The Vale Rusutsu

Staying at the Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention was the biggest surprise and best experience of our family road trip! The hotel is nestled on a mountain, offering delightful scenery and fresh, invigorating air that truly clears the mind. Our family suite was incredibly spacious and fully equipped. It featured three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge living room, and an open-plan kitchen – more than enough room for our group of eight to move around comfortably. As for activities, beyond soaking in the bath and swimming, there was a kids' play area, various amusement rides, hot air ballooning, and mountain cable cars, among other things! We also drove around to explore nearby attractions, finding countless picturesque spots for photos. The only minor drawback was that the hotel's dining options weren't as extensive as we'd hoped, so we ventured out to eat. Luckily, there was a great variety of restaurants nearby. Overall, this was an extremely satisfying and enjoyable family hotel experience.

The location is great for skiing, it's clean, and the staff are very friendly. However, it's a bit of a trek to the restaurant, and there aren't many recommended dining options around the hotel, which is a slight downside.

The room was spacious and very clean. Many of the front desk staff were foreigners, and some seemed to struggle a bit with Japanese, but I appreciated their effort to explain everything thoroughly. Of course, there were Japanese staff too. Most of the guests were also foreigners. Since it's a condominium hotel, it had a kitchen and a washing machine. I'd recommend it for families or anyone who wants to cook. It's also the closest hotel to the hot springs.

Quite basic, and they only clean every other day.