Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
The first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Japan: 50 rooms and suites at the base of Mount Niseko Annupuri, with an onsen, a spa and views of Mount Yotei.
- Neighbourhood
- Niseko Village, Hokkaido
- Opened
- December 2020
Why we recommend it
Reserve is a rare format within Ritz-Carlton: this was only the fifth in the world when it opened, and the first in Japan. The scale matters in Niseko, where several of the leading addresses are condominium hotels: here there are 50 rooms, and each guest is assigned a personal host, known in the house as a Do San, a person of Hokkaido, who acts as the single point of contact for the stay. A second team arranges excursions built around nature, culture and food.
The hotel takes as its theme Kachou Fuugetsu, the Japanese idea of discovering oneself through nature, and the building is arranged to face it: Mount Yotei on one side, the slopes of Annupuri on the other. It suits skiers who want a lift at the door and a quiet, serviced hotel to return to, and it works equally in summer, when the resort turns to golf, riding and trekking. Travellers weighing the different bases of the area will find them compared in our guide to where to stay in Niseko, from Hirafu to Hanazono and Niseko Village.
Rooms & Suites
There are 50 rooms and suites, all with mountain views, either of Mount Yotei or of Niseko Annupuri. The hotel describes the style as alpine luxury, a blend of classic and contemporary; the materials are polished marble, cedarwood and flame-brushed granite. Categories begin with the Niseko Reserve King Room and rise to the Higashiyama Suite.
Dining
Dining follows the principle of shun, the Japanese regard for produce at its seasonal peak. Yukibana, the all-day restaurant, looks towards Mount Yotei and cooks with locally sourced vegetables, meat and seafood. Sushi Nagi is a sushi counter in the omakase tradition, built on Hokkaido seafood. Ume Lounge is the fireside bar, serving cocktails, single malts and local beers with izakaya-style dishes.
Beyond the hotel, OKYTO’s Niseko pages include Rakuichi Soba in Annupuri and Kamimura in Niseko.
Wellness & Spa
The onsen draws mineral-rich water from Niseko’s natural underground hot springs and is presented as the prelude to the spa, whose treatments are based on traditional healing practices. There is also a fitness centre with Technogym equipment. Children are looked after at the Niseko Village Kids Club, which belongs to the wider resort.
Location
The hotel is part of Niseko Village, an integrated, all-season resort at the foot of Mount Niseko Annupuri with its own gondolas and chairlifts, a ski school, a dining and retail quarter and two 18-hole golf courses. The lifts connect to Niseko United, which covers more than 2,100 acres of skiable terrain. Winter brings skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling; summer, cycling, trekking, zip-lining and riding.
New Chitose Airport, near Sapporo, is about 114 kilometres away, and the nearest railway station is JR Kutchan. Niseko Village is a separate base from Hirafu and from Hanazono, the site of Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono. The resort is also gaining neighbours: OKYTO has reported on the Moxy planned for Niseko Village and on Aman’s announcement of a ski resort in Niseko.
- Address
- 919-28 Aza Soga, Niseko-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido 048-1522, Japan
- Website
- Official website
