Hakuba Gondola Hotel

wifi only available at the bar but no in the room is quite disappointing.

The people who work here are WONDERFUL. Sad that mgmt put them in this position. The facility is really in terrible shape, maintained in a patchwork, the grounds had snow boulders falling from roof and a treacherous entrance to reception. The worst arrival we've ever had; there was no shuttle service to the hotel. The roads were icy and there were no available taxis so we wandered around with gear and suitcases for 1 1/2 hours taking two nasty falls on the ice after a 12 hour trip to get there. Instead of skiing, we planned our second day of slope time there lugging our stuff back to the bus station for shipping in order to prepare for departure. The property is not a hotel, rather it's a dorm/hostel type of place. The shared bathroom was on another floor from us on 4, had one out of order, and it was flooded from the other leaking and smelly in the women's 3rd floor. Fire exits were blocked with old beds and furniture, tied open to window latches or inoperable with doors removed, no sprinklers, etc. It was completely dangerous as far as fire safety evac goes. Difficult to navigate by its byzantine corridors and lockers for gear don't lock. I never went to the communal shower but opted to use the hot springs (a 20 minute walk) after seeing the grunge reviews about not going in without shower shoes. If you wanted a nice bath there, it costs ¥3,000 extra which is more than the one in the village. Overall, the staff and location to lift were super.

Good location. Noisy until late from the bar. Dirty room with hole in the wall. Mostly polite staff, one rude staff member checking in. Maybe good choice for younger party crowd.