NASPA New Otani

Luxury Ski Resort in Yuzawa

We came here for Christmas, staying a few nights at the NASPA hotel and Ski garden. I wanted something a bit special with a Christmas atmosphere. To me, that means Snowy mountains, a white Christmas, big time decorations and drink. Luckily, we got all that in Yuzawa plus some excellent Snowboarding on Mt Naeba. Japan is very keen on xmas and the hotel was highly decorated. On Christmas day they were doing a ‘special Christmas Chicken’. I assume they meant a turkey. They also had someone dressed up as a penguin on the ski slopes.

The NASPA was pretty luxurious, with the typical Japanese attention to detail and more smiling, attentive, smartly uniformed staff at your beck and call then you would ever need. It also had a good swimming pool, Sauna, fitness centre, Karaoke bar, nightclub and it’s own natural hot onsen. Of course as in all of Japan, very little was included in the price and you have to pay an extra charge for it. I was particularly surprised that we had to pay for the billiards in the bar by person – not just by game! At least the Onsen was free. Nothing like soaking in a hot spring while the snow falls outside the window. I got some odd looks from the Japs, who probably hadn’t bathed with a white devil before. They also had a very hot spring Jaquzzi, which came in handy after a few falls on the slopes.

Breakfast was included – a massive buffet with west and East style food. There were about 3 restaurants in the Hotel, all very pricey. Most of the time, we ate in town, more food and better value – the Yakitori place is top notch.

We had the western suite, two large bedrooms and a large bathroom. The rooms were nicely decorated and the views over the mountains were great. The snow was a bit late that year in Yuzawa, so when we arrived there wasn’t any – fortunately the first flakes started falling just as we pulled up to the hotel in the complementary bus. The snow was really coming down as we settled in and I gave a silent prayer of thanks to Pingu, patron deity of skiing at the NASPA who had his own statue and shrine in the lobby. We were planning a good bit of snowboarding on Christmas day for which snow is always helpful.

We got our white Christmas, there was snow in the morning and a sunny ski in the afternoon, followed by a deluge of snow like we never saw before. Christmas night, we hired a luxury karaoke room in the hotel and banged out some ‘80s classics. Boxing day was more snow then I’d ever seen – and I’ve been to lapland!

The hotel itself is geered towards families - expect lots of kids creating havoc. Also, it's Ski garden is only for Skiing - no boards. Boarding can be done at many slopes nearby though.

Unique Quality: Special Christmas Chicken, man dressed as Pingu.