Name: Diamond Shiga
Address: Shigakogen Ichinose, Yamanouchi, Yamanouchi, Yamanouchi, 381-0401, Japan
Rating: 7

Shopping on site

Elevator/lift

Smoking areas

Newspapers

Ticket assistance

Gift shop

Reception desk

General

Laundry

Safe-deposit box

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Breakfast

Restaurant

Vending machine

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Parking

Steam room

Sauna

Beauty and wellness

Children's playground

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Temperature control for staff

Personal protection equipment for staff

Extra decontamination measures

Temperature control for guests

Personal protection equipment for guests

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the hotel

Diamond Shiga

Yamanouchi

Excellent meals, buffet breakfast, hot pots plus buffet dinner are delicious and certainly to fill you up.  Anyone should book room + 2 meals.  Very good location ski slopes just adjacent and across the road from hotel.

Delicious meals

Yep, this is not a 5 star facility but it is more than comfortable, there is an excellent restaurant onsite for breakfast and dinner, restaurants and bars in very close proximity, a chair lift and restaurants directly opposite with a ski lift office on the snow that will take credit card. We have stayed here 4 times now and it is our preferred place in Shiga. It is just nice to walk in and have a nice chat with people and then on the way home have a beer next door. If not for COVID we would have been there for a 5th time.

Great location, lovely owners

This is a basic skiers' hotel. Diamond Shiga provides everything a skier needs. There's a large ski and boot locker room with lockable ski racks and lockers. Nice communal baths, which cannot be call onsens. Probably because the water is not from natural hot springs. Meals can be added, but both breakfast and dinner are of the hotel buffet variety and and become monotonous by the second day. With a group of four sharing a Japanese style room, things became very tight for space. The hotel interior has become old and faded and badly needs some renovations. I know that this all sounds very negative, however, at the price it is entirely adequate for a skiing holiday in Shiga Kogen. Biggest saving grace is it's ski in ski out location as shown by the photo from our room.

One for the skiers

I have been here twice for ski season.  Hotel is in a great location near Ichinose Ski field (shiga is quite confusing with so many connected resorts so be careful where you book).

Pro - location and price.  Breakfast quite nice.
Cons - like most of shiga it is old and getting older.

Skiing is great.  Not much night life.  
Lots of monkeys.

Good location - bit work but OK

We (partner and I ) have left today but had a fantastic 4 night stay! From the moment we got there (wet and tired from arriving late and walking in freezing rain) the staff at the hotel were very helpful and friendly. They served us dinner  even though we were an hour late and the food was just perfect!
Then when we got to our lovely room (403-with ensuite) we laid out the traditional futon beds and went to sleep. 
We woke up at about 6/6.30 to very noisy banging on the heater, which unfortunately we found to be every morning. The hotel is not made for noisy guests as the walls are not at all sound proof. Only one night we were dusturbed by disorderly guests. So if you are quiet people you shouldn't have a problem staying here. If you enjoy being roudy then you will become very unpopular!
The hotel had free Internet but it dropped out every now and again. The rooms were clean as well as the rest of the hotel (however the ski locker room was very smelly but that is expected by most drying rooms).

Back to the food, breakfast and dinner was different everyday so it was always exciting. The head chef was the loveliest man with incredible english! We enjoyed every meal and could rave on about it for days. Not to mention i was sick the second morning and so the chef went to the kitchen to make me hot porridge  (rice and sweet milk) for my partner to being me to the room!!!! So thoughtful! Also we have to say best miso soup in Japan!
The hostess of the hotel was a lovely happy lady who was always running around helping and always smiling. 
The rest of the staff were just as amazing! Everyone who served us was not unnoticed and we thought they all worked hard and made our experience great. 

As for the location, the hill with the best snow in the area was right in front of us. Literally checking it out from our window every morning and night. Walk across the road, across the small car park and then slide to the ticket office and then get on the chair lift!
Other than the hill there is not much going around the hotel. There is a funky bar just 2 buildings down called Teppa room with great beer and mulled wine (however it is expensive ).

Thank you all at the hotel and we hope to come back next year!

