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.

near by Zao cable car station, good at braakfast,hot spring good

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.

I liked the old fashioned design of the onsen. Before dinner it was extremely crowded so we waited 30 minutes and had the onsen public bath to ourselves. The outdoor onsen rotemburo were very refreshing. The room with beds was very spacious. And the snacks and fruit plate were very welcoming. The relaxation chair was special! No kids under 3 years old allowed and no restaurant on site (order half board) which might be a problem. With ski-in/ski-out facilities. We walked to the ropeway 5 minutes. There's a nice onsen foot-bath too. Dinner was plentiful, very attractive with Yonezawa brand beef. Also the Imo NI Potato Stew was very good.

I stayed one night and found the hotel to be excellent, if not near perfect. My room was very large and seemed like it was brand new… Indeed, the whole hotel seemed the same way despite hardly being new. It seems very convenient to the slopes across a short walkway. the onsen was one of the nicest I have experienced. The staff are extremely helpful courteous and professional despite being on the younger side.