Sierra resort Yuzawa

I have gone back to Sierra Resort 3-4 times as my boys and I had fond memories of this place . It is beautiful with full size windows and it is lovely to sit and watch the snow . The staff is very welcoming and treat us like friends coming back to visit . However the very last trip , a younger n new staff manager was rather curt and abrasive , hence didn't leave me with a good taste . The onsen is beautiful as in the picture . The food is nice but not quite enough for my boys after a long day of ski .

Summary: + Impeccable service from the Staff and fantastic meals provided were the highlights of our stay, despite unfortunate circumstances (high temp, no snow, closure of Iwappara). + Communication before, during and after the trip made it feel personalised. + Book thru the hotel website for the 22,000 yen best deal, if available, (inclusive room, dinner and bf, ski wear, ski rentals). + Special thanks to Mr Shotaro, Mr Kota and hard-working Hotel Driver. + I would rate the hotel alone 3.5/5, but the services from the staff brought it up to 5/5 Special note: 2 days before our stay, we noticed a heat front hitting whole of japan with temperatures soaring to 15 Degrees C (Mid March). This would definitely impact our intent of skiing and one of the main attractions of the hotel being a ski in/out. We phoned the hotel and were told that Iwappara (next to hotel) was closed, and arrangements were being made to provide shuttle service to a nearby operational Ski Resort. We decided to not cancel. During our stay, there were less than 10 guests (due to Covid19 and no snow). Hotel made special arrangements which enabled us to ski 2/3 of the days. Location: + Mid-hill between two ski slopes (would have been awesome if Iwappara was open) - Most of the few shops (mainly restaurants) nearby seemed close (maybe due Covid?) - Pretty much stuck in hotel area after last shuttle (long walk down to town) Facilities: + Free upgrade to family room with awesome panoramic views + Lots of comfortable lounge sofas strategically placed throughout hotel, Hotel lobby felt cosy + Onsen was well-maintained with awesome views, indoor/outdoor - in room toilet felt cramp, (used the onsen facilties mostly) - Rooms were slightly aged, hotel gave a "The Shining" vibe ??? The ground floor of the main building had quite a number of band music rooms which puzzled me. Meals: + awesome view from restaurant, same for dinner and bf + Dinner: main highlight of stay, delicious, menu for both nights was different, 5-6 course, able to state preferences, fresh ingredients. You could be expecting to pay ~$50-100 per pax outside for a similar meal elsewhere. +/- Selection of Japanese/Western set, both days japanese menu was the same, may consider changing a few items on the hot plate Services: Shuttle Service - requirement to pre-book and fixed timings + Driver was helpful in assisting with luggages and ski equipment + Hotel accommodated to adhoc requests (low guest, may not be avail) Frontdesk + Most are well-spoken in English + Polite and will do their best to accede to your requests or queries + Customer Service Excellence (E.g. Grateful to Mr Shotora who took the van keys and stepped out of office to provide a lift to the train station so we could make it in time for our shinkansen.) (E.g. Upon realising there was some miscommunication for our ski transport, the hotel immediately made arrangements to ferry us using the hotel bus) Recommendations: - Provide a yukata so guests can wear them to the Onsen. - Provide towels in the Onsen so guests need not bring back their wet towels to the room if they needed it the next morning. - The breakfast portion seemed a little overkill, perhaps could create a list for guests to select what they wish to have. Will definitely return here for my next trip!

My family of 4 just spent 3 days and 2 nights at Sierra Resort Yuzawa and had a lovely time. From the staff, the complimentary mini bar, the 5 course dinner to the onsen, it’s obvious that great effort is made in making sure every little details has been a considered to make a guest’s stay more pleasant. The only con against the resort is its location. As others have mentioned, from the car park where the shuttle drops you off, there’s still a bit of a downhill walk through an underpass (with steps) to get to the resort (and when leaving, it’s an uphill climb). Not exactly easy or safe especially when weather conditions are tough. In addition, the ski in and ski out wasn’t too ideal either. I was really looking forward to being able to ski in and out from the resort and didn’t mind paying the relatively high price for the resort. We skied on 2 days. On the first day, due to the warm weather, the path leading down to the nearest lift was tough to ski on as there were lots of brown patches of exposed grass. After a heavy snowfall overnight, the second day was the complete opposite as we had to struggle through knee deep snow. The alternative was to lug our skis uphill to the chair lift. I hope the resort will consider providing ski transfer service to the nearest lifts when weather conditions make it difficult to get to the lifts. Having said all that, we still had a great time and hope to be able to return to the resort again.