratashi Hotel and it was a great choice. Our twin room with balcony had a private onsen, which was absolutely wonderful. The room was modern, comfortable, and well-equipped with everything we needed.

I was initially concerned the hotel might be too far from the station, but if you’re driving, it’s actually very convenient — perfect for exploring nearby spots like Abergino Orchards, Numata, and Fukiware Falls. The Mount Tanigawa ropeway is only about a 20-minute drive away.

There’s also an excellent shabu-shabu restaurant and pizza place nearby. If you’re visiting Minakami in autumn, I recommend coming later in the week, as many shops close on Mondays...