Pension & Cottage Shokubutsushi

The interior of the guesthouse is very clean overall, and the common areas are warmly decorated and furnished. There's a charcoal stove in the lobby on the first floor where you can relax on the sofa by the fire, which is very pleasant. The guesthouse has an overall feel of a vintage wooden villa. The rooms are all on the second floor, so you'll need to carry your luggage up (no elevator). The room size is small, but it's very warm inside and generally clean, though occasionally bugs appear (I encountered three). When staying at the guesthouse, it's more suitable to spend time in the first-floor lobby area (it's more comfortable). However, the guesthouse doesn't have private bathrooms or showers; they are all shared, which might be unusual for those accustomed to hotels. The guesthouse has two shared bathrooms that require booking on a sign-up sheet. Each bathroom has a shower and a hot tub, and they are very clean. Since there aren't many rooms, you won't have to queue for showers. However, the cleanliness and maintenance of the guesthouse's shared toilets could be improved. The toilet in the men's restroom on the second floor was leaking a bit, and the waste bin wasn't regularly emptied. Compared to the bathrooms, the shared toilets are still less convenient, and you might find multiple people trying to use them at once. The guesthouse owners are very welcoming and responsive, but their English is limited, so communication often requires a translation app, which can take a lot of time. If you plan to visit Goryu/47 ski resorts, you can buy discounted ski passes from the guesthouse owner for 6000 JPY/day, which is much cheaper than buying at the resort. Additionally, ski equipment rental at the guesthouse is also very affordable. Hotel Oak Tree, located next to the guesthouse (a 5-minute walk), is a free bus stop with several free shuttle buses to various ski resorts. However, you need to pay attention to the timetable (available at the guesthouse), as the bus departure times are limited, and you'll be stranded if you miss one. Other transportation options include taxis, but getting a taxi in Hakuba isn't easy; they are often unavailable (and expensive).