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Good work! You’ve just decided on Hakuba Valley for your next Japan ski holiday. You’ve booked your flights and are ready to dive into the exciting trip planning stage. First up? Accommodation of course! But wait! There are so many accommodations in the Hakuba Valley, and so many different resort areas to choose from. How do you select the best accommodation in Hakuba for your group? Not to worry, this guide has got you covered. Read on to find out where, what, and how to select the perfect Hakuba hotel, chalet, ryokan or apartment to suit your needs.

Location is obviously one of the most important factors when choosing any kind of resort accommodation. One of the best things about the Hakuba is its expansive size. But with 10 different ski resorts making up the Hakuba Valley, it is hard to know in which resort area you should be booking your accommodation. While there are accommodation options in every Hakuba resort area, generally speaking, the majority of hotels, chalets and apartments are located in one of 3 somewhat dense accommodation areas: Happo Village, Wadano no Mori, and Echoland.

Happo Village sits at the southern-end base of Hakuba Happo One Resort, connected to the Nakiyama and Shirakaba ski areas. The compact village has everything you would expect to find in a typical ski resort village: a variety of restaurants, bars and cafes, retail shops, and convenience stores, as well as services like ski school, equipment rental shops, and shuttle bus stops. Happo Village accommodations can range in location anywhere from being fully ski in ski out to 10-15 minutes’ walk from the lifts, and can be anything from western-style luxury apartments to traditional Japanese ryokans (inns). With the conveniences of lift access, food, and services, it’s not surprising that Happo Village accommodations are very popular.

Wadano no Mori is an accommodation area situated just above Happo Village, at the more northern base of Happo One Resort, from the Kokusai ski area up to the Sakka ski area. What is appealing about this part of the resort is that the area is mainly covered in tall, mature evergreen trees, with the chalets and apartments built within the surrounding forest, creating a magical winter wonderland. Dotted throughout the area is a nice selection of restaurants and cafes, equipment rental shops, and a handful of shops. The area is also serviced by the shuttle route that connects it to Happo Village and other Hakuba resorts. In Wadano you’re usually no more than a few minutes’ walk to the lifts, and many accommodations offer either ski in ski out, or immediate lift access.

The Wadano area offers a wide variety of accommodations to choose from, such as chalets, deluxe-style apartments, and a number of hotels with onsite natural hot spring onsens.

Hakuba Echoland is not immediately connected to any ski resort area, but it has its advantages nonetheless. The compact village area is the Hakuba hub for dining out and nightlife, with the majority of Hakuba’s restaurants, bars, izakayas, and cafes situated here. Just because Echoland doesn’t offer on-foot lift access, it doesn’t mean it’s not well-connected. Set at the base of Echoland, the Hakuba Base Camp is a major transportation hub linking Hakuba and Nagano city, as well as Tokyo airport to Hakuba. There are also local resort shuttles which operate in Echoland, linking the accommodation hub to other Hakuba areas and resorts. Echoland has everything from western-style hotels to standalone chalets.

With a huge variety of accommodation styles in Hakuba, visitors can reasonably expect to find exactly what they are looking for, from luxury, modern apartments to backpacker-style lodges, and everything in between.

In contrast to some other very popular international resorts in Japan, Hakuba maintains its Japanese traditions when it comes to all things, but especially accommodation. The original Japan ski resort accommodation is a ryokan, or Japanese-style inn, and Hakuba has no shortage of them.

Guests who want a more Japanese experience can select to stay in this type of accommodation, which offers futon bedding on tatami floors, low seating, and will almost always have an onsen (natural hot spring bath), which is typically where guests will bathe (together, divided by sexes, and in some more traditional ryokans, actually takes the place of in-room private bathing facilities). Meals are sometimes included within the ryokan stay package, and will mostly be traditional Japanese dishes.

Ryokan hosts will serve guests tea and refreshments upon arrival, and prepare the room for sleeping each night, laying out the futon bedding each evening. Some more luxury ryokans such as Hakuba Hifumi offer rooms with private onsens, turn-down service, and incredible Japanese cuisine. Some are more basic, such as the Hotel Taigakukan, but still offer guests a hospitable and very comfortable stay.

Most ryokans are found in the Happo Village area, with a few dotted around other Hakuba resort areas.

For those used to their western comforts such as private bathrooms, western-style bedding, and other modern facilities, Hakuba has hundreds of western style hotels, chalets, townhouses, and apartments to choose from. Guests can select either self-catering or catered, depending on their preference.

Self-catered accommodations in Hakuba are available in almost every resort area, as well as for every budget. Select from a range of extravagant, ultra-premium self-catered accommodations like Hachi, Grand Phenix Hakuba, or ski-in-ski out Mountain Side Hakuba. Or, a more deluxe style chalet or apartment such as Sky Park Happo, Koharu Hotel & Suites, or Alpine Azumi Apartments. Those looking for something more basic can select the welcoming Hakuba Braze Club, Hakuba Canadian Lodge, or Le Bocage Chalets & Apartments.

Hakuba has an excellent section of hotels, mostly located in Happo Village and the Wadano area, but you’ll also find hotels in some other resort areas like Echoland, Cortina, and Ochikura. Guests can choose to be away from it all at the gorgeous and tranquil Sierra Resort Hotel, or right in the centre of Happo Village at Hakuba Springs Hotel.

For those wanting a more swish and lavish hotel stay, they can select The Ridge Hotel & Apartments or the full-service Hakuba Tokyu Hotel. Or, select a more modest room at the wonderful Hakuba Mominoki Hotel or Gateway Hotel Hakuba. In many of the Hakuba area hotels, guests can select both breakfast & dinner inclusions, and get the chance to try a wide array of Hakuba area cuisine.

From a ski-in-ski-out Happo Village apartment to a shared and cozy lodge in the hills of Norikura resort, Hakuba Valley has an accommodation option to suit every style and budget. Get in touch with us today to help us choose the perfect Hakuba hotel, apartment or chalet for your next Hakuba ski holiday.