[Stay Review] Madarao Kogen Hotel, Directly Connected to the Slopes: Dinner & Breakfast Included

This time I’m introducing the hotel directly connected to Madarao Kogen Ski Resort, which sits on the border of Nagano and Niigata and is famous for having Japan’s best ungroomed courses: “Madarao Kogen Hotel”.

“For those who are thinking of going to Madarao Kogen Ski Resort but can’t decide which hotel to stay at”

“For those who are considering Madarao Kogen Hotel but find it pricey and are torn between other hotels”

this article is just right for you, so please read to the end.

Why I Chose Madarao Kogen Hotel

First, why I chose Madarao Kogen Hotel to stay at, let me explain.

If you’re struggling to choose a hotel, you’ll want to know what the deciding factor was, right?

There were three reasons.

Let’s go through them in order.

Reason ①: Accessible by Shinkansen

The most important thing in choosing a hotel this time was whether I could reach the hotel by Shinkansen without using a car or taxi.

Madarao Kogen Hotel’s nearest station is JR Iiyama Station, a stop on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

From Tokyo Station you can reach Iiyama Station in about 1 hour 50 minutes.

From Iiyama Station, it takes about 20 minutes to the hotel on the Madarao Line Iiyama City Community Bus.

There’s a bus stop right in front of the hotel, so getting around with a suitcase is easy, and you can reach the hotel from Tokyo Station almost without walking.

» ★Lift ticket included★ Madarao Kogen Ski Resort right in front of you! Includes a 1-day lift ticket exclusively for Madarao Kogen Ski Resort ♪

Reason ②: Immediate Access to the Ski Resort

Access from the hotel to the slopes is something everyone worries about, right?

Walking a long distance in ski boots carrying skis, a snowboard, and small items is tough.

Before you start skiing you’re excited so it’s fine, but usually you’re tired afterward. Add bad weather like a blizzard and it’s the worst.

From Madarao Kogen Hotel, you can reach Madarao Kogen Ski Resort in a 1-minute walk, and you can even ski all the way back down without riding a lift!
» [Early-bird, ¥1,700 off] Madarao Kogen Ski Resort adult 1-day lift ticket

Reason ③: Dinner and Breakfast Included

Whether you want dinner and breakfast included depends on whether there are restaurants near the hotel and local cuisine to try.

This time, I had a clear goal: to enjoy skiing and snowboarding and relax at the hotel, so I was looking for a hotel with dinner and breakfast included.

But of course, not just any dinner and breakfast: the food had to be guaranteed to be reasonably tasty.

That’s important. (lol)

Hotels near ski resorts are mostly at high elevations, and delivering food while keeping it fresh tends to raise transport costs.

Against that background, hotels easily cut costs by lowering the quality of their meal service.

I was stunned when, at a ski resort hotel I once stayed at, the dinner tasted like thawed frozen food.

At Madarao Kogen Hotel, they serve a buffet restaurant (Japanese, Western, and Chinese) proud of its 30+ menu items.

Access to Madarao Kogen Hotel

“Madarao Kogen Hotel” is a highland hotel on the border of Nagano and Niigata, located about 20 minutes by bus from Iiyama Station at an elevation of about 1,000 m.

By car, it’s about 16.5 km from Toyoda-Iiyama IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway, taking about 25 minutes in normal conditions.

* Prices show the lowest weekday rate before coupons and discounts for 2 guests with dinner and breakfast. Please check the linked site for the latest information.

Overview of Madarao Kogen Hotel

Here are the details of the hotel where I stayed this time, Madarao Kogen Hotel.

Madarao Kogen Hotel is a mid-sized hotel with 102 guest rooms, and the birthplace of the author of the children’s song “Furusato” (famous for its line about chasing rabbits on that mountain) is actually Madarao.

It has a large public bath, hot spring, pool, fitness gym, and more, with plenty of facilities to enjoy inside the hotel.

Check-in

The front desk is immediately on the left after you enter the main entrance.

If you arrive by bus, all the bus passengers line up at the front desk at once, so I strongly recommend boarding near the front of the bus!

There were many Japanese and foreign staff members. Wi-Fi seems to be usable without any password.

Bedroom

The guest room corridor felt a little narrow, but it didn’t bother me much.

The walls are white-painted concrete with a simple finish, but I wasn’t looking for a luxury hotel, so it’s perfectly acceptable.

This time we stayed in Room 103, a 4-bed room renovated in 2020.

The door lock is old-fashioned, using a physical key.

Entering the room, you’ll see a table and two chairs in the center, with two beds on each side arranged symmetrically.

The TV is mounted on the central wall, but you basically can’t watch it while lying on the beds.

The beds are single beds and feel a little tight, but it doesn’t bother me much.

I wished the beds had lights, but when you’re tired from snowboarding you fall asleep as soon as you get in bed, so it’s no problem!

