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Hotel Alpenburg

Giant Ski Area, Shiga Kogen, Japan
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Scout loves

  • Excellent service
  • The outdoor onsen (Rotenburo) is the best in the area
  • The large western style rooms
  • The food which will impress discerning foodies
  • Kodama-san and his son/manager Yoshihiro-san who are very friendly and accommodating
  • The snow monkeys which usually hang out at the windows of the rooms. They are adorable but a little sneaky so don’t leave your windows open as they might just steal your snacks!

 

Scout tips

  • Half-Board (Breakfast and Dinner) is the only option
  • Ski-in/ski-out in the Shiga Kogen Giant ski area
  • It’s quite far from Ichinose Village
  • Shuttle service is available to and from the Hasuike bus stop
  • Free wifi 
  • Hotel Alpenberg is an authentic Japanese experience which may pose challenges to some travellers. Read our story about Staying in a Japanese hotel.

SCOUT REVIEW

A fusion of the best of the east and the west, Hotel Alpenburg was built in the 1990s in preparation for the area’s hosting of the 1998 Winter Olympics. It is a ski-in/ski-out hotel that enjoys a 60% repeat customer base. It has Austrian style and was built by European carpenters who were brought in just to build the hotel, so everything is authentic both inside and out. Not surprisingly, it was the home of the Austrian ski team during the Olympics including the giant slalom gold medallist, Hermann Maier. But the king of ski racing isn’t the only Royalty that has stayed here, there was a room built especially for Japan’s prince and princess to use during the games (the room is available for rent and is, not surprisingly, called the Princess Room).

All the rooms are western style and feature lots of woodwork and traditional European style furniture. Rooms types are standard twin, deluxe twin and special rooms. All the rooms have bathrooms and are very spacious and comfortable; and most of the rooms have balconies and great views of the slopes and of the Giant ski area. The larger rooms have sofas which can be turned into sleeper sofas.

All the rates include breakfast and dinner served in a lovely dining room (It is not possible to get only breakfast since there are no nearby alternative restaurants for dinner). The dinner alternates between western style dishes and Japanese cuisine. The menu is in English so you know what you are exactly eating. The dining room also serves lunch. The hotel has a bar with a nice fireplace where you can relax and chat with Kodama-san who will be more than happy to share some Japanese whisky, beer or sake with you, and he seems like the sort of guy who’ll be very happy to share more than one.

You will love the outdoor onsen of this hotel which Scout thinks is one of the best in the area. It’s set in stones with lots of snow around and the natural hot spring water emits a slight sulfur smell (which means it’s great for your skin!). The hotel also has an indoor onsen, swimming pool, sauna and Jacuzzi.

Hotel Alpenburg will make you feel like you are in Europe but in a different setting and with Japanese hospitality and warmth. No wonder, it is a long-time favorite of skiers who come to Shiga Kogen to enjoy the skiing. 

Who should stay here

Hotel Alpenburg is perfect for couplesor families looking for ski-in ski-out accommodation in Shiga Kogen that don’t need to be based in a village.

Available: This selection is currently available for this price. Once you submit an inquiry our agents will confirm your booking via email and send you an invoice for a deposit. You will need to pay a 25% deposit within 7 days (unless otherwise specified) to secure the booking.

On Request: Our agents need to confirm availability of this room. Once you submit a request we will endeavour to get back to you by the next business day to confirm availability (some properties may take longer). If prices are listed they are the exact prices for your dates, room selection and room occupancy. Where prices are not listed we will confirm the price when we confirm availability. In either instance, you are not committed to your selection until after we confirm availability and price. Once you agree to that confirmation, you will be sent an invoice and will need to pay a 25% deposit within 7 days (unless otherwise specified) to secure the booking. If your requested room is not available, we will present alternative options.

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Due to the current uncertainty of future travel surrounding COVID 19, our regular T&Cs are overridden by individual supplier cancellation policies. We will clearly communicate all cancellation policies prior to confirming any booking, so you can be confident with your plans and book risk free.

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