Hatago Maruhachi

Cleanliness & Maintenance: Multiple reviews noted the cleanliness of the accommodations, emphasizing well-maintained rooms, kitchens with basic supplies, and overall hygiene standards. The availability of essential items and the general upkeep of facilities were frequently highlighted as positive aspects.

Hatago Maruhachi is a slightly quirky apartment-hotel not far from the Iwatake ski area. Check-in (a slightly convoluted process) is via Hakuba Funny Hours a couple of buildings up the street - which appears to be more of a hostel type set up. The rooms have a good amount of space, a huge bed and a separate walk-in robe/storage area, which is handy, especially if you have snowboard/ski gear with you. The bathroom is up a small flight of stairs, which is a little problematic if you need to use it in the middle of the night. The kitchen has all the basics you need if you want to self-cater (7-11 is a 5-10 minute walk), although some more instructions in English for some of the appliances (the microwave/oven combo for instance) would be handy. There are a couple of free-standing heaters, but the electric one was noisy and not in the bedroom and I didn't feel comfortable sleeping with the kerosene one on, so it did get chilly overnight in -12 celsius outside. Not that it is the hotel's fault but the people across the passageway were a nightmare - noisy at all hours without any consideration for other guests. They even tried to open my door at one point - they put a dampener on my experience. There are two little onsens downstairs, which you can reserve but which seemed mostly empty during my stay.