Niseko hotels & places to stay

According to our kids: "One of the best vacations". Niseko is around 3 hours bus ride from Chitose Airport, but it's worth the travel. I personally like the area which is away from the usual crowded city life. In Niseko, we connected with nature and I can't get enough of the beauty of Mt. Yotei, its cap is still covered with snow. She is so beautiful. It's off ski season and most of the resorts are closed, but luckily Grand Hirafu Ski Resort was open. We had a great family time. The kids learned to ski, thanks to our instructor who patiently taught first timers like us. Free scheduled shuttle is also available for hotel guests who would like to explore Niseko. Don't miss to drop by the Milk Kobo, just a 3 minutes shuttle ride form the hotel, they offer the best tasting cheese cake, ice cream and cream puffs. We also enjoyed The Village which is located beside the hotel. Food was great and the scenery was incomparable. Hotel staffs were very accommodating to our requests and questions. They offered nice breakfast but choices were limited. We ate mostly the same line up for 3 days. Our room, which was at the top floor, was small compared to other hotels we stayed, but it was clean and the view was amazing. I hope we can go back in one of our future vacations and truly enjoy the white season.

Rooms: We stayed in Rusutsu Tower. Excellent, plenty of space for four sharing. Food: Kazahana: Excellent. Great food, great staff and great fun - we dined there three times so they prepared a 'customised' dinner on the last occasion. Breakfast dull and unexciting. Skiing: Resort size is modest. Some good 'motorway' runs, some excellent runs 'through the trees'. Smaller than Niseko or ShigaKogen so best for 3-4 day trip. No lift queues and reasonable food on the mountains. Access: Easy from Sapporo or Chitose.

To provide some context, I have stayed in dozens of hotels throughout the United States and internationally, and have spent over 300 nights in hotels, and this will be my first hotel review. We were so satisfied with Chalet Ivy, that I’d be remiss if I didn’t share this with the rest of the online community. Hotel Staff My buddy and I were traveling to Niseko to ski, and this was our first trip to Japan. I made the reservation through Agoda.com, and I emailed the hotel directly to confirm that they had received our reservation. In addition to confirming the reservation, I sent multiple emails in the months leading up to our trip for a variety of things, including restaurant recommendations, where to rent skis, airport transportation options, and other random questions. Every question I sent was answered promptly and thoroughly, and gave us a lot of confidence in our upcoming stay. Our flight into CTS was a little delayed, and around 11:30 PM, the hotel called my cell phone to confirm o

Ski in and ski out. Huge pool and hot tub area. Saunas. Massage parlor. You have access to your own ski locker and the mountain offers night skiing. You name it this place has it. Located in Hirafu where all the night life is. It is across street from Welcome Center where the buses drop you off. Great value. Highly recommended. Would definitely stay here again when visiting Niseko. If you don’t want to be stuck at your hotel at night and having to resort to taking the bus into town, stay in Hirafu. For example, the travel agent tried to get us to stay at the Hilton. While it is a pretty hotel, there is literally nothing else around it. So at night when you get back you are stuck at the hotel unless you want to do a 20 minute bus ride each way to town. The Hotel Alpen exceeded expectations.

Niseko is an upscale area especially during Winter. to get a clean and comfortable hotel, be prepared to pay some $$$ good money. However, Always Niseko has competitive pricing with excellent service. the front desk staffs are also there to help in our endless questions. the shuttle bus services are super efficient and on time (So on time that they will arrive earlier or on the exact time) will definitely stay here when we are back in Niseko for Snowboarding again

