My best friend and I just finished up our trip to Hakuba and we are absolutely thrilled with our stay at Wadano Forest. The rooms are simple but very comfortable (ie if you're looking for extravagant luxury this is probably not your fit), great water pressure in the showers, and breakfast was always delicious and home made. They will pick you up at the bus station and take you into town for errands whenever possible and drop you at any of the free ski shuttle stops in the morning (and afternoon pickup) so you can try all of Hakuba Valley's slopes. The nearest lift is barely 3 minutes down the road and easily walkable if you prefer as well. They even took us farther into town to get to lifts because the closest ones were closed. The onsen is a perfect way to relax after a day on the slopes, but be warned it is traditional, so you will have to disrobe and wash off before getting in! What really makes Wadano Forest stand out is the staff. They were prompt and friendly during pre-arrival communication and even more wonderful in person. Sai and Leah cooked a delicious breakfast every morning and Raymond was always ready with the bus to transport you as needed. We were "lucky" enough to plan our trip during the worst winter in decades (so little snow) and Leah and Sai organized a day trip to...My best friend and I just finished up our trip to Hakuba and we are absolutely thrilled with our stay at Wadano Forest. The rooms are simple but very comfortable (ie if you're looking for extravagant luxury this is probably not your fit), great water pressure in the showers, and breakfast was always delicious and home made. They will pick you up at the bus station and take you into town for errands whenever possible and drop you at any of the free ski shuttle stops in the morning (and afternoon pickup) so you can try all of Hakuba Valley's slopes. The nearest lift is barely 3 minutes down the road and easily walkable if you prefer as well. They even took us farther into town to get to lifts because the closest ones were closed.

The onsen is a perfect way to relax after a day on the slopes, but be warned it is traditional, so you will have to disrobe and wash off before getting in!

What really makes Wadano Forest stand out is the staff. They were prompt and friendly during pre-arrival communication and even more wonderful in person. Sai and Leah cooked a delicious breakfast every morning and Raymond was always ready with the bus to transport you as needed. We were "lucky" enough to plan our trip during the worst winter in decades (so little snow) and Leah and Sai organized a day trip to Matsumoto Castle for a very affordable amount and we had a blast with the other guests for the day. They did a snow monkey tour as well, but it was before we arrived. They really made you feel like family.

Luckily, we got to experience some true powder on our last day and between that and the amazing time we had at Wadano Forest, we will definitely be back!More