I hear they're under new management. Very clean place with friendly and helpful staff. I've visited maybe 4-5 other ryokans and this was the best.
20-25 minutes walk to the lift.
10 minutes to echoland (bars and restaurants)
Had an overall great stay. Shuttle to/from JR station, free breakfast, nice hot shower. The location is also 3min from free shuttle stop that takes you to happo one, iwatake, goryu and winter47. The host Johnny was great to chat with and provided many useful information during my stay