I went to Niseko for ski and 'onsen' (hot spring) experience. The hotel is not a preferable destination for skiers as it is not next to the ski lifts (about 20mins by shuttle). However, I wouldn't change for any other hotel. Everything there was superb. The daily rates were about US$550 for a double room but included multi course Japanese breakfast and dinner, and full access to the hotel's spa equipped with sauna, Japanese showers, and hot spring pools (internal and external). It absolutely great value for money. If you want to be pampered, have a luxurious ski experience or even a nice time with a companion go for it with your eyes closed. Three points to consider: -Most of the staff speak very little English. But don't feel discouraged: they will move mountains to understand you and in the end you will get what you want. They are very polite, attentive, competent and kind even for Japanese standards. -By default the hotel will serve you Japanese breakfast and dinner in private rooms. The is the option of Western menus which I tried once for breakfast. It's not bad, but definitely not as good as the Japanese meals. Even if you don't want fish and a bowl of rice in the morning just give it a try. You won't regret it. -Finally, Niseko is 3.5h by bus from CTS Airport. The hotel can recommend some bus liners that can drop you close the hotel, and from there they will send a shuttle to pick you up. The buses work very well and are very convenient. Don't drive during winter if you are not an experienced winter driver as it is truly dangerous.

The hotel is less than 5 minutes drive from niseko annapuri. There is free shuttle service but we rented a car so did not use the service. Ski centre in the hotel is convenient and there is free ski lockers for hotel guests to use. The hot spring in the hotel is very good. We enjoyed relaxing in the onsen after skiing. The breakfast is very good too. From 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm , there was live performance in the hotel lobby by retired musicians from Hokkaido symphony orchestra. We kids fell in love with the music played. We stayed there for a 6 days and really enjoyed it. Will go back again for sure.

This is the highlight of my trip to Japan. Niseko in a whole is awesome in winter. The snow is so soft and the weather is not gloomy at all. All the staff we met at Freedom Inn are EXTREMELY friendly and attentive. They recommended good eating places and there are shuttle services to everywhere and anywhere you want to go. We usually discuss with the staff on the schedule we have for the day and they will arrange the transport for us. However, if you take a bus to niseko, it will stop you at the tourist centre which is quite far off from Freedom Inn. You have to arrange with the people there a cab to send you to Freedom Inn. The room is huge and comfortable. We have plenty of space for our 2 big luggages and tons of shopping loot. Our aim of this trip is trying to ski. Freedom Inn is about 10min walking distance to Hanazono and the walk during winter is so refreshing, it's amazing. We are first time skiiers; took a half day ski lesson at hanazono and are able to ski down the long gentle slopes. My only regret is the duration of our trip was too short. I would definitely return for a 2 weeks trip! highly recommended!!

Very, very impressive!!! Everything you need and want is right here at this hotel. They have a locker room for all your snow gear. Once you're all geared up, you walk out the back of the hotel and ski right on down into your choice of either ski lifts at Annupuri. From then on, the mountain is yours :) You can access the neighboring Niseko Village and/or Hirafu by going across the top of the mountains, or you can also take the shuttle bus (which is FREE, with an All-Niseko Mountain Pass), although the shuttle bus route will be less exciting, understandably. After a long day of hitting the snow, you can come back to some good restaurants, a lovely onsen, and even an in-room massage. Staff are top notch - attentive and very helpful. Only concern was that the toilet in my room was small and cramped - but no problem for solo traveler. Other than that, it was a great stay, to say the least :) thoroughly pleased

Had a decent stay. Bed was big, the place was clean and staff was friendly. Breakfast was good as well. The only thing to note is that it's abit far from the Niseko town (20mins walk), and public bus there is not really efficient (infrequent, no timetable etc). They provide their own shuttle van to Grand Hirafu ski resort during the day, but the last van back to the hotel is 4pm which is quite early. So me and my wife walked back to the hotel every night after dinner at Niseko Town. It's quite doable, and I would rather walk back (able to keep warm too) then to wait for an uncertain bus in the freezing cold weather. Apart from location, everything is great here. If you are on a tight budget or not willing to spend too much on accommodation, I would recommend this hotel.

