Aman Announces Mountain Retreat in Hokkaido

Aman Niseko will be Aman’s fourth Japanese property when it opens in 2023 on the slopes of Mt. Moiwa

Aman Resorts has announced its fourth resort in Japan will open in 2023 as Aman Niseko. A year-round retreat, the resort will be situated on the high slopes of Mt. Moiwa on a nature reserve in the Niseko region on the island of Hokkaido.

With 30 guest rooms, wellness facilities and a number of restaurants on a 187- hectare site, this forthcoming resort and destination with exclusive residences, will see Aman lay foundations on Hokkaido, Japan’s northern wilderness, for the first time.

The Niseko region is renowned for its snowfall, vast long ski runs and endless powder, while the summer months offer mild weather ideal for hiking, mountain biking and river rafting. Mountains, forests and rivers dominate the landscape that has entranced artists and poets for centuries, while Japan’s onsen bathing rituals, together with the history of the Ainu people and renowned cuisine, are unique cultural offerings. Aman Niseko will be situated just minutes from the restaurants, cultural museums and entertainment of Niseko’s five main areas – Moiwa, Hirafu, Niseko Village, Annupuri and Hanazono.

Aman says its new resort will pay homage to Japan’s ryokan (traditional inn), boast forest and mountain vistas from every angle and incorporate open fireplaces, private Furo bathtubs in each room and onsen facilities. Terraces will offer views of the surrounding mountains while the signature Aman minimal-luxe interiors will feature wooden accents.

The resort and its residences have once again been designed by Kerry Hill Architects, also responsible for the design of Aman’s other Japan properties: Aman Tokyo, Amanemu and Aman Kyoto. Like them, Aman Niseko will show sensitivity to the natural environment and an alignment with its cultural setting, with spaces laid out in a linear design with floor to ceiling windows and doors.

The Aman Spa will be the first full spa and wellness resort in Japan and offer personalised retreat programs crafted in consultation with each guest. Treatments will incorporate the benefits of Japanese and European spa and healing rituals, fitness and mindfulness activities and healthy cuisine. Single and double treatment suites along with pre-treatment lounges, relaxation pods and extensive thermal spa areas, including Finnish saunas, Watsu treatment chamber, cold plunge pools, steam rooms, hammam, experience showers and onsen will be on offer. An indoor lap pool and an aqua fitness pool will overlook an outdoor terrace with forest and mountain views, and a spa lounge will leads to a boutique and Spa Tea Room.

Aman Niseko’s dining options are to include fine dining Japanese and Italian in Aman’s Arva concept, together with a number of other venues which will offer seasonal cuisine.

The two-storey kids club will feature a reception area, healthy refreshment area and matcha bar, an indoor playground, bowling alley, games zone, theatre, half a basketball court, indoor swimming and wading pools, male and female changing rooms and an outdoor terrace. There will also be a toddler’s play area and a nap room, with experienced staff on hand at all times to entertain and watch over children of all ages.

In addition to the hotel accommodation, 31 ultra-luxury Aman branded residences are up for sale at Aman Niseko. The residences are built on a mountain within a nature reserve – a first in Japan – and residence owners will also enjoy access to all the wellness and dining facilities of Aman Niseko.

The announcement of Aman Niseko follows the recent debut of Aman Kyoto in November 2019. Both properties are owned by Kyoto Resorts, a subsidiary of the Chartered Group, which owns the valley on which Aman Niseko will be built.

aman.com/niseko