After spending the first two nights in the city, we are off for a little road trip around the area. I will be spending one night in Niseko. Naturally, I have chosen to stay at Hilton Niseko. Hilton’s footprint is severely lacking in this part of the world. Hokkaido in general, is not an area well known for luxury chain hotels. All chains have a very small footprint in this area. I have been wanting to stay at this hotel for a long time since it is rather well known and a favourite during the ski season. While it is certainly not the most plush and most luxurious property out there the familiarity of staying in a chain can be rather precious at times. This is also the largest property in the area. Niseko is a popular winter ski destination and as such the property rates are also very seasonal.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I booked directly via Hilton for the stay and will just be here for one night. I am stopping by while doing a self-drive in the area. I paid around 150 SGD including tax. A couple of days out from my stay, I can see from the app that I have been upgraded to a Deluxe Panorama Room. This is one of the nicest rooms in the hotel. Just a level below the suite. It would have cost around 250 SGD a night. The hotel also reached out to see if I required any assistance for my stay. Hilton Niseko Village features 504 guest rooms and suites spread across 7 categories. You can find the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Bathtub |
|---|---|
| Deluxe | Yes |
| Deluxe Family | Yes |
| Deluxe Mt Yotei | Yes |
| Deluxe Family Mt Yotei | Yes |
| Deluxe Panorama | Yes |
| Premium Deluxe Family | Yes |
| Suite | Yes |
Checking In
It’s a rather short stay and I am just staying here for one night while doing a road trip around the area. This is the best choice and makes the most sense for me. Most of the guests visiting this area self-drive and there are more than 500 parking lots for guests over here. They are complementary. There is also a small portion of guests who take a shuttle from the airport. I arrived at the hotel at around 5pm. It gets dark so early during this season and it is such a wet day. Google Maps is reliable with directions. The hotel also offers a shuttle bus to the surrounding area at times
Upon pulling up to the driveway, the bellboy came over to help me with my bags. I then went over to park the car. It has been a tiring day after a long drive. We were then ushered over to reception and I was warmly welcomed by the staff. I love the look of the place which is so warm and homely. Check-in was fast and I was being thanked for being a diamond member. I was also confirmed to be in a Deluxe Panorama Room. I was surprised to see that there will be an onsen charge of ¥150 per person per night. It is a small amount but this is not mentioned anywhere when booking. With the lack of an executive lounge, the hotel offers a welcome drink voucher that you can use at the restaurant.
Deluxe Panorama Room
I was assigned a room at the end of the corridor. I guess since the view The hotel comes in a circular layout. I guess since the view from the room is better. It is quite a walk. I was assigned room 1690. Upon entering the room, you can find the L-shaped entranceway with the toilet immediately to the right. It is separated from the rest of the bathroom. The toilet is tight and comes with a typical Japanese bidet toilet.
The bathroom is spacious and comes even with a view. It does have a rather weird set-up, especially around the sunk area. The sink felt very low and you got to bend down to use it which makes it rather inconvenient. All sorts of amenities and toiletries are provided and as per usual they are from Crabtree and Evelyn.
The bathroom comes with both a standing shower and a tub. It is in a typical Japanese configuration. I love that the bathroom has heated flooring as well which is useful in this part of the world. Water pressure and temperature control are excellent.
The wardrobe is on the smaller side and comes well stocked with a safe, bath slippers, plenty of hangers and an ironing kit.
The main space of the room is separated by a sliding door. This is a nice thing to have. The room is spacious and the regular configuration allows for great use of space. The decor is a little dated. The rooms come with a 90-degree spectacular view of the Niseko area.
Right along the window, you have a luggage storage area and some cabinets below. Inside, you can find some pyjamas and other amenities. The area could fit a mid-size baggage well. I would prefer it if they have some portable stand available. This is not available upon request as well. Kinda ridiculous for a hotel.
There is a long table alongside and this also acts as the working desk in the room. The television is left on it too. It comes with a good number of local cable TV channels.
Below, you can find a mini fridge that is left empty for your use. There is also some packaged tea and coffee for your enjoyment. Left on the desk is another Nespresso coffee machine which I appreciate having over here. Kettles are provided as bottles of drinking water.
The place is spacious enough for you to get some work done if you require so. The ergonomic office chair provides decent back support. Power outlets are within reach and the Wi-Fi connection is fast in the room. Left on the table is a welcome amenity consisting of some chocolates and fruits.
On the other side of the room, you can find a sofa set alongside a coffee table. This will be good for 2 to 3 pax comfortably. It can also be a daybed for the little ones. Great extra space.
Next to it is the king-size bed flanked by nightstands. It comes with some dated controls. I wish that they had electronically controlled sheers and blinds. The bedding is top-notch. This aspect doesn’t disappoint. I love that the mattress is on the firmer side. There are various pillows that you can choose from to customize your sleep experience. I got some contour pillows and slept well.
Onsen
The onsen is located on the first floor. This is open daily from 5am to 11pm. They have both an indoor and outdoor onsen. As mentioned earlier, there is a 150 yen per person per day usage charge and this is mandatory. I did not get a chance to take a picture of the onsen as they are being used.
Fitness Centre
The gym is similarly located on the first floor. It is not an overly huge facility but it comes with various gym equipment. It is open 24 hours. Nothing too fancy but gets the work done.
Flame Bar and Lounge
This is the hotel’s main bar and you can spot the sensational hanging fireplace right upon entering. This spot is open seasonally.
Melt Bar & Grill
The main hotel restaurant is located on the second floor. I love the cosy vibe and warm decor. I came here right after checking in to enjoy the welcome drinks. You can find the selection of the drinks here.
We were warmly welcomed by the restaurant manager who was very genuine and nice. He took great care of us. He even took some small bites from the dinner buffet for us to go with the drinks. It is such a small thing but shows the hospitality of the place and leaves a great impression. The items were probably negligible in cost but left a huge service impression.
Breakfast at Melt Bar & Grill
Breakfast is served at Melt Bar & Grill from 6.30am to 10.30am daily. Breakfast costs 4226 yen per person if not included in your elite benefits or rate. This is pretty good value for Gold and Diamond members. I was down for breakfast at about 7am ish. The restaurant is still pretty quiet given how early this is and with it being the low season. I love that they had an exclusive queue for elite members which can come in handy during peak periods. This is something that I wish more properties adopt. I managed to get one of the window tables facing the mountain.
Breakfast is served buffet style and it is a rather good selection. I will share some pictures of the food here. They even had some ice cream.
After we settled down, the staff brought over a very nice welcome plate for breakfast. It consists of some pancakes with azuki beans and juice. I am unsure if this is done for Diamond members or what but this is very personalised and a nice touch. As mentioned earlier, everyone from the restaurant team is excellent.
Conclusion
It is a rather short but comfortable stay. I will have no qualms about coming back for another stay when in the area. I also got a nice upgrade given the low season. Some aspects they should improve on include the security measures by having key card access to the floors. I expect this to be a standard offering in any hotel. Furthermore, it is ridiculous that they don’t have luggage racks available. That is the most basic amenity that you should expect in a five-star hotel. There are also little design flaws such as the height of the sink. I would love to return one day during the winter season. Breakfast is pretty good and quite a treat. The same goes towards the restaurant crew. They are top-notch.
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