Mercure Nagano Matsushiro Resort & Spa

The room is very spacious

I didn't have high expectations because it was quite cheap, but it was a very good hotel. However, there is a considerable price difference depending on the season. I stayed there as accommodation for a snowboarding trip, without meals included. Its location right near the Nagano Interchange is very convenient for people arriving by car. There's a large parking lot in front of the hotel, and even tall vehicles have no problem. There's a lounge in front of the reception where you can enjoy light snacks, beer, and spirits for free. I chose a Japanese-style room. It was spacious enough for three adults to relax comfortably. The best part was the large public bath. It was spacious, clean, and had a sauna. It might have been a coincidence, but despite there being many guests, it was very uncrowded and relaxing. The hotel's shop closes early, so if you want to enjoy a drink in the evening, it's best to buy something elsewhere and bring it in.

The direct WILLER bus from the bus terminal to the hotel was convenient. Unfortunately, our stay coincided with renovations to the public bath. We had come to enjoy the public bath during our extended stay, but we had to constantly consider the bath time when booking meals, which was inconvenient and stressful. The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable. It had a refrigerator and a water dispenser near the elevator. The food offered a wide variety of choices, making it hard to decide what to eat. The wide range of genres, including international dishes we'd never heard of, was very satisfying. The skewered shrimp were plump and moist – a must-try! We searched everywhere for the hand towels but couldn't find them and had to ask a staff member. It was our first time using an automatic hand towel dispenser. Sometimes the towels were dry and not moist enough, so we felt that regular individually packaged towels would be better. We were satisfied with the food, lounge, and room, but what bothered us was the smell in the lobby. The air freshener was strong in some areas, which is concerning for people with chemical sensitivities. Also, there was a sign on the stairs so I tried to go from the 5th floor to the bath on the 3rd floor, but there was no door leading to the bath. I was also confused because there was no guidance about queuing at the reception, which was far from the restaurant, before meals, and I felt the flow of movement was poor. The reservation machine for meals said that reservations were accepted from 15:00, but there were already reservations made earlier, and I was able to make one. I made a reservation through Jalan and received an email a few days before asking me to check in in advance, but it was not available in Japanese, which was inexplicable. There were many small things that left me with questions. All the staff members were very nice.

Very nice stay overall. We really enjoyed the welcome drink and the free-flow happy hour, which was a great touch after a long tour day. The room was spacious, comfortable and had beautiful mountain views. Breakfast was also very nice, with a good variety of food. The hotel felt well organised and relaxing. The only downside was the bed, which was not comfortable for us and really needs improvement. Apart from that, it was a pleasant stay and good value.

I hadn't researched the difference between Mercure and Grand Mercure and just assumed they were the same thing lol It was a weekday in June, and it was just under 7000 yen per person with breakfast included. It's not all-inclusive like Grand Mercure, but there is a space labeled as a lounge. It's a large hall, not the kind of lounge you'd typically imagine, where you can drink as much as you want. Unlike Grand Mercure, you can't take drinks back to your room, so you can only drink there 😂😂😂 A bit disappointing in many ways 💦 We booked a corner twin room, which was nice and spacious. The TV was small, and the bathroom and toilet were combined. The room amenities were the bare minimum. However, I think women should bring their own makeup remover and lotion. There was only a lotion/moisturizer combined and hand soap. The large public bath was under renovation, and they were using one bath with separate times for men and women, so I didn't go. Therefore, I'm sure there's no makeup remover in the room, which would be available in the public bath. There are three elevators, so you don't have to wait long even on the higher floors. It went smoothly. Breakfast was better than expected. There was a wide variety of food, including many dishes that would normally be served at dinner! There's also a children's area. I don't think anyone else would make the same mistake I did, but it's not all-inclusive like the Grand Mercure, and the lounge is a large hall that retains the hotel's old-world charm. However, if you don't mind those things, it's inexpensive! The cost-performance ratio is definitely excellent!