Location: Yamagata Japanese Pensions
Top Hotels in Yamagata Japanese Pensions
The 8 best Japanese Pensions in Yamagata, Japan
Discover the best Japanese Pensions in Yamagata, Yamagata Prefecture, Tohoku including Zao Center Plaza, Pension Putaro, Der Barte, Hotel Oakhill, Forest Inn Sangoro, Lodge Scole Inc., KKR Zao Hakuginsou, Snow Freak Sunrise.
Restaurants in Yamagata
1. Zao Center Plaza
Overall Ratings
4 based on 39 reviews
A Plaza in the Centre of Zao
Reviewed By jshangZao Center Plaza is centrally located with a short walk from the Zao Onsen bus station. On exiting the station, turn right and walk along the main road for about 10 minutes and you will reach the hotel. The hotel is old and dated, but rooms are big with plenty of space for luggages and ski accessories. We were given a room on the third floor in an annex building connected by a walkway to the main building where the reception, breakfast room and onsens are located. Our room only has a toilet with a wash basin but as is in most cases, bathing facilities are really not needed as showering at the onsen is pretty much the norm. The hotel adopt a strictly 3pm check-in policy but luggages can be self stored in a common room near the reception should you be early. None of the staff speak any English so communication mostly will have to be a mixture of sign languages and reliance on a translation app. Reception is not visible from the front as it is on the first floor while on the ground floor, you will find a souvenir cum winter accessories shop and a yakitori outlet next to it. Opposite the hotel and across the road is a Lawson convenience store and a shop away, a ski rental manage by a friendly local that charges very competitive rates. There are also a few eateries along the same strip with a small ramen shop being one of our favourites. Wi-Fi was efficient and reliable. The hotel was not at full occupancy and as we were there on weekdays, we did not encounter much noise disturbance and slept well. Breakfast was a simple mixture of japanese and western offerings though not much in variety, but ample and sufficient to keep us going for a day on the mountains. The hotel is a ski-in ski-out with the Nakamori course next to it, while the Sanroku Ropeway that lead to the Jizosancho station at the top for the Snow Monsters area via the Juhyokogen station at mid-level is about a 10 minutes walk away. Both the indoor and especially the outdoor onsen are great for a soak and relaxation after a day's exertions on the mountains. A minor problem we had being in the annex building, it can get pretty cold and chilly especially in the morning when we have to make our way across the walkway to the main building for breakfast or to use the onsens. Zao Center Plaza is an ideal choice to set up base for its location and easy access to both the Nakamori run and Sanroku Ropeway, nearby food and groceries options and reasonably priced accommodation. Would look to stay again if we are back in Zao Onsen.
2. Pension Putaro
Overall Ratings
4 based on 10 reviews
Guest House
Disappointing, overpriced
Reviewed By tnbms162016It's half a kilometre from the bus terminal, but there was no offer of a pickup or dropoff, even though I had luggage and there's no other transport. On arrival, there was no offer to help me take my bags upstairs to the room, either. Small things, but they make a poor first impression, indicative of a lack of care. The building and the room are old and a bit run-down, not much thought given to anything. The most serious negative point is the mattress, far too hard, uncomfortable to sleep on. I had dinner there, a so-called French full-course dinner. The cook is an enthusiastic amateur, and the dinner was okay, but somewhat lacking in imagination, and not recognisably French. I appreciate the effort they made with the food, but it's definitely not worth 5500 yen. All in all, the pension is underwhelming and overpriced.
3. Der Barte
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 11 reviews
lovely people, ski in, ski out, way overpriced
Reviewed By TheBeareThis hotel has an excellent location as it's a ski in ski out. The breakfasts were very nice with piped classical music and lovely older couple running the place. There are Swiss, Austrian decorations everywhere and you can imagine the decor hasn't changed much in 40 years. The property description said that breakfast was included which is true and evening meals are provided too, at a cost though and there are much cheaper and better options in Zao town. The bed was as hard as a rock, seriously, for the price just wrong. The hot water system took awhile to crank up in the morning but was ok. Internet wifi was free but had no password and didn't work very well in the rooms. The rooms were warm and the drying room was nice and warm too, not every ski lodge does that. For the price charged I would not recommend this lodge unless it was a short stay and you were desperate for an on mountain ski in ski out stay. Look further.
4. Hotel Oakhill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 26 reviews
Awesome service and incredible hot springs.
Reviewed By CanmaninjapanWe stayed for two nights, with dinner and breakfast. The hot springs were cloudy white high alkaline and were refreshing and nice on our skin. We loved them. The room had a great view of the mountains and a ski jump. The fog rolling in was beautiful. The meals were delicious and, in particular, the waiters were friendly and helpful with information about the area. Zao itself was interesting and had free hot spring huts where you can relax. Go and enjoy!
