Sadly onsite onsen was destroyed by fire just days before we arrived. Other wise - brilliant service, support and advice from team, good breakfast and dinner, comfortable cabin/villa. The worst thing I can think of ... toast maker was very slow during breakfast...but we soldiered on.
We stayed here for a week whilst skiing Rusutsu. The room is a log cabin and was comfortable and spacious enough for us and our adult daughter and her partner. The main staff were Australian so language was not a barrier. There was a small bar that was nice to relax in by the fire at night and play UNO and a dining room for a breakfast which was more than adequate to fill you up before a big day skiing. They also recommended some fantastic local restaurants and booked them in advance for us as well as their shuttle bus to take us to the restaurant on time. The shuttle driver was great and we just called when we needed a lift. He was never more than 5 minutes away. Unfortunately the beds were as hard as rocks and I found the mattress cold. Heating in the room was good but being 2 story, upstairs tended to become too hot so you had to turn off the heater but then couldn't dry wet or damp snow gear. Overall we enjoyed our stay and would return again.…
Thankyou for making our first trip to Rusutsu so memorable. Monique , Alex and the team we’re so hospitable. Breakfast was a great mix every day of local and western cuisine. Dinner was fantastic too from the hot pot to the ribs. Driver always available to shuttle back and forth but an easy walk as well. Cancelled the Westin a week out and so glad we did . The cabins were really spacious.
We stayed for a week at villa Rusutsu over the Christmas period. The cabins are located about 1.5km from the two main ski fields in Rusutsu, with free transfers provided in the morning, late afternoon and night. The villas themselves are charming cedar cabins, quite spacious, and with plenty of heating. Beds are comfortable, water temperature and pressure is great, and there is plenty of light. The only thing to be aware of is that the cabins are "duplex-style", ie, there is a common wall separating you from your neighbours. Sound travels *very* easily through the walls, so be aware of your noise at night, pack some ear plugs, and hopefully you are paired with similar travelers (e.g. families next to families, young people next to young people etc). In addition to the cabins, there is a main lodge and a sento (public bath). The bath is large, hot and lovely. Everything was always spotless, which is no mean feat with a small staff and snow everywhere! Breakfast is included in accommodation costs and is a small but delicious continental buffet and a hot choice of western or Japanese style food. You can also pre order dinners from the restaurants, which are Japanese style hot pots. These are large, and very delicious. Food on the whole was fantastic, and the bar is also reasonably priced. The highlight of Villa Rusutsu is the staff. Monique, Alex, Sherry, Ryoji-san and others are so friendly and helpful. Nothing was ever a problem for the staff, they were responsive and friendly, happy to provide tips and make restaurant bookings. It's really nice to feel you can rely staff to help you, and they really helped make the trip.…
The staff at villa rusutsu made our holiday truly exceptional. We were picked up from the resort at 1115pm and delivered to our villa. The villa was beautiful - a cedar cottage with loft beds for the kids (which they loved), a fully equipped bathroom (with a deep bath), and a sitting area. Breakfast each morning was delicious - a mix of western and Japanese choices. We were driven to the resort and picked up and driven back to our villa at our convenience - it was easier - and much nicer - than ski in ski out accommodation. The staff (Japanese and Australian) made bookings for us at local restaurants and drove us to and from the restaurants- this was particularly appreciated in the snowy weather. The snow in the resort was exceptional - and on many days we had the slopes to ourselves. Special thanks particularly to Monique Alex and waitaru for making this our best snow holiday yet.…
Pleasantly surprised by this beautiful, solid and spacious log cabin. Fit five of us comfortably. Quite, clean and cosy. Very private. Friendly staff plus a delicious breakfast. Planning to return in the near future.
Walking into Villa Rusutsu is like walking into a a luxury Swiss chalet with charming furniture and blazing log fires. We visited twice to eat and had a great time, I didn’t see the accommodation but I can imagine that it would be equally welcoming. The staff are great and very helpful talking us through the menu which is generally fixed and alternates between Japanese and French each evening. They managed to accommodate our dietary requirements within this, which we requested in booking. The also offer a local drop off and pick up service so you can enjoy a drink with your meal. Highly recommended
My family of 4 stayed for 4 nights in December'18 and loved it. The log cabins were warm and spacious, with everything we needed. The hot bath was imaculate in every detail, tranquil and so relaxing after big skiing days. Breakfast was included and was adequate. We ate in town 3 nights (we recommend "Tampopo Shokudo" - a small, reasonably priced Izakaya), but our best Japanese meal was at Villa Rusutsu restaurant on the last night. The most outstanding thing about our stay was the amazing staff, They collected us from the bus station and helped organise our ski rentals the evening we arrived (so we didn't have to worry in the morning). They transported us to/from the ski resort each day (only 1Km away) and to/from restaurants when we wanted. And when my wife became sick, Yoko took her to the clinic to help with translation and make sure the rest of us didn't miss a days skiing. I cannot thank Yoko and her husband (Takeyo?) enough for their outstanding hospitality - they made our stay very special. I will certainly be returning and am so glad we did not choose to stay in one of the huge, over-priced and impersonal resort hotels.…
Beautiful rustic restaurant and cosy cabins. Perfect for a winter getaway. Just down the road from Rusutsu Ski Resort. The food was superb and a wonderful high quality relaxing lodge. A perfect finish to a day on the slopes. Relax in a quiet Onsen and retire to your cosy cabin. Wander through snow from your cabin to the main lodge to enjoy a top notch culinary experience and a lovely bottle of wine. Reservations required for a premium 4 course pre-fix dinner menu. Our experience was so positive we enjoyed three dinners during our 5 night stay. A full breakfast was also part of our package. Friendly staff and English speakers.
We stayed here for a week. This place receives in general great reviews. I share with most guests on its positives but want to do potential visitors a service to remark what this facility is really like. Said to be owned by a Malaysian owner, the facility is very thinly staffed. Yoko and her partner were great. But the daily business gets strenuous. They were helped by two western staff. They are often temps. Don’t expect great services even though the two there tried hard and were friendly. Daily room cleaning included only emptying trash and vacuuming was not included. Bring your own tissues, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste. Dining facility is under-utilized. It is really a catch-twenty-two dilemma. If not enough guests eat in, operating the full kitchen is a loss making proposition. If dinner is offered without good chef, nobody will try twice. We did not. The place is 15 minutes walking away from the area’s hotel centers so it is guaranteed not to attract outside guests. Daily dinner arrangement was a great hassle. Yoko was very helpful. But busing in and out of the facility after a day of heavy physical activity, calculating eating time spent to schedule pickup time were a heavy burden one expecting relaxing breaks should not bear. Not difficult to figure that running a facility like this is not a high return business. Where the owner cannot bear, guests have to put up with lesser experiences. Rent a car probably enhances the staying experienced. …
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