Kimamaya by Odin — Hotel in Kutchan

We have just returned from 5 nights at this lovely and cosy boutique hotel in Hirafu village, Niseko. The building itself is a beautiful wooden structure with an interesting 'barn' with a huge glass front where breakfast (and evening meals) are served.

The location of the property is ideal, towards the 'bottom' of the village and only a few minutes walk from the food trucks and restaurants. The property has two hot private baths which are a great relief for aching muscles, and a lounge area where you can relax with a drink. They also operate an honesty bar, which works well when you fancy a beer or something stronger.

However, what makes a stay truly unforgettable is the staff - Haruka-san, Peter and Osaka-san. You are made to feel so at home, and when you come back from a day on the slopes you feel like you are coming back to your family. The team operates a 'concierge' service through WhatsApp, which is useful for arranging pickup and drop-off for skiing and snowboarding. We never waited more than 3 minutes for Osaka-san to pick us up from the king gondola.

Also, Haruka-san kindly arranged a taxi for us when we were stranded at Kutchan station, and Peter helped us book a bus back to New Chitose airport. Other guests told me they can also help book Niseko restaurants (a must!).

My only downside with writing this review is that Kimamaya already books up really quickly, and if it becomes more well-known, it will be even more difficult :) We're planning to get our stay booked for next year asap and can't wait to catch up with the staff...

I know it's cliche, but 5 stars is not enough! Kimamaya came highly recommended to me by a friend who stayed there in January 2023. Naturally I wanted to check out the reviews, and they reinforced everything my friend had said and more. There is a good reason for that - Peter and Haruka go above and beyond to provide the most OUTSTANDING service and hospitality ever experienced. ||If you think it, they organise it. Even if you don't think it, Peter and Haruka will be on hand to recommend and assist wherever possible. The communication via the What's App group was great, not only for the getting dropped off or picked up from the ski resorts, but also for dinner recommendations and reservations that Peter or Haruka would do during the day while we were on the snow. ||The breakfasts were super tasty with a good variety and would keep us full and going until dinner. On the day we were leaving Peter and Haruka organised croissants, coffees and salmon, cream cheese and avocado bagels for the early morning bus trip to the airport.||The onsite onsens were a treat and the lounge area welcoming and comfortable to relax in with a tasty beer post a day snowboarding! ||Special shout out to Osaka San who was always available to drop us off and pick us up from the ski resorts. ||Cannot express just how great everything was, and can't recommend Kimamaya enough! Everybody deserves a bit of Kimamaya hospitality and experience in their life!! Thanks again to the team at Kimamaya and can't wait...

(Canadian Review) Stayed here in January 2020 for 5 nights for our Honeymoon. We loved every minute of it.

Staff was exceptional. Very friendly, very professional, very attentive, and will provide the best recommendations for your budget/tastes/mood.

Rooms were of standard Japan size, but very modern contemporary, with very thoughtful layouts, storage, and design. 5+ star for the cleainess. Towels were luxury soft while remaining eco-conscious, as was the bedding. The bed/pillows were the most comfortable we had on our 2+ week trip throughout Japan.

Tons of additional (heated) storage so you don't need to bring wet gear into your room. And the shutter service to the hill is a nice perk, but honestly, they are so close you could walk! (We thought it was funny that they literally drive you steps away from the lift)

The free breakfast menu was good quality, fast, fresh and to be honest, probably the best value in town (my husband and I were surprised at the few affordable dining options in general), so it was great to have this spot open early with very good breakfast items included in our stay.

Netflix is available on the TV, so we could recover from jetlag. The common area is very comfortable, and great for socializing (ah a simpler time).

Only wish we could come back this season! Do yourself a favor and stay here if you're looking for a more personal...