On the TV stand are an electric kettle, tissue box, Resesh deodorizing spray, intercom phone, and remotes (TV, air conditioner), and there’s a small one-door refrigerator.

1.5-liter and 2-liter plastic bottles don’t fit, so be careful when stocking up.

On the table are sencha tea bags and baked sweets.

Washbasin & Toilet

At the back right are a separate washbasin and toilet.

Since it was just renovated, the water areas are very clean!

A simple hair dryer is also provided.

The toilet is a private, clean, spacious room where you can take your time.

A clean toilet matters more than you’d think!

Luggage Storage & Lockers at Madarao Kogen Hotel

You can’t enter the guest rooms before check-in, so you can leave your luggage in the large hall and get ready.

There are separate coin lockers and changing rooms for men and women in the hotel, so use them if you need to change clothes.

When it’s crowded, some men and kids quickly change in the large hall, but please be mindful of manners and other people’s eyes.

Madarao Kogen Hotel Is Directly Connected to the Ski Resort

Madarao Kogen Hotel is described as directly connected to the ski resort, but just how directly connected is it? You must be curious.

Leave the ski room attached to the hotel and walk a little along the road beside the hotel.

It’s almost flat, so it’s impractical to put your skis on and go; everyone walks.

After walking about 2 minutes you reach a fairly wide space, where you can put on your boards, and it’s also used as a meeting place.

The lift ticket office is nearby, so stop by if you have a ticket voucher or haven’t bought one yet.

» [Early-bird, ¥1,700 off] Madarao Kogen Ski Resort adult 1-day lift ticket

Madarao Kogen Hotel is on high ground, and to get on a lift you have to ski down one run first, so keep that in mind.

Ski Room at Madarao Kogen Hotel

Madarao Kogen Hotel has no drying room, but there’s a space where you can leave skis and snowboards.

Please lean your skis and snowboards there rather than bringing them into your room.

There are also coin lockers, though not many.

* Prices show the lowest weekday rate before coupons and discounts for 2 guests with dinner and breakfast. Please check the linked site for the latest information.

Dinner at Madarao Kogen Hotel

Dinner at Madarao Kogen Hotel is served at the main dining room “Piemonte.”

With about 30 Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes the buffet is a little modest in variety, but each dish is made deliciously by the head chef.

Here are some example menu items!!

Shrimp stir-fried with curry flavor, and beef and liver stir-fried in a red wine sauce.

The head chef’s specialties: country-style simmered canned mackerel and daikon, and salmon and potato gratin.

You rarely see these at other dinner buffets.

Shinshu mushroom Japanese-style pasta and nikuman (steamed meat buns).

The nikuman disappear quickly, so are they really that good?

There are fried staples like fried chicken and french fries, so kids will be thrilled!!

The popular sushi at the live kitchen is made on the spot, three pieces at a time, with shrimp, squid, tuna, salmon, and more.

I’m not good at peeling the shells of amaebi (sweet shrimp) sashimi, but I love it!

Here’s how the table for three looked with food piled up generously.

Boom. Everyone loves sushi! lol

* Prices show the lowest weekday rate before coupons and discounts for 2 guests with dinner and breakfast. Please check the linked site for the latest information.

Breakfast at Madarao Kogen Hotel

Breakfast is served at the same main dining room “Piemonte” as dinner.

Breakfast is a buffet too, so be careful not to overeat before skiing!

The salad has a wide variety: shredded cabbage, shredded carrot, purple radicchio, corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and more.

The breakfast lineup features the classics: everybody’s favorite sausages and scrambled eggs.

There are somewhat higher-calorie items such as grilled salted mackerel, meatballs, and nikujaga, but if you ski a lot it’s no problem! So eat plenty.

Fried gyoza and warm vegetables are also available.

There’s rice and miso soup, as well as breads like white bread, milk bread, and croissants.

Grain-based chocolate crisps and corn flakes, rich in nutrients such as iron and calcium.

For dessert, top tropical fruit with plain yogurt and add blueberry or orange sauce to taste.

Drinks available are milk, orange juice, and apple juice.

There’s also bancha, coffee, and tea.

Here’s an example of my plating. In the morning I try to focus on salad.

There was nothing particularly original like local cuisine, but everything tasted good and I ate until I was full!

* Prices show the lowest weekday rate before coupons and discounts for 2 guests with dinner and breakfast. Please check the linked site for the latest information.

Thoughts After Staying at the Hotel

The three reasons I chose it were as described at the start, and it was almost exactly as expected: close to the slopes with a hot spring, relaxed, and I could enjoy snowboarding.

The large public bath, open-air bath, and sauna aren’t big, but since the hotel is meant for ski resort users, that’s no problem at all.

Hotels directly connected to a ski resort at a reasonable price are hard to find, so if you’re considering Madarao Kogen Ski Resort, please consider a one-night, two-day stay at Madarao Kogen Hotel.

So, let’s trip and be happy!!