STAY > ANA Crowne Plaza Resort, Appi Kogen (14/20)

ANA Crowne Plaza Resort Appi Kogen delivers a classic, ski‑in/ski‑out mountain resort experience in the heart of APPI, pairing slope‑side convenience with big‑resort facilities, generous hot springs and a broad spread of dining and play options. It is not the newest or glossiest hotel on the mountain, but for families, groups and skiers who value access, onsen and variety over fine detail, it remains one of Appi’s most versatile bases. 

GETTING THERE >

Reaching Appi Kogen from Tokyo is remarkably straightforward, with the smoothest option being the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Morioka, followed by a short resort bus (or taxi) into the mountains. From Tokyo Station, board a Hayabusa or Komachi bullet train on the Tohoku Shinkansen line; the journey covers roughly 500 km in just over two hours, delivering you to Morioka, the main gateway city for Appi in Iwate Prefecture.

At Morioka Station, head out the west exit to the bus terminal, where frequent services run directly to Appi Kogen in under an hour, stopping at the major hotels and the resort village, making it an easy, luggage‑friendly transfer for skiers and riders. A taxi will cost you approximately ¥17,000 ($170 AUD).

AMBIENCE >

Step into the massive yellow tiled ANA Crowne Plaza Resort Appi Kogen and the first impression is of a sprawling, old‑school mountain resort: long corridors, with windows framing Appi’s broad, snow‑draped slopes. The look is slightly tired classic big chain hotel rather than cutting‑edge—think warm woods, mid‑2000s upholstery and soft, slightly muted lighting—but there is an easy, resort‑town comfort to it all.

There is a frenetic buzz in winter, with skiers clomping through the lobby, kids tumbling in from ski school and couples drifting headed to the onsen or searching for a drink (more on this). The atmosphere skews tired and relaxed rather than glamorous; what lingers is the sense of being cocooned on the mountain, in a large older rather worn resort.

STAY >

With 400‑plus rooms spread across a main building and the tower wing, the hotel is built for scale—twins, family rooms, maisonettes and suites all configured to catch those wide‑screen views over the pistes and surrounding forest. Interiors are functional rather than design‑forward: classic beds, large windows, plenty of timber, and in some categories, split‑level layouts.

Maisonette and premium configurations make the most of their 4.5m ceiling height with some offering private outside onsen bath’s, separate living zones and sofa beds that transform into extra sleeping space. The overall experience is a solid alpine base camp—everything in the room is where you expect it to be.

EAT >

The ANA Crowne Plaza leans heavily into breadth: with Japanese, Western, Chinese, Yakiniku and buffet options are all on the table, quite literally. The all‑day food court anchors the offer with the usual array of curry and tonkatsu, ramen and a variety of options, all setting skiers up for a full day on the hill.

Come evening, guests can steer into teppanyaki, sushi and local cuisine, steaks, Chinese plates or barbecue, depending on mood and energy levels. It is less about a single show‑stopping restaurant and more about choice: over a multi‑night stay, it is easy to mix casual buffet evenings with more focused, course‑driven dinners without ever leaving the building.

DRINK >

This is very much a “one‑roof” resort, and the drinking options mirror that, with lounges and bars designed for post‑slope decompression. A lobby‑side bar and a more serene tea lounge give two distinct moods: either something stirred and strong as you watch the last lifts spin, or a quieter pot of tea sipped against the highland panorama.

Layer in the hotel’s karaoke rooms and casual late‑night corners, and there is always somewhere to end the evening without donning boots or stepping outside. Expect an international hotel approach to lists rather than an edgy natural‑wine bar—familiar labels, approachable cocktails and the pleasure of not having to go far for a nightcap.

WORKOUT >

For guests who like to balance their on‑snow days with more traditional training, the resort’s Olympia Sports Club builds out a surprisingly comprehensive fitness offer. A dedicated gym, indoor pool and assorted sports facilities sit alongside the ski‑to‑door access, making it easy to swap a blizzard‑blown afternoon for laps in the pool or time on the treadmill.

The real wellness highlight, though, is the hot‑spring experience: a substantial onsen and spa zone that lets tired legs thaw out in mineral‑rich waters before bed. There is the indoor public onsen within the building and the excellent Appi onsen Shirakaba-no-yu which has a series of lovely outdoor pools with views across the snow as well as a very large sauna complete with a TV showing Japanese daytime TV.

PLAY >

On the mountain side, the hotel’s trump card is immediate access to APPI’s lifts—clip in outside and you are on the hill within moments, with the full breadth of the resort at your feet. Off the slopes, the hotel leans into classic family big‑resort pleasures: game centre, kids’ areas, karaoke, mahjong rooms and more, all designed to keep multi‑generational mass groups entertained without leaving the complex.

CONCLUSION >

ANA Crowne Plaza Resort Appi Kogen is the solid dependable all‑rounder of the mountain: a generously scaled, ski‑in/ski‑out hub where convenience, variety and hot‑spring comfort do the heavy lifting. It is not the shiny gold world class resort that you might expect looking at it website and it definitely does not deliver the hyper‑polished design of APPI’s newest luxury address (the ANA Intercontinental), but for skiers, families and groups who want to maximise time on snow and minimise logistical friction, it remains one of Tohoku’s most compelling big‑resort stays.

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Image Credit | ALMANAK & ANA Crowne Resort Appi Kogen

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