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As I may be entering the market for cheap accommodation this season, maybe in Hakuba even, I'm curious to know precisely what is meant by the frequently alluded to 'attitude' at Snowbeds. Having been accused myself of having various 'attitudes' by lesser mortals, I'm quite sensitive to the possible implications of the term - clearly it means different things to different people.

 

So, would anybody who thinks they've detected an attitude at Snowbeds care to be specific about what they mean? Are the people at Snowbeds impolite? Ignorant and disrepectful? Careless of one's property? Servile to the extent of parody?

 

If you're going to do a demolition job, might as well do it properly.

 

Details, please.

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I've been a few times and would go back. It's really cheap and just a place to put your head down - if you go expecting much more for your 3000 yen then you are going to be disappointed.

 

When I have been there were a decent crowd there, the people were friendly - no problems from my point of view.

 

I suppose in a place like that who is there when you're there is going to make a big difference to the experience.

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i dont stay there cause I know many more places at or around the same price.

 

i prefer to get a private place with the wife.

 

The things i did and didnt like when i stayed at snobeds were....

 

likes

it was clean when i was there.

the bed was fine.

weekday so it was quiet.

 

dislikes

was the only skier there and that didnt go over well, except with a nice little japanese girl.

The local guys staying for a few monthes had their heads up their asses. ie im a ski bum im the best.

little cold at night. that was to be expected but i know other places that use electricity for heating so the room is warm.

When iwas there mitch was fine great even.

What happened at new years was..... a little too much for me.

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I think 'soap opera' sums it up. You've got your main characters, visiting stars, visiting wannabe stars (probably me lol.gif ), and the extras.

 

For all the egos, drinking, testosterone, wariness of the uninitiated that seemed par the course in the main arena, ignoring all that by accepting the part of an extra would have been quite easy. The rear dorm seemed impenetrable to any outside distractions, and a good nights sleep could be had.

 

I went there for a bit of social on some of my solo trips, and had a good time. I dont think i'd stay there now with my partner. Definitely a singles bash in my book.

 

Fatwins, could you possibly give me any links on cheap condos?

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I have stayed 3 or 4 times and always enjoyed it. I like the hostel (not hostile) atmosphere. There is always someone cool to meet. Everyone remembered me (except Mitch) when I went back and made me feel welcome. The shower downstairs is good (but the smell downstairs is not). It's a fun place to drink at night, and if you want it, it is quite easy to find adventure in a way not commonly found in Japan (or at least Nagano). I'm not sure if I would recommend it for the extremely Japan-ized Gaijin, though. It is certainly a little Gaijin hole in the Hakuba Valley.

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I have only visited and the only problem I had was Mitch. He was rude and socially inept. We were there to meet some people who had not arrived yet (they were staying there). The girl I was with is in my opinion the most easy to get along with and sociable person I know, accepting of nearly all people and their faults. To her, there is something worthwhile in everyone she meets. She has had lengthy experience with some serious male ego and jerk-ism via her management of a nightclub for a few years that regularly filled itself with the city's biggest jerks, ergo, she is pretty thick skinned. However, after talking to Mitch she said something that she reserves for only special occasions, something very close to: "what a fuqin piss-ant jerk, I would rather wait for the guys outside in the cold than stand here and watch him be so rude to you".

 

So we walked up and down the road in the falling powder waiting for our crew to rock up.

 

Ocean, in terms of 'having an attitude', I would take yours over what I suspect his was like any day.

 

I can't comment on the quality of the accom etc. All reports seem to say it is ok.

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I've stayed there and wouldnt go back, even if I was broke/single/drunk/tripping/etc. There was just a general lack of respect of the customer, although to be fair Mitchs wife/girlfriend was rushing around like a blue arsed fly trying to help everyone, so I am not criticising her at all.

 

If you talk to some of the owners of the Japanese-run hotels in Hakuba you'll hear some pretty "interesting" stories about Snowbeds.

 

The only people I would recommend Snowbeds to, would be those hideous self-proclaimed 'party dudes,' if only to make sure they are not staying where I am staying.

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gawd, i almost feel baited, it's like someone put up a topic

 

47 Patrol - Professional and Friendly ?

 

but I know that's not really the case,(and I would anyway, even if it was) so I will elaborate on my opinion . . .

 

What you get when you go to snowbeds is a room and a scene, and whether you have a good time is based on your expectations versus what you get.

 

The rooms vary in size and number of beds, and there is no real sense of which room you are assigned to, so if you want your pick you should get there early. In general the rooms are cold, but they have to be that way, or else you will die of carbon monoxide poisoning from the ancient, filthy kero heaters they have going. Everytime I slept there I would wake up freezing, with bad air in my lungs and a headache as a result.

 

The scene obviously depends on who is there, but it usually just vacationing gaijin and a few japanese from all over. Most of the time they are just looking for something fun to do at night. Everytime I have been there Mitch always promises drinks and music, which are delivered, but in a terrible way. You could even say in a crap-tastic way. You are better off brining your own entertainment. And then there is of course the bums that stay there, and work for nothing but to claim local status. If you try to start a conversation about riding, or just about anything for that matter with one of these guys or with Mitch, you will get an earful of crap about why they are so great, and why everyone else sucks. Just sooo much unsubstantiated "I'm great - I've done it all" attitude going on. If you talk to Mitch about patrol, It becomes clear that Mitch is not interested in working towards better off-course riding options, but only in starting fights with patrol, and getting attention by intentionally causing trouble - which is too bad, because if someone who lived in Hakuba were to work towards better off-course options, form a group, gather and present opinions, it would have a better chance of becoming a reality.

