Nikko Style Niseko HANAZONO — Hotel in Kutchan

We recently stayed at the Nikko Style Hanazono for 6 nights in a Club Room with our family of four (two adults and two children). Initially, we were a bit nervous due to some mixed reviews online, but we were pleasantly surprised and had an excellent stay overall.

The hotel is beautifully designed, modern, and impeccably clean (I’m quite particular about cleanliness, so this was a big win for me). The atmosphere is calm and quiet, and the location is incredibly convenient for skiing. The staff were consistently helpful and friendly, which made our stay even more enjoyable.

The Club Lounge was a highlight, offering high-quality wines, spirits, and bubbles. The canapés were delicious and varied, including smoked salmon, fried chicken karaage, prawn tempura, salads, bread, pastries, rice, and soup. Breakfast in the lounge was also good, with options like sausages, eggs, pastries, yogurt, and a small Japanese bento box. The only minor critique is that the offerings didn’t change much over our 6-night stay, so it became a bit repetitive. We did not eat at the main restaurant so cannot comment on this.

The onsen was another standout feature—modern, clean, and serene. We visited every evening after the lifts closed and always found it quiet and relaxing. My only suggestion would be to provide larger body towels in the onsen (currently, they only offer small hand towels) and additional amenities like hairbrushes or cotton swabs.

Regarding housekeeping and cleanliness, I have no complaints. As someone who typically stays at luxury hotels like Four Seasons and Six Senses, and having stayed at other ski resorts in Sapporo (Setsu Niseko, Fenix West, etc.), I found the housekeeping at Nikko Style to be discreet and efficient. Our room was always tidied and cleaned on schedule, with towels changed and amenities replenished. Note that, like many hotels in Japan, they follow an “eco cleaning schedule” (sheets are changed every third day), but the reception assured us they’re happy to accommodate a full clean upon request.

The ski locker area was clean and well-organized, and the hotel never felt crowded, even during the busy second week of February. In contrast, when we visited Park Hyatt, it felt much busier and less calm.

Food-wise, if you’re staying in Hanazono (whether at Nikko Style or Park Hyatt), you’ll likely dine at the hotel restaurants. Hanazono isn’t close enough to Kutchan or Hirafu to make restaurant trips practical after a long ski day. Be sure to book restaurants in advance during peak season—this is true for any ski resort in Sapporo. The Edge restaurant at the base of the slopes is an option, but it’s often crowded and overpriced (though the food is decent, and the happy hour is fun).

In summary, we had a fantastic stay at Nikko Style Hanazono and wouldn’t hesitate to return. My husband even said he’d love to come back in December—we think Hanazono is the best ski area in Niseko United, with reliable, fast lifts and wide, well-maintained slopes. Despite a few minor suggestions, we truly couldn’t fault our stay and highly...

PS are the other comments fake?? Where did those 5 stars come from? Staged? Terribly managed hotel. New and chic looking resort with utmost convenience for skiing and snowboarding but this hotel is miserably short staffed and room cleaning service isn’t up to par with the charge and positioning of it. For over 700USD per night for a basic double room they charge during Christmas peak season, there were no welcoming snacks or drinks, room services only available once a couple days, cleaning was extremely poorly done by part timers, no refill of room towels or coffee even after second day of stay unless you asked for them. I realised there was no towels after I got out of shower which was a bit embarrassing as the cleaners collected the old ones without putting new ones down, and no one ever refilled the used tea and coffee sachets and cups unwashed. There were 3 staff members still cleaning my room at 4 pm as I finished my class and returned to my room, which generally they need to have it done earlier, only to realise they didn’t do a good enough job even with the crowd. Staff didn’t speak good enough English, and would hung up on me, but good thing is they were rather friendly, and with communication some were helpful. Food in restaurants were good for the price we paid. Public Onsen had no basic amenities, no Q-tips, hair bands, combs, or big towels. There wasn’t even vending machine outside the same level. Do not expect any candies or pops to be provided. No amenity or snack machine in this hotel but mind that we are in the middle of nowhere in the snow. This hotel is very new and it just started operating so chaos is expected, but what they do to guests was like a budget hotel. Obviously a lack of training and staff members were new and inexperienced. Honestly with the price paid this hotel experience was def a disappointing one. Restaurant staff training was insufficient and there was one blonde young guy who lay down dishes heavy-handed, and was rude. Front desk staff were expected to provide more help and be more accommodating. The worst part of the front desk service was when I paid for all the dinner buffet every night after eating, I was asked to pay again because the staff made a mistake, and insisted having me pay again. I had to explain 10 ten times upon checkout that the restaurant staff on the first night probably did not check our attendance for my online reservation, that’s why we were considered no-show, hence the dinner charge. Yes ten times. Last but not least, this newly opened hotel did not have the guts to have me do a survey. Yes we may revisit, but only for the convenience being next to Hanazono. I am super upset...

I booked this new hotel because it is located in our favorite ski area at Niseko (Hanazono), and there was still availability despite my late booking. Although, while enroute to the hotel I read several poor reviews online mostly related to problems with service and training. Fortunately, I never had any of the problems that were mentioned online, so it seems management had worked to address these issues. For example:||* While there is not a full room cleaning every day, during the daily "partial" cleaning all of the towels were replaced, even the ones on hooks. I had no problems with the cleaning services.|* Staff were helpful and friendly, and I had no difficulty communicating in either English or Chinese. (I don't speak Japanese.)|* The hotel Onsen was fantastic. It was also kept clean and I didn't find a situation where dirty towels were lying around.||A few notes:||* While the hotel is in a fantastic location, the rooms are rather small. We booked a club access room for me and two kids, and had a third bed added. It was tough to store all or ski stuff and luggage in the room. More storage space or hooks for hanging ski clothes would be helpful.|* The hotel has a restaurant where we ate for dinner one night. However, they only have buffet service and no menu service. (Although I believe one can order light dishes at the bar.) I would prefer a restaurant with an option to order off the menu.|* I enjoyed the bar, but note that it's only open until 9:30 p.m.|* We had lounge access which was great for the 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. cocktail hour (plus breakfast service). The snack offerings for cocktail hour could be improved, or at least changed from day to day.|* I like the layout of the ski lockers that were very easy to use and conveniently located on the first (ground) floor of the hotel.|* In terms of dining options, the Hanazono EDGE is right across the road, which is where my kids liked to eat. They have a limited menu at night, but we were pretty happy with that over the hotel buffet. The Park Hyatt is also nearby. Otherwise, you'll need to take a bus to Hirafu. We just stayed in Hanazono for our four-day stay.||Overall, I had a positive experience at the hotel. Niseko in winter is just insanely expensive pretty much anywhere you go, especially in a hotel with such a great location. I would have liked a bit more space for the price of room, but otherwise I would go back. (In fact, I am going back in three weeks for a...