Zao Kokusai Hotel

Ski-in Ski-out + onsen + delicious meals, that means book asap when you see rooms available. Everything was well planned out for their guests already at Zao Kokusai. You can reserve their Yamagata station shuttle ahead of time, so no worries about getting there. Upon check-in, we got discounted ski & snowboard rental, discounted lift tickets (cash only), and all info needed about Zao Onsen area. Also if you want to book their private onsen room, do so at check-in. We found their public onsen spectacular, hard to beat outdoor onsen while snow flurries. The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable. We booked the room with breakfast & dinner meal plan (you will regret if you book without). Breakfast buffet had many Japanese and western options, from sunny side up & bacon to curry over rice. Dinner was multi-course menu with Yamagata beef as the entree. Drinks were not included, but the drink menu prices were very reasonable. We were so full that we had to take the dessert plate up to our room as late night snacks. All staff were polite and helpful. The front desk staff were fluent in English. I guess you can tell how happy we were staying with Zao Kokusai.

We stayed 3 nights at this hotel during a recent trip to Yamagata and absolutely loved it – the best hotel we stayed in on our trip to Japan. The location is great, just a 5-10 min walk to the town center, and right next to the Zao cableway, the cable cars that take you up the mountain. All the staff were very welcoming, friendly and helpful. The hotel seems very modern and well-maintained. Our Japanese style room was large and roomy, very comfortable and inviting. The futon beds were comfortable and we had a great sleep. The bathroom was complete, meaning that we actually had our own shower/bath. The onsens were very nice, outdoor with a couple of pools at slightly different temperatures. The foot onsen was great also. Perhaps the highlight was the amazing buffet breakfast. This was definitely the best breakfast we had in the entire country, with a great selection of fruit, pastries, western dishes (eggs, bacon, sausage) as well as endless Japanese goodies. We looked forward to it every morning! We also liked the free coffee, drinks, popsicles, and chocolate offered in the lobby every day. We found absolutely nothing to complain about and would definitely recommend this hotel to all travelers looking for a great base for Zao Onsen.