This place is a great value for the price! It’s right in the heart of Echoland, which seems to be one of the trendier areas in the Hakuba Valley. There are shops and great dining options within a few blocks. There’s also a club right down the street, and one evening there was quite a bit of noise on the street when we were headed to bed. (Not sure fire long it lasted—it apparently wasn’t loud enough to keep me awake…)
For the Dancru itself you just need to be aware of what it is. The rooms are really just for sleeping—our room had a sink and a couple shelves, but wasn’t much bigger than the beds. There’s a large space downstairs where we hung out in the evenings playing games and doing a puzzle. The bathroom and shower are shared, and there are also two private baths downstairs. I was a little worried about availability of the facilities, but it was never a problem for us. The breakfast is great and very reasonable. I’m not sure if it changes significantly, but for us it was an egg dish, salad, fresh fruit, and bread with butter and jam—a great start to the day!
The owners/operators couldn’t be nicer—very helpful, friendly and accommodating. The network of busses throughout the valley can be a little intimidating at first, but they’ll do their best to help you figure it out.
Last but not least, the gear storage room downstairs is very convenient and has a heated closet. It’s great putting in warm boots and gloves in the morning!
