Niseko used to be a typically Japanese snow resort with Japanese-style inns and pensions, but is now lined with high-end condominiums, with plans for world-class high-end hotels in the pipeline. Affluent people from around the world are now visiting Niseko as it gradually transforms into a world-class snow resort. Let's see what the hotels are like in Niseko, which are a world apart from those in other snow resorts in Japan.
Winning everyone's admiration: world-class high-end hotels
The talk of town, the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono Residences, is now under construction and due to open in December 2019. Though the prices are far beyond the reach of most of us, many wealthy people from around the world are buying into it as their second home and for investment. While they are away, their rooms are rented out just like any other hotel room. Also, in 2020, the Ritz-Carlton is to open in the Niseko Village area.
There is already a Hilton Hotel in the village area, so with the arrival of Ritz-Carlton and Park Hyatt, there will be a concentration of world-class hotels in Niseko. If you want to enjoy some of the world's best powder snow and enjoy first-class services in luxurious surroundings, the high-end hotels in Niseko are your best pick.
A condominium stay offers you a feel of living in the area
Condominiums in the Niseko Hirafu area are equipped with a spacious living room, a large kitchen and lifestyle essentials like washing machines, perfect for a long stay for families and groups.
Overseas tourists with longer holidays than Japan prefer condominium-style accommodation where they can relax with family and friends. This is why there are more condominiums in the area than hotels.
All of them are stylish, designed by foreign companies! In Niseko, even though you are in Japan you will feel as if you are at an overseas resort. The accommodation ranges from simple, low-priced apartments, to high-end hotels that are a few hundred thousand yen a night. If you want to stay in Niseko as if you are living there for a week or longer, try a condominium!
Low- to medium-priced hot spring hotels and pensions
Even though Niseko is turning into a high-end resort, it still has hotels and pensions much like those in other Japanese resorts. The popular ones are hotels with hot springs with direct access to the piste, where you can enjoy a soak in the hot spring after skiing, before or after dinner, before sleep, and even in the morning. Whenever you like, as much as you like. Such hotels in the Hirafu area include Niseko Alpen, and in the Annupuri area, Northern Resort Annupuri.
There are also pensions with homey hospitality and homemade dishes, within a shuttle bus ride of each piste. You can stay fairly cheaply and the warm atmosphere unique to family-owned small businesses will make your visit unforgettable. These places will be great picks if you want to enjoy the overseas feel of Niseko and enjoy a Japanese snow resort culture.
Guesthouses with tourists from many countries
Many of you would probably love to stay a long time at a condominium but would probably like to go easy on your spending. If so, why not stay at guesthouses in Niseko, which are increasingly being opened in Niseko in the last few years?
They are usually small dorms with shared showers, toilets and a living room. The rooms are either for yourself, or shared with a few others.
Many guesthouse users are wanting to make a connection with other visitors, and the owners and staff are friendly. If you want to talk to many people about Niseko's piste and how to get the most from the area to your heart's content, a stay at a guesthouse will no doubt be an unforgettable experience!
They are booked for months in advance during the high season, so book early!
Meanwhile, the traditional pensions and lodgings for Japanese people are beginning to decline. Compared to other snow resorts, such conventional hotels may be hard to find, but you'll definitely find somewhere you like as there are so many places to stay in Niseko. From Christmas to the New Year, and during the Chinese New Year the hotels get quickly booked up so once you know your timetable, make sure to book early!
text: Natsuko Saito