Close to chair lift & exceptional food

This is the fourth hotel I've stayed at in Ichinose and am not as impressed as I have previously been.
I was the only westerner at the hotel for my first night & on Saturday the hotel filled with weekend skiers. This also occurred last year when I stayed at Hotel Mt Shiga. Over the past few years traveling in Japan I've always found Japanese people incredibly friendly & I'm not sure why the vibe in this hotel from Japanese guests was so average. 
I found the staff courteous & the hostess particularly warm but unless you speak Japanese communication is really hard.
When new this hotel would have been aesthetically classy but decor is very tired.
That said my bed was firm & comfy & the bead pillow remarkably good. 
The hotel however needs carpets replaced & deodorising of the entrance floor, which smells of stale sweaty ski boots & wet carpet. I found the lift slow and usually used the stairs instead. Wi-fi is available in the lounge but I found it dropped out. Unfortunately the designated smoking area is at this lounge as well & tobacco smoke is present.
Breakfast is a light simple Japanese meal. Dinner similarly was nothing special. I enjoy Japanese cuisine but  did not find anything to rave about.
The head chef speaks fluent English & greeted me before each evening meal. Unfortunately on my last night he had the unpleasant responsibility to inform me there had been a complaint from (I assume) the family next door who had previously arrived at around 4.30 pm banging doors & talking loudly in and out of their room. I had played 4 minutes of a song at volume 2 out of 10 (not at all loud) at 5.30 pm when a loud bang was made on my door. When I opened it no one was there! Somewhat rude I thought!
I have never previously had an issue in any hotel I've stayed in & as my mellow music was quiet I can only assume alternative motives behind complaining.
If there was better sound proofing in rooms quiet music would not have been an issue and conversations as people walk past would not penetrate walls & doors. 
If you stay in this hotel be aware:
1: conversations & noise in your room will be audible to others. 
2: you must pay your bill in cash & the nearest ATM is a 20 minute bus trip each way. 

Cash Only - No Credit Cards

This is the First english review of Diamond Shiga so I hope I can help a lot of would be english guests.

Overall this place is great.
 We just got back from 3 night and 2 ski days in Shiga Kogen. (3-6Jan2015)
The bus from Nagano dropped us at the Inchitose busstop which is 50m from the hotel.
we arrived from Hong Kong around 7.15pm and they had dinner waiting for us because dinner is 6-7pm which was very thoughtful.  The owner couple and manager are very nice but speak limited english.  Any question with lots of english will be referred to the head  Chef who is AWESOME, so friendly and helpful.

The location of the hotel in relation to ski fields is perfect.  Inchinose Diamond field is almost across the road, so you just walk 45seconds and ski down to the lift and from here you can access the larger Yakebitaiyama & Okushigakogen ski areas.  To access the Ichinose & Terakoya Ski areas just walk up the road 1 min to the lift, and at the end of the day ski down the road to the hotel entrance.  
This year the snow is not as good as normal but was still skiable and enjoyable.
They sell lift passes at the hotel reception discounted to the normal price so buy them there.  Ski hire is in the hotel but is very casual so allow a bit of time to get fitted.

Dinner each night is shabu shabu and very authentic, we enjoyed it.
Breakfast is very Japanese and we ate mainly eggs, sausages, croissants and bread which is enough and filled us till lunch.

We had a western room with ensuite, great view of the ski field across the road.  Decor is dated but who cares, your there to ski. The beds are typical Japanese, hard but not too hard and pillows are Japanese bead pillows. Room is very big for Japanese standards, and was comfortable, clean and functional.  Overall good value compared to Niseko, considering half board included. Free Wifi in lounge area only - this is normal in Shiga.

We came form Tokyo via bullet train and the most expensive part of the trip was the transport to get to Shiga Kogen and back. Once you're there, the hotel, food and ski prices are cheap compared to USA, NZ, and especially Europe.

We are Kiwis living in Hong Kong and will definitely return to Shiga Kogen for more skiing when they get a better snow season because the terrain is great and is far more authentic Japanese than Niseko.  We will stay at Diamond Shiga Hotel again too because of the location and friendly staff.  They were so cute and even gave us free local badge/pin/button before we left.

The nightlife in Ichinose is almost non-existent, and the doors of the hotel are locked at 10pm each night so if you are out longer you need to arrange it prior.  Dinner is also at 6pm every night.  It's a little bit like school camp but you end up feeling like family.  We really enjoyed our stay.

Diamond Shiga

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