Review: Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, Japan (Stellar Ski Resort!)

I’ve been on the fence but this pushed me over, pending availability. Wow. Hopefully this will line up with your guest of honor giveaway 🙂

That's an incredible room. Thank you for the review!

The coach is very nice and a nice touch. I've done a similar length bus ride, from Kanazawa to the trailhead of Mt. Haku, the pit stop is pretty standard but unfortunately for me on my ride the store itself wasn't open yet so no snacks were available, just vending machine drinks.

The residence you had is super impressive, and breakfast looked very good. The only disappointing thing I see here other than the poorly staffed check-in is the lack of an outdoor onsen bath, but that's a personal preference and me being nitpicky. One day I'll make it up there for a ski trip.

While I loved this hotel and cannot wait to return for a third time (avid skier and lover of all things Japan, including the design, location and feel of this hotel (I disregard the social attitudes towards homosexual rights, which is slowly moving positively, and am happy I can comfortably request a king room for two men)), I can't help but arrive at a slightly different conclusion on the service.

While the benefits provided to globalists is great (underground parking, a good breakfast spread, late check out and early check in - and applying a SUA is a fantastic experience), both times we've been there were several service failures like having to follow up on requests with the concierge. While admittedly picky, that shouldn't happen at this caliber of property. We walked out to ski one morning when a lift wasn't running - the staff didn't mention this while we were getting ready, and they don't bring your skis out and set them on the snow (a la Montage Deer valley), and a few other nit picky things. I'd call the service very good, but just below par - though slack given for some of the clientele I witnessed them work with and provide much grace when they were being treated impolitely. Perfect? No. Very good? Yes.

Also, to your post on Japanese onsen etiquette from some time ago, so many photos in this post are against the 'rules' 😉

Please don’t write something is “a function of” something unless you are discussing maths - it is inaccurate and pompous-sounding. You mean, “it depends on which vibe you prefer” or “because of” blah blah.

@Ben, unrelated, have you heard about the rumored next steps beyond the mileage partnership of UA/B6?

UA could look to restart JFK flights, up to 20 daily flights it seems. Might be worth an article on once you're settled.

Lucky, just a slight correction. Its not a fraction of what you'd pay in US but I'd say half. A fraction is when ski pass in Aspen is $180, a fraction would be say $10, and in Niseko its $60 for the day pass.

Make sense to go there during summer?
Anyone been there for other than skiing?

Do you ever use points for hotels anymore? Looking back over the last 7 hotel reviews you have done, exactly 1 was booked using points. If cash is always a better deal based on your valuation of points, maybe your points values are too high? Seem to be going the way of TPG

$60 is 1/3 of $180. Fraction 🙂

Rich people dont use points :0)

The Aussie's made this region and Dec-Mar it's packed with em including direct flights. The powder is just so better than North America and by Aussie standards way cheaper than home. Unfortunately it is pricing locals out of the area and getting staff is becoming an issue and some of the independent businesses and opperators are moving further afield, not too far.

For what should be obvious reasons, cameras and smartphones are generally not permitted in shared bathing facilities in Japan. Were those photos of the onsen provided by the hotel/taken by staff, did you ask for permission (some establishments allow photography outside of operating hours), or... did you shoot first, ask questions later/never?

@ Steven L. -- I was literally standing outside the doors as they unlocked them in the morning, so I knew no one was in there, and was out within a minute.

@ Farnorthtrader -- Fair question, and the answer is yes. First of all, on one night stays I often pay cash, given the programs that offer a $100 credit and more, like Virtuoso. The value of that is obviously more on a short stay than a long sty.

Most of my travel the past couple of years has been for very short stays, given family obligations.

But yes, I also redeem points all the time, including for quick overnights that I don't actually review.

At this particular hotel, redeeming points wasn't the best option, given that it would've been 90K points for two rooms, vs. being able to get a two bedroom residence for $1,300.

I also stayed there this March. Excellent property. The heated locker blew me away. But Ben, you are not supposed to take pictures inside the public onsen.

You said that the Airelles Courcheval is better and that it is your best ski resort hotel, would you rate it the same as the Airelles Val d" Isere or lower? Or is it closer to the St Regis Deer Valley in your opinion?

Peter, I think you are on the low side for Aspen. A ski pass in Aspen is well over $200/day when I was there in March of this year. I think it cost me $702 for 3 days of skiing, which is $234 per day.

If you ask me the charm of Niseko is in Hirafu village... I can see the appeal of the PH Hanazono if you're a young family traveling or you don't expect to be going out, but otherwise the hotel is too isolated for my tastes. Hirafu Village offers several Michelin-key hotels that are ski-in, ski-out, walkable to tons of bars and restaurants and quite a bit more sympathetically priced than the PH (or the Ritz Carlton Reserve, for that matter, which is also not in Hirafu).

I'm pretty sure Park City was in that ballpark this year too. Long gone are the days when day passes at USA Vail consortium resorts were "cheap". Hell, I thought $120/day for late March at Keystone was too expensive, and that was back in 2018.

Surprised by the individual bottles of Le Lebo. Most Parks have gone similar to other Hyatt brands with large bottles. I'm sure with 3 full baths you were able to get some to take home.

The hiking is supposed to be very good. Here headed there this Summer.