Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

stunning view best service

I will start with the positives for this hotel. The lobby & its view of Mt. Yotei are stunning as are the lobby furnishings which come as a surprise given the exterior rivals a Hampton Inn. The ski locker is great & access to the one lift is lovely but it's not really where you want to be in Niseko - you are far from town. The main desk is staffed with lovely folks however it's not clear who is manager, concierge, check in staff etc. We were seated in the lobby after arriving from Sapporo. The staff seemed confused about our reservation but came over in person with tea & updated us that the only rooms available were with 2 twin beds. Given our service experience at Zadun (another reserve property in MX), we could have cared less about sharing a bed- we assumed we were in for a treat. As other reviewers state, there really is one main restaurant with a bar, & sushi omikase room off of it. It is critical to note that without your own rental car, this property can feel very remote. We were taken to our double twin room. The view was great, the bathroom modern & well equipped. It didn't feel special or like it was built with quality materials but it was comfy. Our windows were leaking water & wallpaper was peeling - strange for a somewhat new resort. To cut to the chase, this room cost us $1,400 US/night and we left with a sour taste. There were a lot of misses with service. There is one male bartender who excelled in service. The front desk was passive aggressive, often confused & not really willing to make things easy. Some was language barrier but again - for this money, we hoped to have a far better service experience. Our main struggle was the shuttle & our last day s bfast- but there were many issues I won't even mention. We had a dinner rez in town at the Barn & hotel staff booked us a 6:30 pm taxi there with a 9:00 return back but never asked us what times worked. We had hoped to go into town early & walk around. This was nearly impossible as taxis must be booked far in advance. We were told the shuttle is the only way but it cannot pickup at the front door so you wait outside. 2 different staff members pointed us to 2 different locations to stand outside for the shuttle into town. There is no sign. Neither of them were correct. We stood outside in the wind & snow bundled up and just waited - no way of knowing when the shuttle arrived or what it looked like. I will pay for a sign for this hotel if this is where we are at with service for this price point! Therefore, the shuttle nightmare. But we did make it to town for a quick walk around & pre dinner cocktail. The shuttle stops at many hotels on the way so it takes 25 mins. Your room comes with bfast in the main restaurant. It is absolutely delicious but a set 5 courses - quite a lot for ski days. We loved the fresh pastries & coffee that came. Our struggle was on the last day we needed to depart early for our flight out of Sapporo. We had an early a.m. car. The night prior the staff took a room service order for delivery the next morning since bfast is included all nights. No food ever came. We even tried making it simple with just coffee & yogurt. Nothing. When we carried our own bags downstairs (and skis/boots), the only thing the staff cared about was going over our bill. I asked about bfast and I was brushed off. Our car came, we loaded it, and finally a woman walked from the main restaurant & handed a paper bag to me. We got in our car & opened it to find no napkins or flatware, but 2 coffees & 2 egg salad sandwiches - it was 7:30 a.m. It has taken me a while to write this as this trip was a huge financial & emotional commitment & this hotel fell very flat. I want to tell other guests that the view is worth it but the hotel is akin to a Porsche where you lift up the hood & under neath is a used pinto. Yes it's pretty. Yes there is "ski in/ski out" acces, but I would recommend somewhere closer to town with a hotel specific shuttle or your own rental car & a lot of patience. And yes - the onsite food is convenient & good but quite pricy. I could have lived with that if everything else lined up.

Great location and views. Rooms were very clean and comfortable.

Pricey but expected for the area and level of service

it's incredible place to stay.

Staff couldn’t have been nicer and everything was clean and warm and operated but, as others have said, this is not a Ritz-quality property. Honestly feels as if it were either rushed in the build or was originally supposed to be a Hampton Inn and then was retrofit. There is very little design character here (did they forget to hire an interior designer?) - building and rooms are basic rectangles and furniture and finishes all around are very basic. Even the elevator is off-the-shelf and cheap feeling. Beyond the incredible simplicity of the property (compared to brother other Japanese Ritz Carlton’s and, for instance, the astonishingly gorgeous Park Hyatt Niseko), there is also virtually nothing to eat here and the breakfast is routine set menu with no flavor. Also quite overpriced for what the food is - even in these parts. Onsen is as the one stand out in that it is above-average. Ski room is really just a room with lockers and there’s no “valet” service. Just a guy at a desk. Again, staff and service were very kind but if you’re looking for a five-star Ritz, this isn’t it. A bit disappointing.

amazing hotel, with beautiful and cosy decorations

the ambiance was superb, music, food and Service Top quality.

Everything is fine!