Hoshino Resorts KAI Alps — Hotel in Omachi

A warning: if you booked the two-night early booking (with a 20% discount), dinner on the second night is not included. This was not made clear on their website when we booked (August 2016). We were not told when we checked-in and was even asked when we wanted our dinner. We were only told right before dinnertime on the second day when we returned from the slopes. This is a bigger problem here than in other places because the nearest other restaurants are not near and would require a trek in the dark through the snow. They allowed us to have dinner with an extra charge. Nevertheless, it felt a lot like we had been subject to a bait-and-switch. With the extra dinner charge, the hotel made back almost the entire 20% discount, thus negating the whole concept of an early booking discount. When we raised the issue with the hotel management, we were led into a long discussion of what was on or not on the website and a protracted debate on the meaning of “half-board”. The manager was not present during this discussion, choosing rather to use a junior staff to interpret and then disappearing into the background. Again, this is not a question of money (as anyone staying at the Hoshinoya Chains can attest to) but rather an issue of clarity and hospitality. ||It was not only the pricing that seemed a bait-and-switch. The photographer for the website deserves an award. The hotel itself is a disappointment. Given the reputation of the Kai and Hoshinoya chain and the beautiful photos online, we expected something better than the dark, cramped, old-fashioned rooms. Dinner was a mediocre attempt at a proper kaiseki meal. For a new hotel- and at this price- we had hoped for a special, luxury experience which we experienced at other Hoshinoya hotels (we will probably never stay at a Kai again and would opt for the much more superior and outstanding Hoshinoya brand). For this level of service and comfort, we could have stayed a traditional Ryokan, which would have had outstanding service and a touch of true Japanese culture.||The only bright light in this experience, the reason for two and not one star, was the junior staff who tried their best to provide the best service and information within...

Having previously had a wonderful time at Hoshinoya Karuizawa, our family of four felt we could trust their brand and devised a driving holiday which took us from Kawaji over to Nagano. KAI Alps was the final of four Hoshino branded resorts that we stayed. ||||Of all the KAIs, Alps is the one that surprised us the most as its much larger and much more impressive than it’s website makes out. We stayed in a family room which was advertised as having a bunk-bed but its really a much more impressive mezzanine level that provides additional sleeping space. Overall its still a relatively small space for a family of four but the most modern and impressive of all the rooms we had. I asked someone who worked there how long the place had been open and apparently its only 3 years old.||||KAI Alps appears to cater for people looking for a bit more luxury on their skiing trips. There is a dedicated dry room for storing ski equipment which we made use of and it was an easy drive to multiple ski areas nearby; we stuck with Hakuba although there were some nearer ones.||||Where KAI Alps fell down, compared to the others, was food and service. The portions were noticeably smaller than the other resorts and service was more functional, less personal with the exception of Miwa who went to great lengths to ensure we didn’t get stuck with the same menu we had been having at other KAIs (although we were fine with that, the food was great everywhere) ||||Hakuba was a great skiing area and we had some of the best skiing of our lives. Despite the slight issues with food and service compared to other KAIs, this will definitely be somewhere we would return to if we plan another...

Hoshino Resorts are well known for their high quality offerings, and this particular hotel didn’t disappoint. Staff are extremely well trained, and after the refurbishment in December 2017, everything is brand spanking new. We got the top quality food and services with the traditional “countryside” experience. The onsen was traditional yet with modern fixtures, so it made for a pleasant experience. After steeping in the bath for a while, we cooled our bodies down with soba tea and shiso vinegar juice. I personally loved that we could just decide to hop into the onsen without having to prepare the towels etc. from our room; all the amenities are at the baths already. The Japanese food both for breakfast and dinner was top notch. We had some food intolerances in the family, but they accommodated gracefully. ||The “irori” room was my favorite. It was the traditional Japanese hearth/open fire over which you could cook stews and snacks. When we were there, an old Japanese guy was roasting a snack called oyaki, dumplings with a veggie filing, that was yummy. It gave me the illusion that we were staying at a secluded old Japanese farm house, which in realty would’ve been way too cold and inconvenient for us. The hotel was full of quaint charms like this while boasting a fully functioning modern facility. ||We weren’t big skiers, in fact we were there to frolic in the snow, so the Jiigatake ski slope just 10 minutes away by taxi was perfect. It was a modest resort perfect for kids and beginners. We took ski lessons here until we got used to the snow, which wasn’t hard since we had tons of powder! We were a family of 5, kids aged 13, 10, 6, and very...