The staff were friendly and helpful. They reached out ahead of our arrival and offered pickup service from the Hirafu Welcome Center. They were waiting when we arrived by bus. The location is walking distance to the slopes and lots of food options. The place was clean and has amenities geared towards skiing (drying room, washing machine, ski room, and eggs for breakfast!). Areas for improvement: there was sometimes a line for the shower due to the fact that the predominantly US, CAN, EU, and AUS guests did not share the japanese style shower properly. (Google: "onsen shower":) I heard that the female shower was much larger. Given that most guests were male it would make sense to switch facilities. Or maybe just put clear signs outside that states that the shower is shared. Also the beds were not the most comfortable. Given the convenience factor and price relative to other places around I would definitely stay there again!