4-Star Hotels in Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Location: Super convenient! It's connected directly to the station building, so you can walk through a passage from the station straight to the hotel elevator without even stepping outside. The only minor inconvenience is a set of stairs you have to go down before you reach the glass doors to the hotel elevators. Facilities: The room was a bit small; I couldn't really spread out my luggage. Other than that, all the basic conditions were met. For the price, I can't really complain. Oh, and the corridor outside the elevators is really beautiful and green.

Osado Seaview Hot Spring Hotel Located on the cape on the southwest side of Sado Island, it has ample parking space and great views. You can enjoy the sunset and the Sea of ​​Japan. The check-in staff is friendly and detailed, and there are many special services that can be reserved. There are welcome drinks in the lobby from 3pm to 6pm, local cultural performances at 7:15pm, free shuttle buses to the Sado Kinzan ruins to enjoy the light show at 8pm or 9:30pm, and free midnight snacks (Inari sushi) at 10pm. Quite a variety of resources, you can come to the lobby to use/reservation if you need. This time I stayed in a tatami room. Although there is no own shower space, the space is very spacious and should be able to accommodate up to six people. Some facilities look a little old, but small places are still noticed, such as small stickers for writing names on slippers, new heating kettles for snacks and drinks, and multiple USB connectors for charging extension cords, which are very considerate. The mattress will be laid in the evening, and it feels older. Some quilts feel a bit old, and the pillows only feel hard and a bit flat. The air conditioning in the room is a little inconvenient to adjust. Sometimes it is too hot and sometimes it is too cold. I have to get up and adjust it again when I go to bed at night. It is recommended to update the air conditioning system. The public hot spring is on the first floor. There are not many people around 6 or 7 o'clock in the evening and around 9 o'clock on weekends. There are semi-open-air hot spring pools, oven saunas, and water baths. Towels are provided, so you don't have to bring your own. There are also many shampoos to choose from, and the lotions and cleaning products provided are also very good👍🏻 The breakfast options are very diverse, with many local ingredients (Sado milk🥛, Sado fried yellowtail, etc.) The most recommended seafood bowl🍱, you can freely match salmon, tuna, fresh shrimp, salmon* and other seafood, very delicious! The restaurant staff are also very friendly.

An unforgettable stay at Ryugon. Everything was exceptional - from the beautiful traditional rooms to the peaceful onsen and stunning surroundings. The kaiseki meals were thoughtfully prepared and absolutely delicious, showcasing local flavours at their best. The staff were warm, attentive, and made us feel genuinely cared for throughout our stay. A perfect blend of luxury, tradition, and relaxation. Truly special and well worth the experience.

I had a wonderful stay here as a solo traveler. The location was very convenient, with easy access to public transportation, restaurants, and convenience stores. The room was clean, comfortable, and had everything I needed for a pleasant stay. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and always willing to help whenever I had questions. The facilities were also well maintained and made my stay even more enjoyable. Overall, I had a great experience and would definitely stay here again if I visit the area in the future. Highly recommended!

Booked a room in Building 2 for three nights, and got an upgrade to the club floor. The room wasn't huge, but it had four beds, enough for two adults and two children, and the bathroom had a separate shower and toilet. The cable car is right downstairs, making skiing super convenient. There are tons of restaurants; we tried pizza, BBQ, ramen, and an izakaya, among others. The prices were reasonable, and everything tasted great. We'll definitely be back, highly recommend it!

One of the loveliest ryokans we've ever stayed at in Japan, wish we stayed for longer. Every part of the hotel is so beautiful and serves as a lovely photo backdrop. There is a lounge with coffee/tea in the mornings and alcohol and snacks in the evening. There is also a playroom (suitable for infants to 6years old). Service is top notch, everyone is so helpful and friendly. Extremely easy to communicate with them as the staff can speak English well. They gave us a map and told us where we could go for food or to the ski resorts and gave a lot of local advice. They provide all the amenities you need. They even have rain boots that you can borrow and wear in case your shoes are not waterproof. It snowed heavily while we were there and the staff are super attentive - they asked where we were headed to and suggested for comfort, that we wear the hotel's rain boots as they knew my partner's shoe wasn't waterproof/suitable to walk through the snow. Rooms are very clean, big and comfortable (only that the futons are a little thin). The onsens are rather small, but the outdoor onsen is so beautiful. They provide a shuttle service to the train station (upon request) , although it is a relatively short walk - 5mins - and easy to walk if there is no snow. 7 eleven right next to the train station and New Days inside the train station. We loved every single thing about this charming lovely hotel and we will definitely be back if we are in Echigo Yuzawa.