I reserched and checked with my friends which Niseko ski resorts are best for family with small kids. AYA was one of the mentioned. Since AYA has everything we needed, i.e. good location, nice view, ski access+equipment rent, ski lesson for kids, and private onsen, we chose AYA. I booked a 3-night stay for my wife, her brother, my son and myself during mid of Feb 2019. We were forced to cancel this trip because my son was admitted in hospital 4 days before our flight. Nothing was refundabel due to our booking condition and agreement, but I wasn't sad about money I lost. That the staffs here kept engaging and answered my every question made me feel warm and how welcoming this place was. Whilst my son was still in hospital, I planned another trip in the beginning of March right away. Too bad, the room type at AYA I was looking for was all booked during the period. Maybe I will check it out again next year. My all five stars were solely from the staffs; very appreciated them.

We been around the cities of Japan before we got to Niseko and stayed here. We chose the Japanese Style Room with in-room onsen. The room was huge and we are fairly acquainted with Japanese futon beds(basically a mattress on the floor). We had unparalleled sleep. The toilet is a little small and is separated from the shower room. The shower room is connected to the in-room onsen. It is a strange arrangement but the spacious room, the comfortable sleep and the relaxing private onsen with a view of ski slopes makes every problem in your mind go away. The hotel also has a public onsen. Breakfast is a good spread and the view of the mountains while you enjoy your scrambled eggs is priceless. You also have a ski locker room and direct access to the slopes from the hotel premises. This place exceeded every expectation we had. We are definitely going back to this hotel.

My group of four senior guy were very pleased with our stay. Breakfast was included and very good, all you could. Evening meals were great also and very inexpensive. Skiing at Moiwa is good and not crowded, but limited terrain. With a rental car it is a short drive to Niseko United Ski Areas where you have so many terrain options. Hirafu village is close and has many restaurants and shops. The lodge also provides a shuttle, which we did not use to other areas. If I return to ski the Niseko area I will stay at Moiwa Lodge again.

Room - Western style apartment with Yotei view. Great room, it was spacious and well designed. We had a separate bedroom and common space, where the latter one of our friends stayed in (the couch was made into a bed). Staff - The staff was one of the best aspect of our stay. They were very friendly and helpful, especially Nao. Housekeeping - The housekeeping is probably something they could improve on - they do a thorough clean of the room every 3 days, changing your sheets and vacuuming. They do come in every day to collect your rubbish and change your towels (if you place them in the bathtub). The towels however I noticed were not so clean; occasionally they had some spots and hair. Shuttle - The shuttle service was good, the staff were helpful. We did wish though that the shuttle ran every 30 min instead of 1 hr. Food - The food was great! The breakfast is a continental breakfast (eggs on request). The lunch and dinner was one of the best in Niseko. THANK YOU NEST AT THE TREES!

Recently stayed 9 nights at Alpen Ridge - our first ski trip in Japan, was an amazing time & we're already planning a return trip next season. Overall it was an excellent experience from the first point of contact with Nico at Ski Japan via email to make all the necessary travel, ski rental and room booking arrangements. On arrival, check-in w Miki was friendly, quick & efficient. The apartment very roomy, comfortable & very well equipped. Throughout our trip the Front Desk team were incredibly friendly making us feel at home & also very helpful in suggesting places to eat out, making bookings for taxis/day trips. Lloyd & the staff at NBS sports were excellent fitting us all out quickly with ski gear and helping the kids in and out of their ski boots every day! Ski Lessons with Donna, Stephen, Kerne, David & Nic B were awesome, very enjoyable - very happy to see the wife and kids skiing well after only a few days on the slopes. Roll on next season so we can book at Alpen Ridge again!

