โJoetsu is such a beautiful city very rarely visited by foreigners. Go take a walk around the Takada Castle grounds and see all the variety of Giant Lotus flowers. See the amazing art at the museums. Also learn about Samurai history with Kenshin Uesugi!โ
โThe Lotte Arai is the best hotel for skiing and onsen. Super soft endless powder snow on the gorgeous mountain hills and the slopes were adventurous and super exciting. The expert++ slopes can be another surplus if you are expert level. The onsen is luxury level. Sitting in the hotel water with snow falling on your head, especially at Lotte's well groomed onsen is unforgettable.
The food at the hotel is not luxury level and limited as the location is all on its own with the city being 20-30 mins...
โItโs just beautiful. They have a shuttle to the ski areas that arenโt walkable. Free shuttle from and to the train station. They were very friendly and helped me set up my luggage transportation to the next ski location. โ
โWe had a great stay at the Elan Hotel. Chris made the stay much easier by driving us around a bunch. The other staff is just as helpful as Chris. We highly recommended staying here! Thank you for the great time!โ
โThis place is a great discovery. The hosts offer a warm and gracious hospitality. The jazz music they play in the common area is excellent. I love their displays of art and the maps of the local area. The breakfasts were splendid and the host worked to accommodate the dietary needs of one of our group.โ
โGorgeous property. Communication could be better pre-arrivalโฆ slow to respond. But post-arrival, the reception and service was impeccable. A special place for sure!โ
"The room is quite old and seems a smoking room, which smells a little. It is quite old and worn-out, not clean. But, it is acceptable given the price in the neighborhood. The lobby is good and spacious."
"The Lotte Arai is the best hotel for skiing and onsen. Super soft endless powder snow on the gorgeous mountain hills and the slopes were adventurous and super exciting. The expert++ slopes can be another surplus if you are expert level. The onsen is luxury level. Sitting in the hotel water with snow falling on your head, especially at Lotte's well groomed onsen is unforgettable.
The food at the hotel is not luxury level and limited as the location is all on its own with the city being 20-30 mins drive away from the site. One snowy evening when the Japanese, steak house, and Thai restaurant was full we drove out in the heavy snow to a slightly city area and found a local restaurant reccomending their stove rice pot, it became my top 3 best restaurant in Japan. I would reccomend driving out for food there was also a great Yakiniku not far away too."
