Luxury ski retreat at Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono

The doors are open in time for ski season at Japan’s Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono.

With Japan accessible once more to visitors, we’re excited about the opportunity travellers will now have to visit some of the luxury properties that have opened here in recent times.

One such luxury hotel is the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, located on the northeastern side of Mount Niseko Annupuri in Hanazono. Although it launched in January 2020, few international guests have been able to walk through (or ski up to) its doors.

Spanning eight storeys, the ski-in/ski-out hotel is comprised of 100 guest rooms and 113 residences housed in four separate yet interconnected buildings. Guests can take express lifts to the pistes and have the use of a dedicated ski valet service.

When not on the slopes, guests can relax in the 25m swimming pool, enjoy luxurious wellness treatments at the spa with its own onsen, styled as a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Japanese bathhouse; or dine at any of the 11 premium restaurants, bars and lounges on site.

The hotel can be reached by approximately a two-hour drive from New Chitose Airport near Sapporo, and a 10-minute drive from Kutchan train station.

Design notes

Designed by Melbourne’s BAR Studio, Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono is inspired by “the warmth of an alpine lodge, detail of traditional Japanese craftsmanship and the welcoming sociability of a mountain village.”

The uninterrupted views of nature were key elements in the design, bringing the outside in through light-filled, lofty interiors and public spaces. Featured materials are simple and tactile, using a neutral colour palate found in natural elements such as weathered timber and grey stone. Contemporary furnishings with subtle details have been used throughout to continue a clean-lined style.

Generously-proportioned rooms have a residential feel and a loft-like aesthetic that is an homage to Japanese craft. Bathrooms feature oversized built-in baths, a nod to Japan’s onsen culture. Suites and residences include the added luxury of private, natural onsens on the balcony, and kitchen facilities.

A village-like atmosphere was sought for the hotel’s dining spaces, set in three pitched-roof pavilions with views of Mount Yotei throughout. Spaces include a Japanese Robata grill, a Chinese restaurant and private dining room, a delicatessen “street” featuring Pierre Hermes patisserie, a teppanyaki restaurant and private teppan dining lounge, an Italian restaurant, whisky and cigar bar and a fireside living room.

BAR Studio collaborated with Nikken Sekkei and Fujita, and landscape architect Takano of Hokkaido.

hyatt.com