Sukayu Onsen Ryokan guest reviews

Mid Feb 2020

Your service is the best and sakayu is that good ! don't really want to tell anyone about it! ha ha…

Thanks,

Pete

Mid Feb 2020

We had an incredible trip in Japan. We’d definitely like to spend longer periods of time there in the future!

Sukayu Onsen was our favourite place we stayed on our trip. The location, accommodation, onsen and staff were amazing. We did the ski guiding with the hotel and it was the highlight of our holiday. We can’t wait to come back again. It’s a truly magical place. Unfortunately we don’t speak Japanese so Japan snow Accommodation helped greatly in booking this trip for us. They were very helpful and even booked us in to our ski guiding group. We will be back!

Best wishes,

Lauren

Early Feb 2019

Fabulous!

It really was wonderful. We had really stormy weather but that actually was great because the snow was truly exceptional. Our guide, who was really perfect by the way, said it was perhaps the best for 10 years. Like feathers!

It snowed so much we lost one day as everything including the road was closed.

We adored the Ryokan and everything there.

The only one negative is that the cable car was too crowded so there were long waits and we got a lot less skiing as a result. There were a lot of tourists just going up for the view! Fair enough but as skiers we would prefer they did not. But of course that is just the way it is and it is a special place, not just for us.

Cheers

Charles W Etherington

Late Jan 2019

Just a touch isolated . Hard to get back if finish early. Hard to mix with other people and food good, but not great. Good transportation to train

Peter

Early Feb 2018

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay @ Sukayu Onsen Ryokan. Lots of character & a lovely welcome. Staff very helpful & polite with us non-Japanese speakers! The food was excellent, rooms very comfortable & warm. We loved the onsen. One night, the communal onsen had a couple of men on the female side, playing ignorant I think.

The skiing & guiding was excellent. We couldn't have been luckier, we had great snow conditions. Richard ( husband) said don't tell anyone! It's to late for that. We'll be back.

Thank you Hisae for your patient assistance. It was a big help.

Warm regards,

Cristina

Early Feb 2018

We all loved this place and would go there again. The sashimi was fantastic. The building was ancient but the wing we were in had been renovated beautifully. Parts of the building were cold but that was mainly in a connecting corridor. The shop was good. The shuttle bus worked well.

We used the guiding service provided by the onsen and that was excellent although we only got a few runs in per day due to size of the group and the pace the guide set on the downhills. But he took us to great snow. And the pick ups by the bus worked well too.

Just one comment was that again there wasn’t a bar or seating area provided in which to sit around before and after dinner for a drink. We used the area at end of our accommodation wing to meet in but we had to take seats there each time we used it.

Cheers

John

Early Feb 2018

Sukuya Onsen Ryoken was really nice and had good buffet-style food, areas to sit in the public space, including a small lounge at the end of our bedroom wing that we used for pre-dinner drinks – purchased from a vending machine or at the in-house shop. The in-house ski guide service was excellent. We ended up using them for 5 days with varying numbers of participants each day, but the daily rate per person remained the same. Whilst the principal guide spoke no English, a junior guide with good English was also assigned to our group. He was extremely helpful. The advantage of using the guides was that we continually found untracked snow to ski and we were able to make extended trips out and down the side of the mountain, where the guide would arrange for a van or bus to return us to the ropeway.

I have attached a photo that shows the natural snow depth being almost double the height of the parked cars – but it has been an exceptional year, plus the refurbished wing of the hotel where we were accommodated.

Regards,

Chris

Early Feb 2018

Neil and I had a great time at Sakayu Onsen.

The rooms, food and especially the onsens were really very good (traditional Japanese accomodation).

The skiing at Hakkoda was varied and challenging. We were assisted by the Guides at the hotel which made hiring skis and touring much easier.

We had a great time.

Regards

Gillian

Late January 2018

We had such a good time at Geto and Hokkoda! The snow just fell and fell. No crowds and a true Japanese experience at both the accommodation locations.

Weather was quite tough at times, but if you want new snow, have to expect it! Don't tell too many others about those gems!

Our transport worked well. Shinkansen and local trains, plus those shuttles. Most of us went on to a weeks back country tour in Hokkaido. Lots of great tree skiing and mostly lovely snow.

