I am going to write what is probably the few negative review about Rusutsu Resort. We were booked to stay from 25Dec and check out in the morning of Dec 28 to catch a plane to Tokyo. What our mistake was initially, we didn’t carefully read that we needed to prebook the bus from Chitose Airport to the resort and vice versa. But we managed to get a bus to the resort arriving around 1.30PM No meeters greeters - they just show you to walk about 50m to the North/South wing depending on your reservation. Checking in was smooth. The receptionist give us room card, ski pass and locker pass. We tried to book the bus to Airport ahead, but because our flight was a bit too early (11am), no bus is avail for 28Dec. Front desk suggested booking a taxi for ¥26k or minivan for ¥36k and leave us to think about it So we checked in and started rearranging our luggage, send 3 luggages for delivery to Tokyo This is done at 3.30 PM Thereafter we headed to cafeteria Horn for lunch-and this is where everything started getting interesting. Ordering is only available through 2 ticket machines, of which, 1 was broken. The one that functions, doesn’t accept notes and can’t give ¥10 change. So all four of us frantically accumulate all our coins and manage to order only 3 meals. After all is done, I was able...I am going to write what is probably the few negative review about Rusutsu Resort.
We were booked to stay from 25Dec and check out in the morning of Dec 28 to catch a plane to Tokyo.
What our mistake was initially, we didn’t carefully read that we needed to prebook the bus from Chitose Airport to the resort and vice versa.
But we managed to get a bus to the resort arriving around 1.30PM
No meeters greeters - they just show you to walk about 50m to the North/South wing depending on your reservation.

Checking in was smooth. The receptionist give us room card, ski pass and locker pass.
We tried to book the bus to Airport ahead, but because our flight was a bit too early (11am), no bus is avail for 28Dec.
Front desk suggested booking a taxi for ¥26k or minivan for ¥36k and leave us to think about it

So we checked in and started rearranging our luggage, send 3 luggages for delivery to Tokyo
This is done at 3.30 PM

Thereafter we headed to cafeteria Horn for lunch-and this is where everything started getting interesting.
Ordering is only available through 2 ticket machines, of which, 1 was broken.
The one that functions, doesn’t accept notes and can’t give ¥10 change. So all four of us frantically accumulate all our coins and manage to order only 3 meals. After all is done, I was able to find the cafeteria admin, who then tried to fix the machine several times until it is normalised.
But we have lost appetite.

At 4.30 pm we went to the ski school only to find out that there is no more trainers, except for evening sessions - we are beginners and unaware of the ski fields, how could we ski without a guide? A map certainly doesn’t help.
At 5pm we went to outdoor activities section to book for snow mobile, there was only standard (30’) slot on 12pm 27Dec so we booked.
At 530pm we visited Salomon rental shops both in south and north wings, and all they care to offer me is beginner package, although I tried to explain to them by Google translator that we needed a trainer, not merely equipment to rent!!
We had early dinner at Sekkatei, that with the money you spent there, you can get more and much better food elsewhere-but we were tired wanted to avoid long horrible queues in other restaurants.
At 8pm we approached reception to book taxi for 28Dec morning departure, only to find out that there IS NO TAXI for us in the morning of 28th and reception can’t offer any other solutions as well.
Luckily, there is an Indonesian concierge who helped us (language is really a problem in Rusutsu Resort, we had trouble communicating with receptionist, Salomon rental, and ski school).
Final outcome: we cancel our stay in the resort and take the common bus the next afternoon (26th) To Sapporo. The resort “only” charged us for 1 night+ski pass that we didn’t use (¥114k) out of ¥342k. That ¥114k consists of hotel accommodation and ski pass.
What is more upsetting is when we politely called to cancel our snow mobile booking (due on 27th) - the staff insisted on charging 50% fee.
I know there is a cancellation policy but hey? This is beyond our wish - and I am sure there will be people lining up to fill our slot.

What went wrong in the first place:
During our correspondence earlier this year, the hotel staff never mentioned about the necessities to prebook ski course in advance, nor does he care to see our arrival time to at least consider whether ski pass is needed on day 1/or seek to know our ski experience and so we ended up paying for ski pass although we didn’t use it on day 1.
There was absolutely no suitability checks.
All they care is sell you the package and fill the resort. Maybe Rusutsu is also overwhelmed with increased number of guests coming especially from domestic and Asia. The staffs looked weary and tensed, and not helpful Maybe they didn’t receive enough training for difficult situations and so they act like robot.

In the end, I could still understand why many people love the place. The rooms are old but warm. The place is vibrant, if you can get a booking then there are many activities to do for families, and shops to look at. The ski slopes look great.
To me, it feels like a smaller version of a casino hotel, replacing the roulette wheels with merry-go-round. Meal time can be a terrifying experience with people queuing in restaurants.
Hallways are chaotically noisy with people rushing here and there with their luggages or ski boots on.

Will I come back here again? I don’t think so.

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