5. Forest Inn Sangoro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9 reviews
Mid-mountain hideaway
Reviewed By CallieB604Friends booked us in at Sangoro so we could ski in / out... and it truly is ski in/out... not like places at the bottom of the hill where u can only ski in/out if there’s a decent amount of snow. Sangoro is at mid-mountain, so if the resort is open for the winter season, you can ski in / out of this hotel. The disadvantage of being at mid-mountain is that there is only Sangoro there and you can’t leave / get back there from The main village after 5pm. So all your evenings are spent at the hotel. It wasn’t a problem for us, but I think you’d get cabin fever if u stayed there too long. They have a reasonable dinner menu that is mostly Japanese but has a few western and vegetarian options (spaghetti with soy meat and margarita pizza). They have a soft drink machine and soup machine which are free for people staying there (all u can drink). There’s also a pool table, table tennis table, a few games and a massage chair u can use (the massage chair is quite good after a day on the slopes). The bathrooms are Japanese (shared) but you can only use them between 7-9am and 5-10pm... only showers can be used in the morning but they fill up the big hot baths in the evenings. The women’s bathroom is down on the lowest level, so you have to go down 2 or 3 flights of stairs to get there. Men’s bathroom is on the main floor, with the hotel rooms 1 and 2 floors above. There are no elevators, so you need to be ok with climbing the fairly steep stairs and carrying luggage up/down. They have a drying room on the lowest level for ski gear, but someone kept opening the window in the room so it was always very cold in there (no point putting your stuff in there to dry). One thing everyone in our group complained about was the beds and/or pillows... not comfortable at all! I had poor sleep as I had to keep rotating all night or my arm or leg would go numb. The people working at the hotel are really nice. Some of them speak better English than others... we didn’t have any language issues but we did have a couple of people in our group who speak good Japanese, which was helpful for anything complicated. To get to the hotel you have to catch the Chuo Ropeway up to mid-mountain and get the hotel to pick you up in their special car (on tracks to drive on the snow). If you need lift tickets it’s a little cheaper to purchase them from the hotel but you. I enjoyed my time at Sangoro (except the beds), but it’s not somewhere I’d stay for a really long time due to its remoteness (there are really good and not so good things about being isolated on the mountain).
6. Lodge Scole Inc.
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28 reviews
Set in a stunning and picturesque setting, Lodge Scole in Zao Onsen offers the ultimate authentic experience of a family-friendly skiing holiday in Japan. With an expansive ski area available, Lodge Scole is able to accommodate to all levels of skiers and snow boarders, from little beginners to the very advanced, and for those experienced parents who feel brave enough, there’s the opportunity to can have a go at skiing off-piste through the trees. If your children aren’t quite full-fledged skiers then lessons are available, and the lodge does offer English speaking instructors. With just 12 rooms, Lodge Scole will make you feel special. Most rooms have panoramic views of the ski fields. The roaring fire in the lounge will warm you after a days skiing, the big screen television has satellite English stations and DVD player. Room rates offer amazing value for money. The in house “Woodpecker Bar” will introduce you to Sake or reacquaint you with an old favourite. Zao has several onsen, supplied by natural thermal sulphur waters from hundreds of metres below ground. The outdoor onsen can be a highlight of a ski holiday, relaxing tired muscles after a day on the slopes. Traditional Japanese Bath Houses are also dotted throughout Zao and are part of the true Japanese experience. Zao Onsen Ski Resort, 41 lifts, no waiting in lift lines, 10km runs, beginners to advanced, Snow Monsters, Real Powder Snow and beautifully groomed runs, Real Japanese culture, fabulous food, hot outdoor natural thermal spas. You can reach the resort on the luxurious bullet train from Tokyo to Yamagata.
Lodge Scole
Reviewed By Susan NWe had a wonderful week at this family run ski lodge. The food was great home cooked fusion of western and Japanese dishes. It was always tasty and plentiful. The staff were friendly and always very helpful. The location is good with a short walk to the slopes. Our room was clean and comfortable. This lodge is very good value for money and worthy of a high recommendation. We hope to return.
7. KKR Zao Hakuginsou
Overall Ratings
4 based on 8 reviews
次回も利用したい宿
Reviewed By Freedom804950スキーで２回目の利用でした。ロープウェイ駅のある中の森ゲレンデのすぐ近くの好立地です。２月（本来は雪が多い時期）で、うまくいけばゲレンデから宿まで板を外さずに滑って帰ってこれる事、そして食事が懐石風でとても美味しいことが決め手でした。ホテルの外観は古いです。電話予約の際に、綺麗な部屋を希望したら、ツインベッドのあるびっくりするくらい綺麗な部屋に泊めて頂きました。トイレも洗面台も新しく清潔で掃除も行き届いていました。高級旅館並みの部屋で宿泊費はリーズナブルでした。蛇口から出る水は蔵王の湧き水で、とても美味しかったです。細かいお願いにも快く対応してくださいました。温泉は強酸性の含硫黄泉でした。硫黄泉は肌が乾燥するので好きではないのですが、ここのお湯は肌がつるつるになりびっくりしました。蔵王に泉源が何カ所かあり、一番良い泉質だそうです。女性のお風呂の方が男性のより小さく残念でしたが、宿泊客が男性が多かったので仕方がないかなと思いました。
8. Snow Freak Sunrise