We can't think of why we'd go back to the USA or Europe, so will be in touch again.

Many thanks, Tony

Late January 2018

We had such a good time at Geto and Hokkoda! The snow just fell and fell. No crowds and a true Japanese experience at both the accommodation locations.

Weather was quite tough at times, but if you want new snow, have to expect it! Don't tell too many others about those gems!

Our transport worked well. Shinkansen and local trains, plus those shuttles. Most of us went on to a weeks back country tour in Hokkaido. Lots of great tree skiing and mostly lovely snow.

We can't think of why we'd go back to the USA or Europe, so will be in touch again.

Many thanks, Tony

Early Feb 2017

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for organising our Japan accommodation. Your recommendations were fantastic and we loved every place we stayed, particularly enjoying the ryokan experiences at Hakkoda and Geto Kogen. I also want to say thanks for answering any questions we had via email.

Sharon

Late December 2016

Sukayu Onsen was great and nice with friendly staff, of course not speaking Japanese (for us) or no English for the staff, is really a limitation but we found in the hotel Japanese guest , english speakers who helped us when needed. The weather was at that time quite ok, lots of snow fall ;-) ….The team for backcountry skiing from the hotel were super helpful AND extremely professional -All of them! Really adorable! They deserve to have foreign people coming …when I am seeing so many limitation on internet just around the langage barrier…I can tell you they speak enough English to bring you on tour! Our private guide named Satoshi was english speaker and we have had a super nice day of discovering and skiing with our son of 9 years old. Satoshi has been very patient, very kind and he really has customised our day in order to make it safe, agreeable and super fun.

Scenery in HAKKODA are just amazing!! Of course if the weather turns bad, there not a lot to do, however staying at Sukayou is a real plus….you can enjoy the onsen after a full day of ski or even without going to ski.Not sure staying there a full week could please anyone, specially in case of bad weather, the public snow resort is super minimal (just 2 slopes) and if you are in Hakkoda for the first time not recommended at all to go alone on back country-really to risky-Nevertheless, back to Paris now, we are super Nostalgic, and I am sure we will come back to Hakkoda. Our stay was a magic stay!!! really!!

Thanks for everything and your great support!

Sincerely,
LEILA

Feb 2017

Hakkoda trip and accommodation, snow etc was fantastic last February. Hakkoda is a little gem and what a beautiful park.The accommodation was really good. Like an old fashioned ‘hunting lodge’ with a very traditional feelin

Cheers,
Rick

Late Feb 2016

Sukayu Onsen Ryokan is the perfect place to stay if you are looking for traditional accommodation at a reasonable price. The highlight of the hotel is the large onsen on the ground floor which is a great place to warm up and soothe aching muscles after a day on the slopes. The onsen is mixed but it’s very steamy so don’t let that put you off! Rooms are tatami rooms with futon beds and are very clean and comfortable. Meals are a highlight of the stay, with an excellent buffet breakfast and a ‘semi-buffet’ dinner, ie. several small dishes are served at the table, then you can help yourself to the main dish, rice, miso soup, salad and dessert. The breakfast comprises mainly Japanese dishes, but you can also have cereal, fruit and yogurt and toast if you wish. Excellent coffee is also available. The hotel runs a free shuttle bus each morning to the Ropeway (cable car), returning in the afternoon. There is also one free bus a day to Aomori station. If you miss this, there are three scheduled buses per day, or you can take a taxi. The skiing can be summed up in one word - powder! Although there are groomed pistes, the reason to come to Hakkoda is to find fresh tracks down the mountain, particularly through the trees. You could happily days here just skiing runs accessed by the lift, though for the more adventurous, hiking snow-shoes or skins will open up more opportunities. Hakkoda is easy to get to from Tokyo and well worth a try if you’re looking for something different.

Julie Sheard

Late January 2015

The trip was very good, thank you! I appreciate all the organization and time you spent answering emails prior to the trip. The staff at the onsen spoke sufficient English to get by. It would be better if you had told me there is an option for room only, not including meals, as it is a bit expensive, and the food is only so-so. The mountain was amazing. We snowboarded in both whiteout blizzard and blue skies conditions. The snow was fantastic, and the guides are very organized. The other Japanese guests are very friendly as well. They knew it was my first time in back country and helped me a lot. One of the best trips I've had, thanks a lot!

