Zao Shikino Hotel

Great property with great Onsen. There are two different choices of Onsen. Room was spacious, beds were comfortable. Location was perfect, next to the life.

Suitable for anyone who traveling by car (rental) as the hotel located amongst valley (nearby Mt.Zao) the scenery was stunning and weather was perfect. But the most significant part that we chose this hotel to stayed was the dinner course here! (the breakfast was delicious and various as well). It was a wonderful experience for anyone who has passion for eating great and delicious foods. We were happy for every second we stayed here. Room, services and all staffs were amazing especially the who checking us in, she was willing to help us for what we need in every way ??.EXCEPT the one who checking us out ?? he gave us a bad attitude and felt like he wouldn’t tried a single bit and didn’t care to explain things we needed to know (about the additional paying for city tax which everyone needed to pay when checking-out. WE, foreigners, who never knew about this and only one thing he needed to do was EXPLAIN, a nice explanation). However, we will still definitely choose to stay here if we visit Zao again.

Suitable for anyone who traveling by car (rental) as the hotel located amongst valley (nearby Mt.Zao) the scenery was stunning and weather was perfect. But the most significant part that we chose this hotel to stayed was the dinner course here! (the breakfast was delicious and various as well). It was a wonderful experience for anyone who has passion for eating great and delicious foods. We were happy for every second we stayed here. Room, services and all staffs were amazing especially the who checking us in, she was willing to help us for what we need in every way ??.EXCEPT the one who checking us out ?? he gave us a bad attitude and felt like he wouldn’t tried a single bit and didn’t care to explain things we needed to know (about the additional paying for city tax which everyone needed to pay when checking-out. WE, foreigners, who never knew about this and only one thing he needed to do was EXPLAIN, a nice explanation). However, we will still definitely choose to stay here if we visit Zao again.

I would absolutely come back and stay here again. The rooms were so big which was a great change from all the other rooms we've had. The facilities were modern and comfortable and the staff really couldn't do more for you. The on-site onsen was also really great, and I can also recommend to get a massage! Great hotel overall

Located just outside of the main town however it's a very short walk and was pleasantly quiet.Brilliant value for money as spa facilities were excellent and not crowded

Onsen facilities were amazing. Liked the fact they were generous with snacks and drinks. Shuttle bus facilities available.

Staff struggled a bit with English

The location, the size of the room, the onsens, the staff, the cleanliness, the view from the room, the massage chair in the room, the shower, the toilet…

We wanted to have dinner in the hotel but the communication wasn’t great. We went to the reception to book it, the staff was polite, but he firstly mentioned if we were ok with the price, and then said it wasn’t western food, it was Japanese. Then we asked for the menu, and they struggled to tell us what the food was, so we gave up.

Nice clean hotel.

I was injured during my trip, I have to reschedule my trip and go back my home for surgery. But hotel refuse to refund my remaining stay. Another problem is they don’t have English speaking staff which caused lot of trouble and wasted lot of time on communication.

Loved the onsen, especially the out door onsen. Very comfortable room.

Mattress could be softer.

Outdoor onsen, size of rooms, afternoon snacks in the lobby

I came to snowboard. The hotel was a short walk to the piste. They supplied a locker for the ski gear. The room was spacious with a great forest view. The staff couldn't be more friendly or helpful. The hotel owned osen was just a 50-60 meter stroll across hte carpark and the hotel supplied outdoor boots and coat. The quality and variety of the breakfast was superb. Self serve free coffee, hot chocolate, juices, snacks and icecreams were offered daily in the lounge.

The hotel lacked a bar and anything to do in the evenings, usually after you returned from the onsen.

Excellent dinner

No ski boots left for my size, and didn’t want to take a reservation in advance. Had to rent elsewhere.

A lovely base for skiing, with beautiful views. Lovely public area with warm drinks etc available. 10 minute walk to the ski lift. The lotions provided were wonderful - the hair products, in particular, worked miracles! Dinners were exquisite, and we were glad we opted for the breakfast and dinner option.Room was large and very comfortable, with sufficient storage space. And those Snow Monsters!!! Wow!

It would have been quite inconvenient had we wanted to eat elsewhere. The outdoor Onsen was unavailable, but there was a shuttle to one at a sister complex.

We chose half board when booking the rooms. Love the breakfast and set dinner. Generous amount of food and very thoughtful kids menu. Outdoor onsen is superb. Rooms are spacious and clean.

The food was fantastic. Both breakfast and dinner were outstanding. Both the indoor and outdoor Onsens were well appointed and beautiful. The rooms were spacious and very comfortable. The staff was very helpful.

I loved everything about my 2 night stay.

Big room, good breakfast

The outdoor onsen was closed

Hotel and room is clean and new and spacious. Friendly staff. Free shuttle van service to and fro. ski slope morning and afternoon. Buffet breakfast and included dinner is superb. Onsen in the hotel and free access to outdoor onsen which is 1min walk away.

Not right in front of ski lift. 5-10min walk. Too far away from the night ski slope. Have a ski gear rental shop but with limited size of shoes.

The room is so big and clean! The breakfast and dinner are awesome, so I ate a lot ?It's nearby The Towering Snow Monsters, but a little bit far from the onsen street.

The price is the only problem ?

The staff were excellent, so friendly and welcoming. They couldn’t do enough for you. The rooms are great. The food is fantastic. We really enjoyed the Japanese degustation experience. I hope we return!

There is very little to dislike. If pushed I’d say the ski rental person didn’t seem confident in setting up the equipment. The smoking room shouldn’t be near the massage area.

Hotel's free bus shuttle from Yamagata train station made it easy to commute to the hotel. The location is excellent within walking distance of snow/ski areas. We purchased Zao Ropeway passes from the hotel (cash only). Complimentary accesss to 2 Onsens and boots and coat was an added bonus! We also enjoyed our Japanese style family dinners at their on site restaurant. Staff was very helpful in calling various agencies to check ski lesson availability as most of the agencies spoke in Japanese only. They also helped us book a taxi on our way back to Yamagata train station as the shuttle service only operates twice a day. The rooms were large and beautiful with breathtaking views of the mountain trees covered in snow!