I can't give this a good review! I've stayed at so many ryokans with dinner and breakfast included, but this Futaba really left a lot to be desired! First off, the guy at the front desk checking us in was so quiet, he didn't even give us the most basic information like which floor the hot springs were on; he just handed us an all-English hotel guide. Second, this is the only onsen hotel I've ever stayed in where the bathroom smelled, and even the carpet in the entryway by the toilet had a urine smell... Then, the hot spring was just a regular public bath, and there wasn't even an ice pop after soaking. Finally, when we left, the staff didn't help us bring our luggage from the lobby to the shuttle bus. I had to drag it to the bus myself, and then the staff finally came out to open the door and help us load it in. (We were the only family on the bus at the time) It's just a really hard experience to rate...

NASPA New Otani Perfect family stay with spacious rooms and great snow park for kids! ”We had a wonderful stay at NASPA New Otani. The hotel's location is very convenient, not far from the train station, and the free shuttle bus service is available throughout the day, which made our travels so easy. We stayed in a Japanese Style Room, and it was incredibly spacious at 50 square meters. It was perfect for our family of three (parents and our 3-year-old child). There was plenty of room for our little one to run around and play comfortably without feeling cramped. The private snow park at the hotel is fantastic, especially for young children. Our child had so much fun playing in the snow, and it felt very safe and family-friendly. We are truly impressed with the hospitality and the facilities. We are already planning to come back and stay here again next year! Highly recommended for families.”

The hotel's location is excellent. You can see the Yuzawa Grand Hotel nestled on the mountainside right from the west exit of Echigo-Yuzawa Station. It's about a 5-minute walk, though the large, steep slope at the hotel entrance requires careful walking, especially after a snowfall in Echigo-Yuzawa and when pushing luggage, to avoid slipping. We booked a Japanese/Western-style room, and the hotel gave us a room on the 7th floor of the South Wing, directly facing the station. The views were absolutely superb, especially the distant mountains after a snowfall – truly the 'Snow Country' I'd imagined. The room had two beds, and a futon was set up in the Japanese-style area, making it perfect for families with two children on a ski trip. There are two onsen (hot springs) on the hotel's first floor, and the open-air bath is particularly memorable, especially when you catch a heavy snow while soaking outdoors. An unforgettable experience! The hotel exudes the charm of an established onsen hotel, with attentive and meticulous service. Yukata and towels are changed daily. Although the facilities show their age, they are still perfectly functional, especially the in-room mini-bar/sink area, which was convenient for eating bentos in the room after skiing each day. Oh, we didn't book breakfast or dinner; we got all our meals from the convenience store inside the station and nearby restaurants. The hotel's excellent service was also evident in many small details, such as the free rain boots at the entrance and the weather forecasts for various ski resorts. I particularly recommend the ski rental shop right outside the hotel; they have a great attitude, reasonable prices, and the ski gear and helmets are all very new. In summary, it was a very satisfying stay in every aspect. If I come back to Echigo-Yuzawa during the ski season, I will definitely stay here again!

The hotel itself is quite nice, and the service at the reception desk was excellent. The staff in person were polite and genuinely tried to help with anything I needed during my stay. However, I was very disappointed with the phone service. When I called the hotel and spoke in English, the call was hung up on me. I tried several times and the same thing happened. It did not seem like the staff member on the phone was willing to assist or find a solution. This left a very negative impression. As this is an “International Hotel,” I expected at least basic English communication or an attempt to assist rather than disconnecting the call. I already informed the hotel about this issue and I sincerely hope they improve their phone service permanently. Additionally, the hotel is located 10 mins by walk from the city center so you will likely need to take a taxi to travel around. Overall, the in person service was good but the phone communication experience needs serious improvement.