Hakuba Mominoki Hotel

Hakuba Mominoki Hotel is an upscale resort hotel with 75 rooms, and it recently renovated its open-air onsen, restaurant, and lounge in 2015. Its hot spring is a highly alkaline spring—said to have the second-highest alkalinity in Japan—and is known for its skin-beautifying qualities. There are eight room types: Standard, Japanese-style, Family, Premier, Deluxe, Japanese-Western, Mountain Suite, and Log Cabin. The top-floor Mountain Suite is 73㎡, and the log cabins offer a fun camping-like feel—both are ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ style stays for many travelers. Dining includes an authentic buffet at Restaurant “Sara,” plus a hotel lounge that works as a café/bar. There’s also an English pub operated by the hotel, and a bar just a 3-minute walk away themed like a tropical resort—an amusing concept in landlocked Nagano. Surprisingly, the hotel even offers helicopter transfers to the hotel (likely expensive, but a rare experience). Of course, there is also a shuttle bus from JR Hakuba Station for peace of mind. Shuttle service is reservation-based, so be sure to book it in advance.