4-Star Hotels in Niigata Prefecture, Japan

"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!"

"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."

"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.”"

"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..."

"Great ryokan to stay in if you are skiing in the echigo yuzawa area. There is a bus stop right outside the hotel which takes you to most of the ski slopes via the blue line/route shuttle bus. The rooms are big enough (japanese tatami style) and the onsens are wonderful to use after a day out in the mountains. The only issues I had were the laundry washing and drying coin machines. There are only 2 washers and 2 dryers. The cost is much higher than other hotels we have been to, and the dryer was unable to dry our clothes fully. The clothes were roughly 70-80% dry, to which we hung it in our room overnight to air dry. That being said, I would still choose to stay here again as the convenience and location are unmatched."

"This is one of the best hotels we've stayed in, we enjoyed all the little details - free flow of coffee and tea with snacks throughout the day, complimentary light pastries for breakfast and happy hour with free plum wine and sake. The onsen, both public and private, is so cosy and relaxing. And the overall design of the hotel, utilizing the previous farmhouse as the foundation, created a quaint yet calm space. Yes it's a little pricey stay but we would def come back again if we're heading to Minamiuonama."