The Mominoki Hotel is an excellent choice for a Hakuba Hotel. It only has a couple of minor limitations and we really enjoyed our stayed there. This hotel is in a good location and delivers good value for money.

ROOM
We stayed in the old wing where our room was somewhat basic and out of sync with many other parts of the hotel which were rather upscale. The room was of an average size and had twin beds, which is typical of hotels in Japan. The room had a bolt-on bathroom (which is also typical of a Japanese hotel) but it was a little tighter than the average.

LOCATION
The Mominoki is well located for those that want to sample multiple Hakuba resorts. It’s an easy walk to Happo One or it’s right outside a bus stop that goes into town and to other resorts. The proximity to the Rhythm ski shop, Evergreen Tours and various restaurants was also a bonus. The location would also be good for those wanting ski school lessons because it’s on the shuttle route for their pick ups.

FACILITIES
The indoor and outdoor hot springs were spectacular and 100% natural; very clean and a great place to end and/or or start the day. The bar area was cosy with its open fire and baby grand piano and was a great place to chill out. The wifi worked very well too.

The facilities were comprehensive but there were just a few little oddities that weren’t well thought out for a hotel at a ski resort. Firstly it was hard to dry clothing in the room as there was only an overhead heater and no way to dry boots (except with a hair dryer), no hooks and only one tiny little rail in the bathroom. The drying room near reception was a joke. It was miniature and they turned the heater off in the early evening (and left it off overnight) when you most wanted your clothes to dry. They also had the ski storage outside. I know Japan is a relatively safe place but this seemed a little weird.

MEALS
The breakfast buffet selection was huge and covered both western and Japanese food, but they didn’t change the fare on offer each day so after a few days it felt like "ground hog day". We also had a buffet dinner there one night, which was of fantastic quality.

SERVICE
Other than a little miscommunication regarding our pick up from the Happo Information Centre, the service was very good. Staff went out of their way to be helpful and there were a good number of English speaking staff making communication easy.
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