Has anyone been to the Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort?
Hoping you can provide some recommendations for accommodation that's close to easy beginner runs and a gondola. My partner and her friend are both beginner beginners and to make this trip work for them, I need to make it super easy for them (part of my plan to return).
Currently, we are looking at the Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel EAST. It ticks many boxes but seems to lack that ski lodge ambiance and open fireplace lounge area. Has anyone stayed there?
We definitely want to stay on-snow, as close to the lifts as possible. Can anyone recommend another part of this ski resort we may be overlooking? Three or four-star would be ideal.
Thank you.
I've stayed at 7 different places at Shiga Kogen, for a total of around maybe 45-50 days.
I've stayed at Prince West, not Prince East which is more expensive. If you're currently looking at at booking engines (like booking.com, priceline.com etc), many of the hotels in Japan don't open bookings until 3 months before. I've looked recently, and the optimal area at Shiga Kogen (Ichinose) doesn't have bookings open yet.
Shiga Kogen is a bit different to other better known Japanese resorts. It's definitely NOT a restaurants Pubs & Clubs place. Most places will have eat in, offering breakfast & dinner. The Ichinose has the highest concentration of hotels & walk in restaurants at Shiga Kogen.... in fact, most other areas DON'T HAVE walk in restaurants, so you usually need in hotel dining.
Prince West is within walking distance of Ichinose(1km) for restaurants, but Prince East is about 2.5km on dark snowy roads.... They have a shuttle bus, but you need to always be aware of the time of those shuttles in the evening, and when and where the last one leaves Ichinose.
Not sure about Prince East, but Prince West on the basic booking.com reservation doesn't include breakfast, so you need to pay about $17 for that. (So cheap initial price is not so cheap). The evening buffet is about $50. The rooms are small at Prince West unless you get a "family" room nominally 4 people, but use for 2 people. All rooms are western style with beds.
Prince East & Prince West are really good for ski in/ski out, Prince East & Prince South have gondolas, but neither is good for beginners.
This means that the best spot overall for a lot of variety is Ichinose. The beginners slopes are right there. (Ichinose Family, Tanne no Mori)
No gondolas, but very easy (and very slow) beginners' chairlifts.
The last few times, I've stayed at Hotel Japan Shiga. Very good facilities and only a 30 second walk to the slope (Ichinose Family). There's 2 walk in restaurants on the ground floor (Japanese & Nepalese). Villa Ichinose is close by, popular & cheap but a bit run down. There's a bar there.
I've also stayed about 3 times a Diamond Shiga Hotel.... nice place just walk across the road and onto the slope, or walk 250m to Ichinose Family. More of a walk to restaurants at Ichinose though. Others here like Chalet Shiga which is about 50m closer.
Regarding the accommodation, you can get western or Japanese style (on the floor futtons on tatami mat). Rooms with western style are usually small with not much space to put gear. Japanese rooms usually have plenty of space if you have 3 people like you do, in a 4-6 person room.
Other people recommend Okushiga-kogen area. It's right at the northern end, isolated but there's a small cluster of hotels including the very nice Okushiga Kogen Hotel. You need to eat in there. Okushiga has a gondola, but not from the hotels area.
Shiga Kogen is huge. The main area is 8km from one end to the other. You can get to the other area (Yokoteyama) by shuttle bus. They have areas there suitable for beginners.
There only one ATM at Shiga Kogen, only accessible during the day at the post office (far from Ichinose).