Simon

Early Febuary 2015

This was my third ski trip to Japan. I have now had 3 months in total over 3 seasons. I have skied many resorts all over Hokkaido. This most recent trip was my first time skiing Honshu and took us to Nozwa onsen, Madaro and Myoko before our stay at Hakkoda. Over the past 30 years I have skied USA, Canada , France, Austria and of course NZ. I have had thousands of days on skis but never anything quite like our 3 days in Hakkoda. It will always stand out as a special time for my family and I. As we came prepared for backcountry skiing we loved the Hakkoda experience and fortunately we had the visibility to explore the endless terrain safely. The snow monster trees were spectacular. I certainly would not recommend to anyone but the most experienced or super adventurous. Without good weather you would require a guide for certain. The Sukayu Onsen was my favorite of the many onsen visited over the years. We enjoyed the authentic traditional feel and Japanese food. The free shuttle to the lift was much appreciated. Overall it was a brilliant few days and we feel lucky to have discovered the Sukayu Onsen before the inevitable crowds of foreigners.

Regards
Mark Grenfell

Late January 2015

It's my last night here at Sakuya Onsen. It has been a wonderful experience staying here, perhaps one of my best ever in Japan, and the sking was great too. I just want to thank you for all your help, the accommodation you found me was top shelf. If you need some more detailed feedback, or any kind of endorsement please just ask. I am sure this trip will not be my last so I look forward to planning the next one! Sincere thanks - Ian A few photos of my time here...

The front desk Staff were great, especially Yasuda Mika, so friendly and helpful.

Skiing Hakkoda with Hakkoda Powder Guides (not the most professional outfit but they got the job done)

Mid January 2015

The trip went well, it was great. Great skiing and a very nice cultural experience. I am glad we went to the Sukayu Onsen, because of the traditional japanese type of accomodation it provided. The mountain was good, lots of snow :) We skied 2 days around the lift, when it was dumping, and the rest of the time we did tours of most of the peaks there. It was a really great trip, thank you very much for the help on the booking.

BR Mårten

October 2014

The stay was lovely. My friends enjoyed ourselves very much at your onsen and ryokan. Appreciate your kind arrangements.

Best regards
Janet A

Mid Feb 2014.

We had a fantastic time, and really achieved harmony at the Sukayo Onsen We would ski all day and then relax in the hot springs and eat great dinners together. The snow just kept coming, and we had 5-15 inches of fresh snow every morning. We slept really well on the Tatami mats, and enjoyed great Japanese food. This felt like a very genuine Japan experience. I would recommend Sukayo Onsen and Amori skiing to all passionate skiers or people who are just looking for a reset. Please check out my snaps below

Regards,
Bjorn

Early February 2014

We had an excellent time at Hakkoda while staying at Sukayu Onsen. The sheer uniqueness of Hakkoda makes it a must visit while in Japan. It was nice to get away from some of the more tourist hot spots and visit somewhere which had a more traditional feel. The snow at Hakkoda was incredible as well as the scenery. The traditional style of the accommodation was nice and the staff were most helpful even though they did not speak much English. The only downside was that some of us got some food poisoning from one of the dinners while staying there. However in saying that we would probably still come here again but avoid some of the raw seafood dishes. The communication that you provided with the Sukayu Onsen was excellent and very helpful while in Japan especially when organising small things like baggage delivery. Thanks for your help Please see my photos attached below.

Ashley Montagu

Mid February 2014

Sukayu Onsen was actually the highlight of our whole Japan trip! Fantastic traditional japanese place with great service, tasty food and a wonderful onsen. Next time we will come 6 instead of 2 nights!" Photos below Cheers from Berlin,

Johannes Emigholz

Late January 2018

We had such a good time at Geto and Hokkoda! The snow just fell and fell. No crowds and a true Japanese experience at both the accommodation locations.

Weather was quite tough at times, but if you want new snow, have to expect it! Don't tell too many others about those gems!

Our transport worked well. Shinkansen and local trains, plus those shuttles. Most of us went on to a weeks back country tour in Hokkaido. Lots of great tree skiing and mostly lovely snow.

We can't think of why we'd go back to the USA or Europe, so will be in touch again.

Many thanks, Tony