Ulasan Hotel Hakuba Hifumi

Unfortunately we were not staying in this hotel (we will next time we are in Hakuba) but we had the most amazing dinner at the restaurant. From the deco to the amazing staff and the fabulous food, everything was perfect. Highly recommend it for a Japanese meal.

Some background on this stay, we tried to book this ryokan 2 years in a row and when we finally got a booking, the pandemic hit. So we finally only made it 3 years after the first attempt to book. Due to this, sadly the anticipation to stay at this inn was a big let down. Some of the deluxe rooms with outdoor bath were advertised as being renewed and this led to an impression that all deluxe rooms with baths would be of similar standard. It was also my fault that I didn’t pay closer attention to the room we were assigned to and therefore when I saw the bath in the room we got, which was a round metallic tub with some questionable surfaces on the bottom I felt really let down, instead of a nice wooden bath that I was expecting. The main reason for staying in a ryokan is usually a Japanese style tatami room, Onsen facilities and amazing food. The tatami part of our room was small and the main part was western style with a very off-putting cloth covered sofa which I would not like to see what is actually beneath it. The rug was also old and not too clean. Honestly it was quite shocking that this room costs us over ¥50,000 per night for 2 adults and one child. Ryokans always charge by the number of people and in return breakfasts and dinners are provided. There was only breakfast and dinner was additionally charged which is the first time ever in 20 years of traveling in Japan. There was no reason to charge by per person for the room then. Staying 6 nights is the equivalent of an engineer’s monthly salary in Japan and this is simply exorbitant for the standard of the room with only breakfast included. One more thing is that the only shower in the room is also outside and there are open gaps in the window so it’s always freezing in the bath area and water in the tub gets cold in 10 mins. Not very relaxing either, this is simply a bad design. Onsen facilities are small with no outdoor space and the smell was overpowering due to lack of ventilation. The staff was friendly but service is a bit lacking, we didn’t even get offered any tea at all upon checking in. Foreigners may not always be welcomed in Japan but in a international tourist place like Hakuba I really wish that the Japanese would keep their famous hospitality standards or just not accept foreign guests if they do not wish to do so. It should not be different standards for Japanese and foreign guests. For future visitors who would like to have a deluxe room with a bath, I would recommend to avoid’Hina’ room unless you want to have a metallic tub.

This is a 5-star hotel in every aspect. We had a 5-night stay, but with 4 different rooms due to the availability. The rooms with private onsens are highly recommended. We have stayed many ryokans, but HIFUMI has a modern touch while keeps the beauty of tradition. The breakfast, both Japanese and Western are delicious. We dined in two nights, both dinners are beautiful and tasty. English speaker Maria was most delightful. Indeed, everyone we met at the hotel are courteous, helpful and efficient. It’s indeed the best kind hospitality that you could expect and we are deeply thankful for HIFUMI make our ski trip so wonderful. We look forward to coming back.

Hotel Hakuba Hifumi is an excellent place to stay, especially after a long day of skiing! The staff could not be friendlier or more accommodating. From the moment we walked in they were kind and eager to help. Our room was clean and comfortable, and the private onsen was incredible. Breakfast was great (if you're feeling adventurous go for the traditional Japanese style breakfast!) and the location was very central - close the mountains, shops and restaurants. Highly recommend this hotel.