This is my 2nd time at Sidehill and nothing has changed (please read my review from last year)! Still the best service I've ever had in the world! Kikuo will go out of his way to make sure you have an enjoyable stay. It feels like you're staying with friends!

This year I decided to book a room WITHOUT an ensuite. It was the best decision I made and I wish I had of done this last year (I booked a room with an ensuite)! Sidehill have two shower rooms and each has a private spa (one room with a double private spa)! I would recommend not booking a room with an ensuite as the private shower rooms with spa are a million times better. Perfect for relaxing after a day snowboarding.

Again the location is good. Sidehill is in the heart of Echoland and very close to the free shuttle bus to the resorts, restaurants and nightlife.

I would recommend Sidehill to anyone who travels to Hakuba!

I travelled with 18 people including myself. We spent a week there during the Chinese new year for a snowboarding holiday. I am sure all of us enjoyed our stay. The atmosphere is very relaxing. Kikuo-san’s family is friendly and the couple has excellent cooking skill.

The pension has two hotspring baths. One is for single, the other is good for couple. After a day of exhausting snowboarding game, it was so nice to spend a few minutes to relax your muscle in the bath tub.

Room size is relatively small but clean and sufficient. One complaint was that the heater in my room was too hot and dry, so we need to turn it on/off from time to time in order to adjust temperature manually.

Kikuo looked after us very well. One of our friends caught a cold and had fever for a few days. Kikuo separately prepared congee for my friend. He was also very kind to help us to organise discounted lift tickets and liaising group transportation to ski park.

As mentioned in others’ comments, Sidehill is conveniently located a few minutes’ walk from shuttle bus station, and there are stores nearby.

A very relax and happy stay in Sidehill Pension. I stayed in Sidehill Pension for a week with a big group of friends. We all love it very much! A very cozy and homey decoration, after a day of snowboarding, it`s a great place with a fireplace, that we gathered, chit chat and hang around. The most memorable thing is the food here, super yummy french dinner, and great desserts! Will definitely come again next year, to visit the nice couple and their 2 lovely sons!

Our recent 10 day stay at Lodge Side Hill was our fourth ski trip to Japan. As usual, the snow was fantastic, but this time the hospitality experienced at Lodge Side Hill was beyond exemplary.

Nothing was too difficult for Kikuo and his staff - from ferrying injured skiers to the pharmacy to organizing lift passes or lending ski poles.

Lodge Side Hill is a small family run lodge conveniently located in Echoland, only a minute's walk to the shuttle bus stop, which gives access to all the mountains in the Hakuba region. Also a short walk is a convenience store, laundromat and a dozen or so restaurants, cafes and bars. The rooms are small but warm and comfortable, and the lodge has a cozy lounge with a wood fireplace and bar with an extensive selection of wine, or whatever takes your fancy. The lodge has two private use bathrooms, one with a traditional Japanese bath and the other with a jacuzzi - just what you need after a day on the slopes!!

Kikuo is a talented chef, serving up a delicious 2 course breakfast every morning - maybe a truffled omelette one morning, followed by green tea pancakes with red bean sauce the next day. It feels like you are dining in a quaint cafe rather than a typical ski lodge. The French 3 course dinner using seasonal local ingredients was fantastic, as was the steak dinner.

The lodge was great value, and the atmosphere makes you feel like a real guest of Kikuo and his family. I'd highly recommend Lodge Side Hill to anyone looking for welcoming accommodation when in Hakuba. We hope to return sometime soon!