 

I think it is reasonable for someone who is travelling to want to talk about the scene, talk about other places you've ridden, talk about dope lines, but if you talk to these guys, all you get is a lecture on what they know. I asked about a line in Mitch's whack-ass video and he actually said to his flunky who was explaining the spot to me "Oh don't tell him that, if you can't see that line from the lift, you don't deserve to know about it." :rolleyes: So there you go, I don't deserve to know about the Hakuba lines, and thanks for the helpful attitude.

 

I think Mitch himself hates his customers, and so by midseason he strives to make that disdain clear to each and every one of them. He was really friendly, and helpful when I met him early season, but by February, his attitude had deteriorated considerably, which is strange because he does little to no work around Snowbeds itself, leaving it all to Yoshi (who is a great girl, btw.)

 

Alot of people say, well what do you expect for 3000 Yen. To which I would say, "Not much, but I do expect not to freeze, and not to be treated like a fraternity - pledging freshman, when all I am doing is trying to rent a bed and talk to people about snowboarding.

 

You read on message boards about gaijin in Japan and it's always stuff like "oh they are losers who couldn't do anything in their home countries." Or you read "People like that gaijin give us others a bad name." Or "They are here because their girlfriends do more for them and let them get away with stuff that girls in their home countries would never put up with." Based on what I saw, Mitch transcended those descriptions of a crummy gaijin and brought being a crummy gaijin to a whole new level.

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agreed...

Snowbeds is probably a little less than it claims to be...if you want a cheap bed, then it aint so bad...

 

Mitch (wonder if he reads this...), well, my impressions of him were not that great...and they got really bad when he had a few drinks in him...he was very sleezy and rude to some of my lady-friends there...it was disgusting...

 

snowbeds did let us host a party there...which was a good time, and there arent to many places that would agree to something like that...so that is a redeming quality...

 

anyway...thats my opinion...why do I feel like weve had this conversation before...

 

danz

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So... Mitch and Snowbeds have some pretty good word of mouth going for them then.

 

I always thought 'Snowbeds' sounded cold.

 

Those places db mentioned in Hakkers sound good. I particularly like the idea of being able to ride down to the lift in the morning (and pester bunnies on the lift from my sleeping quarters).

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Interesting, Mitch must be Jekyl and Hide because he has always been friendly to me. I have stayed at snowbeds a few times and havent had any problems. I have though seen Mitch be abrupt with some other people.

 

One day I was walking to Happo and Mitch drove by and stopped and gave me a ride and he also told me a sweet place to go at Happo, the place incidently where I was chased by the kamoshika.

Last year I went to Hakuba for Mtn Biking an even though snowbeds was closed and Mitch and Yoshi were in SE Asia they let me stay there and I left the cash for them under his private door.

 

incidently I always found Mitch was good with names it was Yoshi who always forgot.

 

If you are travelling alone and on the cheap then Snowbeds is fine. You meet people, hook up with others to go riding. The kero heaters do stink downstairs as Barok mentioned.

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But doesn't everyone have days when they may not be themselves or tired or whatever?

 

I'm sure many people put under scrutiny could be seen as Jekyl and Hide characters to some extent.

 

I havent been but he was very friendly when we contacted the place last season.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Posting blanket statements that smear an individual and possibly hurt their business is wrong and very pussy. If you got something to say like that...you should confront the person. But obviously those of you with petty gripes don't have the stomach for it.

 

I have to say that, over my 5 months in Snowbeds this last season, I met many very cool people of all nationalities, abilities and professions. I also came across some serious idiots. I saw literally hundreds of young gaijin who constantly expected special service from Mitch and Yoshie...and didn't want to pay for it. So many (I'm sorry to single you guys out, but it is a fair generalization and I DO know many of you who do not fit this statement) JET's with little or no real, independent life experience to draw from, who needed their little hands held and noseys wiped.

Granted, by the end of the season, the staff at Snowbeds may have been somewhat 'over it'. But, right up to the end, I witnessed consistent customer service across the board. The only exceptions were with people who rocked up with attitude and didn't get their asses kissed. In life; you get what you put in.

 

If any of you would like to discuss this off the net: joshkalish47@yahoo.com I'll be happy to hear what you have to say.

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First off this a free place to share how we feel.

I have stated my case that new years was a bad scene.

 

Mitch was in general very nice to me when I stayed there one time. The other live in types were rude and to put it simple not nice. Fine you live there its your home for a few monthes but the raw attitude I got was just stupid. I asked a few questions about some riding spots I caught a "dont worry we will find the powder you wont line".

 

I bummed for years back in Canada I know hotshots when I see them and they dont talk smack.

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> Posting blanket statements that smear an individual and possibly hurt their business is wrong and very pussy. If you got something to say like that...you should confront the person. But obviously those of you with petty gripes don't have the stomach for it

 

Sorry, but in business, word of mouth is very important. There's no obligation whatsoever to confront anybody about bad service or whatever. The attitude that you display there doesn't do any credit to anybody either.

 

What is your interest in this anyway? Why should anybody discuss this with you? Who are you?

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If you go to a restaurant and get crap food do you waste more of your time telling the cheif or do you just tell your friends to go somewhere elce?

 

I understand completely how annoying jets/english teachers from the city invading your living space can be - especially when they are dicks, but if you want them as your customers you have got to put up with them.

 

Your bashing everyone for spreading the word about the negative aspects of the place but from what I have read you WERE one of the negative aspects. Which is worse?

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