Places to stay in Shiga Kogen

[IAB]

Hi Everyone,

Eleven of us (6 adults, 5 kids) are planning a two week trip to Shiga Kogen in December.

I've been through brochures and web sites but am after some recommendations on where to stay from people who've been there before.

I've read that the resort is pretty quiet and most people eat in their own hotels so am after a family friendly place preferably with apartment syle accom (i.e. one suite, two rooms) with a choice of restaurants, a bar (or two!) and of course ski in ski out.

Any info gratefully received. Thanks!

[blutek]

Could be difficult to find apartment style in SK where most visitors will be Japanese (there's not much English spoken). Most hotels accommodate bigger groups by offering a bigger rooms (usually Japanese style - 12 tatami or larger). However, the larger hotels may have western style family rooms (try Prince Hotel ?) but they are fairly impersonal, as you state.

Resorts can open late in Honshu, some of the SK ski areas didn't open until 23 December last year ( Hokkaido usually has more reliable snowfall in December). The Ichinose area of the valley is a popular choice and has a couple of restaurants and bars.

Not in Ichinose, but this place has a suite with kitchen:
http://bersarooms.com/EN/

[aussiesnowman]

You can meet many Japanese resorts representatives at the 2010 Snow Travel Expo to discuss all your travel needs. Entry is free. Brisbane May 15, Melbourne May 16 and Sydney May 23 for more info go to www.snowtravelexpo.com.au

[Jahoota]

IAB,

stayed at shiga last feb.

I didnt see nor could I locate anything "condolike" in shiga. Ots pretty much all hotels or pensions. There isnt much in teh way of resturants to attack each nigh (ala hukuba village or happo-one/echoland). As you said most japanese seem to take the meal package and just hang around the lodge.

As I was staying with mates we have one 3 bed & one 2 bed western room at the st moritz. Good host, not much english but the owner & his wife were very nice. Rooms small but clean and new sheets/towels etc every couple of days. We only had breaky thrown in and the dinners weren't a bargain comapred to eating out in habuka the year before. There was a bar but they never really opened it. We just grabbed beers from the vending machine (500ml kirin for 400 yen, 500ml asahi for 450yen) and just hung out in the guest lounge.

The hotel had a locker room for ski kit which was fine but didnt face the slopes (down in the basement) which mean a walk down the road 50M and then a uphill walk to the lifts up a slippery path - not recommended for the < 10's tho as no steps. Then again, kids do need to be hardened up!

Overall I loved the sking at shiga but I could think of other places that have got a better balance to a family snow holiday. The lack of resturants to eat at was a bit of a negative. I did look at shiga for taking J1 & J2 in jan 2010 (17 and 16 year old) but opted for rutsutsu as I haven't been to hokidao before and wanted to go somewhere different. If we had gone to shiga I would have stayed at the st moritz again but mainly beacuse I knew what I was getting rather than because I thought it was the best thing since slice bread!

Hope that helps at bit...

cheers,
jahoota