Rusutsu Resort — Hotel in Rusutsu

It's a relatively older hotel, but with the amenities and things to walk around to do, it's quite fun. You can go to the Westin hotel via monorail. There's plenty of restaurants to indulge. I stayed for 2 nights, and that was plenty fun for me. My room had a balcony, so enjoy the sunrise morning picture taken around 7am. It's a kid friendly resort, so there are many amenity activities like indoor carousel, talking tree, game center, musical water fountain, and indoor automated jazz dog band on Daniel Street.

For me, it was the mountains that were worth it. Fresh powder on both days. The sun shined the first day, and I was extremely exhausted from travel, so I couldn't make it out to the Heavenly View Trail. Anticipate roughly a 45 min travel from East Mountain to Heavenly view trail on Mt. Isola. The map will tell you how to get there, but essentially, you'll need to ride the gondola, take the quad lift, snowboard/ski down beginner slope, take another lift and you're there. Most of the Mt. Isola & West Mt slopes are closed around 15:00 or 16:00 (3pm to 4pm), so don't get stuck on the slope. Sun sets around 16:00.

The second day was a full-on snowstorm with brief 🌞 peaking through the winter wonderland. I highly recommend enjoying fresh powder mountains.

The resort provides free bus shuttle services from Sapporo. However, it's early in the morning at 08:00 next to JR Sapporo Station arriving Rusutsu Resort at 10:00. I didn't use the returning bus shuttle to Sapporo, but I'd imagine the latest to leave is around 14:00 (2pm). There are shuttles to New Chitose Airport but at a price. The earliest to leave Rusutsu Resort is 08:00 where you'll arrive at New Chitose Airport at 10:30. I had to hire Yotei Taxi service to get to the airport by 10 am. I recommend that too because of the morning drive. It's beautiful when the sun kisses the mountains...

The resort was great, especially if you enjoy tree skiing. Stayed at the Westin and the service was excellent, and access to the slope is easy. Loved how less crowded it is compared to other big resorts but still have plenty of variety skiing. People seem to be friendly and courteous. Really the only reason for 4 starts instead of 5 starts is the slope facility/equipment are a bit old. Still very safe and capable, but just need some refreshing to not make it like and feel dated. Of course that might make it more costly and become overcrowded.

Just loved how relaxed and intimate it is currently, but with enough nice snap restaurants within walking distance to enjoy throughout the week. But MUST make reservations, and in person for many of them, because they are small and booked quickly.

The breakfast buffet at Westin is very nice too, quite a bit of variety, and loved the hot ramen, fresh squeezed orange juice, and...

The ski resort is basically unreachable if you're coming from the airport. Their service bus claims they run everyday the moment the resort is open but upon arriving, they claim they have no buses in service and if we wish to go there we must take a taxi because there was no other alternatives. Staff at the counter couldn't even speak a word of English and we had to really on the airports service counter instead for translation.

The hotel claims they'll give refunds if you come during the early season and there's no snow - even had it written on their page but when the time comes they claim no such thing and remove the page to do any refunds. This place is just overhyped better to go Hakuba or Niseko, for the price you pay service is crap, too expensive, everything is old and the opening of everything is...