The most amazing hosts we’ve had, so friendly and very accomodating !!

This was our second time staying at El Mayo. Last time was just before corona and it was such a great stay we had to come back. The owners are so lovely. I cried both times when we left. This time we tried their breakfast and it was a nice mix of western and japanese. We called from the bus terminal when we arrived and got a pickup. We also got dropped off again when we checked out. They run a free bus to happo one every day and there is a bus stop right out the front to both 47/goryu and iiwatake (which are free). Its a short walk to base camp for busses to other resorts (some paid and some free). Its also a short walk to echoland for dinner or cut back down a back road into happo town if you feel like it, its only about a 15min walk. The wifi was good. They also have a coin laundry and detergent for sale at reception for 50yen. Theres a convenience store/alcohol shop down the end of the street. They have a couple of cats that are a bit shy but i was so proud i got to pat them this time! They like to come out at night and sleep next to the heaters in the kotatsu area. They also have western rooms if you dont want the traditional Japanese tatami futon rooms but we love traditional style rooms. We had a private bathroom in our room aswell.

There are no tissues or tea or coffee in the room. There was also no coffee, tea, water or anything in the kotatsu area this time. There was coffee, coffee lollies and water last time we stayed and I suggested they add tea as an option too but this time there was only a note about stopping the spread of coronavirus and please do not eat or drink in the kotatsu area. Kinda sad as one of my favourite memories from last time was having a couple of drinks before dinner under the kotatsu and then having a few waters under the kotatsu when we got back. I hope they bring back coffee, water and tea please in kotatsu area in the future. There is no yukata to wear to the onsen. The beds are a little hard. There was a wierd situation in the entranceway of our room where all the doors opened into the same spot (cupboard doors, bathroom door, room door) and they would hit each other and you would get stuck between them. This must just be with some rooms though as we didnt experience that last time. The ski locker room downstairs has locks for your skis and boots but they dont seem to fit most skiis (they are too thin) maybe only old style racing skis. And the boot locks were hard to figure out too. They might only work for snowboard boots.

My daughter and I had an excellent week staying at El Mayo. The couple who run the hotel were absolutely lovely, and went out of their way to make us feel welcome, and help wherever they could. They picked us up from the bus terminal, and dropped us off to Hakuba Base Camp when we were leaving. And the traditional japanese breakfasts each morning where just amazing! We also enjoyed the onsite onsen, which was almost always empty in evenings. The property is a little old, but it was all beautifully clean, and the location for skiing Happo One and Goryu/47 is fantastic. We'd love to come back for more - highly recommended!

Great breakfast, phenomenal service, timely pickup/drop off service - really enjoyed my stay here

On our last day, our taxi was having a hard time to find the place to pick us up. The owner went out of his way to bring us to the station so we could catch our bus.

Location and quiet.

Clothes dryer was too slow.

Owners are very friendly and helpful. Breakfast is also good. Location is relatively central and there are plenty of restaurants within walking distance.

The carpet and the stools in the room were very old and dirty. The en-suite bathroom was so cold that it was hard to use. Sometimes, the old gas heater rattled in the middle of the night and there was no heating in the bedroom during the day.

Owners are very kind and are always willing to help. They go above and beyond. Location is very close walk to Echoland, and still walking distance to Happo.