Ski Resorts in Zao Onsen

A friend and I stayed there during one week-end. It was a very good experience. The room is quite large and very clean. The highlight of this stay was for sure the dinner. The food was delicious, made with high quality products and with a large selection of different dishes. The owners were very nice with us. If you want to have an experience in a traditionnal family owned ryokan, I highly recommend to stay there :) It is exactly the kind of place that I hope will still exist in some years!

Outstanding location, particularly good if using taqubin for ski gear. Staff friendly and very helpful. Breakfast is excellent with a huge variety. Try to do the first tracks which allows you skiing before the mountain opens.

staff was really friendly and would go above and beyond. breakfast and dinner was also delish! would happily come back again

very nice place , good vibe , kind of staff ,

I love the quiet location, lots of areas to walk around and appreciate I was surprised at all the choices for breakfast and personally preferred the Japanese style breakfast all the food, fresh tasty and attractive

We had an excellent stay, food and presentations were exquisite. We admired the thought that went into presenting food in dishes that are compatible with the “mood” of the food. Only 5 minutes walk to the lift. Staff were professional, rooms were comfortable and clean. We really enjoyed our stay.

The amazing Onsen experience and the meals.

In the heart of Zao Onsen village and a short walk to the main "ropeway" or cable car. The room was beautiful with a table and cushionbs and a cupboard with futons to put out. We went western style and left our futons out all the time we were there and had some of the cushions as a makeshift bedhead against the cupboard. The food was absolutely amazing - we had a shabu shabu hot pot dinner that was cooked on our table and it was difficult to stop eating although despite the very generous serving. Breakfast was also plentiful and nutritiously so well balanced that we could go on skiing for hours without a break. The owner is charming and although we hired a local guide for going back country we should have just talked to the owner. He has been skiing is Zao all his life and was a champion giant slalom skier and is a volunteer search and rescue patrol guy too. The mother has a shop downstairs and her delicious sweet dumplings get sold out everyday. Don't worry about not having a private bathroom (I normally prefer this) as the facilities are scrupulously clean. There is a lovely communal bath (one for men, another for women) and the best onsen in town just opposite (free voucher available from the front desk). Felt really well looked after. Will definitely come back!! Zao Onsen is like a ghibli world. There are snow rabbits running about in the breathtaking scenery of the snow monsters and apparently giant foxes and (musasabi) giant flying squirrels with 1.6m wingspan (very rare to see though). Just lovely! Zao also has a new excellent music bar/restaurant called Takiyama Studio. The chefs drum and play guitiar and various instruments and a waitress sings - it was amazing, especially the qualilty of the waitresses singing and guitar playing. The chef's singing was not my cup of tea but he knew his way around an axe!

Good location and good food.

They have good location, nice onsen, friendly staff.