Bellevue Nishiura — Hotel in Minamiuonuma

Bellevue Nishiura is a family-run inn that places its guests' experiences above everything else.

The owner, Satoshi, has been very helpful and accommodating in my many requests:

He was willing to fetch me at Echigo-Yuzawa station to the inn late at night when I had to take a 5-hour local train from Tokyo due to the Shinkansen line being suspended for the day and to 7-11 afterwards to get food as all the eateries were closed late at night.

He helped me gear up for my skiing adventures at Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort with his rental services and discounted ski tickets.

He offered to cook for me and a Taiwanese family dinner when all the surrounding eateries were closed for the night.

He was flexible in my check-out arrangements where I could ski for half the day, have my luggage stored at the inn till my return in the afternoon, and send me back to the Echigo-Yuzawa station.

The various acts by Satoshi and his family running Bellevue Nishiura have shown that the best stay need not be at the most famous, expensive, or extravagant hotel. So do stay at Bellevue Nishiura, for you will experience the best kind of hospitality one can ever get! Thank you Satoshi and family, I will...

We stayed for 4 nights and had an amazing ski trip at this lodge.

Stay: Satoshi-san's hospitality was impeccable. The pickup and dropoff at the Shinkansen was very helpful. You can choose the station, Gala Yuzawa or Echigo-Yuzawa. He also helped send us to the supermarket (despite it being only a 15-min walk away).

Ski rental: Ski rentals are very reasonably priced, way better here than if you rent from the ski resorts.

Ski lift: 5 min walk from Ishiuchi Maruyama central ski lift. Satoshi-san was willing to provide shuttle to Gala Yuzawa ski resort instead, if requested.

Onsen: Private onsen options were available (you could opt to use the shared onsen privately together with your family and friends for up to 30 mins). It's so simple and works so well, I wonder why other Japanese inns don't do this.

Downsides:

Somewhat limited food and convenience store options in the area.

5 min walk to the ski lift with skis and boots trudging through heavy snow can be a little tiring.

Central toilet areas can be chilly. Hot water in the mornings was...

It's just five minutes walk away from the ski center, and the lodging itself provides equipment rental. So my wife and I could easily get changed before heading out, at a cheaper rate too. The rental fees could be collated with our lodging and breakfast fees, which can then be paid with our credit card.||||While the train stations and convenience stores aren't near, they are within walking distance. The friendly hosts are ready to provide free shuttle service too any time during the day, till 8pm.||||The property might be a little old. The pipes can be heard creaking whenever I turned the taps on. However, the toilets and bath are quite well-maintained, so the place is still very comfortable.||||Kudos to the host for finding my wallet after I'd checked out, and driving back to the station to pass it back. I'm really grateful for the honesty and kind...