Rock hard beds. You can get a better quality bed at a youth hostel in Japan that you get in this place. Besides the furniture, the place is actually quite nice. However, we did have a lot of bugs in the room when we 1st moved in but after we killed off a number of them that seem to solve the problem. The staff were apologetic but...... The other sometimes frustrating thing is that the property is not managed by the owners but by some booking office in Niseko. You never actually see the people that you might be dealing with when you book the property. Having said that, the On-site management staff (who were completely new to the property) are nice people and really try to do their best. However, you often get an answer such as "we just manage the property and don't handle bookings", "the equipment and facility are as they were when we took over" or something like that whatever you ask a question about the state of things. If they put decent furniture in all the rooms the place would then approach being worth what they're charging for it. But as it stands that's very questionable..... You'd probably do better staying down the road at one of the cheaper hotels or at the big resort hotels. Hopefully they will take on board some of the comments from guests and improve things.

The hotel staff were very helpful as I only emailed them 1 day before my arrival date and they arranged to have their hotel van to pick us up. Convenient if you are skiing as the Annupuri Ski slope is just beside the hotel. They also helped me to courier my luggage bags to my destination hotel 2 days later and it reached there save and sound. As my stay included set dinner, we would need to eat whatever that was served that night. Do not get me wrong as the food was fresh and good but only that you don't get to choose. My best experience with this hotel was soaking in the outdoor onsen with snow covered grounds and to top it off...snow falling down on you to give that romantic and enchanting feeling.

It was really an amazing travel. I only have two days to book flight and hotel when I got my total one week vacation. There is no any information and I never been Niseko, so I just find this hotel close to Annupuri ski area. Hotel extremely new and clean, they wait me when I arrive very late 10PM and help me everything. Free drinks, coffee, good room air condition, of course a very delicious Japanese style breakfast. Bus station Fujiyama just one minute by walk, I can take bus to any ski area and hot springs resort. Everyone in this total is very kind and they all can speak English. I finally stay this hotel 6 nights and appreciate they send me to Niseko station in final day morning to take train to Sapporo. It’s definitely a hotel over your expectations, don’t hesitate to make your reservations. I will absolutely come again for winter ski season.

Great place in middle hirafu, near to the slopes, rhythm rental, awesome food places. Everything within walking distance and also next to shuttle bus stop. Great place and service by the team too! They picked us from the Welcome Center, helped to arrange our transport from Chitose airport to Niseko Welcome Center. And also recommended and helped to book restaurants as we did not speak the local language. Will recommend this place to anyone looking to stay in Niseko Hirafu area. Can't wait for the next season!

The chalet itself is complete except there is no kitchen knife. Some board games could be included. They could upgrade their tvs to smart tvs with internet access as all channels are in Japanese. There is nothing to do in the area other than to go somewhere to ski. Restaurants are few and they may not be opened on particular days without reason - best that you call them before heading down. Going on early December is bad because a lot of restaurants don't start business yet. However going on the middle Dec onwards is bad for another reason - it gets crowded. Staff appear friendly but may not be knowledgeable about the area itself. I would highly recommend you stock up on groceries so that you can cook your own food. Sipping wine or warm sake or brandy indoors with the snow falling outside is just magical.

I had a lovely first time in Niseko, thanks to Milky House. The place was cozy, clean and beautifully maintained — a home away from home. The location is fantastic, a mere 3min walk to the Annupuri Ski Area. No commercial establishments nearby like Hirafu, so it’s very quiet. My room was spacious - twin room, good enough for three people - had TV, fridge, lots of hangers, a full body mirror and several electric outlets to charge my gadgets. The staff was helpful, welcoming and friendly - someone was waiting for me even though I arrived past midnight already! And they can drive you to your destination within the ski resorts area (for free if very close, or equal to the bus fare if a little far) - just ask nicely. The food was delicious - breakfast and dinner were amazing (dinner comes at an additional discounted fee)! It was a perfect mix of Hokkaido and foreign flavors. They even have homemade bread. Common areas and facilities were kept clean. Toilet and shower area are shared, separate for ladies and gentlemen. Milky House can also arrange or recommend ski/snowboard rental and lessons if you need it. If you are looking for a homey place to stay,with a warm, tranquil atmosphere and 5-star service, then Milky House is the perfect choice. Arigatou Gozaimasu Milky House for such a wonderful Niseko winter experience!