The Yu Kiroro is a new luxury hotel/residence building located at the foot of the Kiroro Ski Resort in Niseko. We chose the Yu Kiroro to spend a holiday weekend, and as a place for our daughter to enjoy her first ski trip.
Instead of talking a shuttle or public transportation, we opted to rent a car at the Nippon Rental Car office near the Chitose Airport. Foreign visitors will need an international drivers license and a credit card in order to rent a car in Japan. But the rental process is painless, and much more efficient than you would find in an American city.
If you are renting a car, rent through Alamo or another American company, they are affiliated with Nippon Rental Car. You can get your points with Alamo or National, and book through their sites instead of having to try to navigate through a Japanese car rental site. After picking up your bags, just go to the car rental desk. They will give you a number, and ask you stand by until the shuttle comes, the bus driver will take you to the bus. Keep track of your number, it will be called as soon as you arrive at the car rental counter. We were in and out of the car rental agency in 10 minutes.
The drive to Yu Kiroro is around 90 minutes, but is not complicated. The car navigation systems have an English option, and they work very well. We rented a midsize car with all-wheel-drive and snow tires for about $90 per day, including all options for insurance. Traffic was not bad, despite being a weekday.
Upon arrival at the Yu Kiroro, we were impressed by the exterior of the hotel, which was quite modern and very stylish. Parking is free, and we found an open spot near the front door. The staff were all international, that is, no Japanese, so there was no language barrier to overcome. We were given a tour of the property and facilities, and given a look at our room. Though check-in time wasn't until 3pm, we were able to get into our room as soon as we arrived, which was a little after noon. The style of the hotel is a little reminiscent of the Conrad hotel in Tokyo, but with a more mountain-esque theme.
The Yu Kiroro is a luxury residence, with a luxury price. However, the staff who work at the hotel are mainly young people spending the season in Hokkaido. They are not as polished or service-conscious as staff members at your usual luxury hotel, however, they are kind and as helpful as can be.
Our room was large and comfortable, and had all the amenities we could ask for. It included a kitchenette, a washer/dryer, and the usual bathroom articles. The bed was very comfy, and the sofa folds out into a bed. The wifi is fast and free, and works well throughout the property. Cellular service is also very good in the area around the hotel and ski slopes.
The lobby has a small lounge where you can relax before or after hitting the slopes. There is a ski valet adjacent to the lobby where you can keep your skis. The resort is a ski-in, ski-out, with a lift nearby which can take you up to the Mountain Center.
Ski rentals are available next door at The Kiroro, about 2 minutes walk. You can rent your equipment, buy your lift tickets, and arrange for classes all in one place. The ski valet will pick up everything and bring it to the Yu Kiroro for you.
Facilities include a kids room with games, books, and some toys, a fitness center, and an onsen bath. The on-site restaurant was quite good, and reasonably priced (at least it was reasonable compared to the prices in our local restaurants in Roppongi). Our room included breakfast, and I can say that it was the best hotel breakfast I have had since we stayed at the Tiara Yaksta at Theoule Sur Mer, which is a 5 star resort.
The Yu Kiroro has a shuttle van which can take you to nearby places, the van can usually be ready at the door in 5 minutes. The Mountain Center is just at the top of the road, and whatever you cannot find at the Yu Kiroro, you can find at the Mountain Center.
The downside of the property are that it is rather remote, and the nearest place you can do any real shopping is at least a 40 minute drive away. The routes recommended by car navigation may be closed due to snow, and if you cannot figure out how to get the navigation to show alternate routes, you might get a little perplexed. It is a good idea to use a map application on your phone should the car navigation lead you to a closed road (as ours did).
Another thing to be wary of is unpredictable weather. The weather reports in Niseko are unreliable, as the weather is impossible to predict more than a few hours in advance. If the report promises heavy snow tomorrow, you are just as likely to have a sunny and clear day. Niseko also gets windy, and if winds are strong, the lifts will be closed down. Bring a book to read, or if you are renting a car, take a trip to Otaru if you cannot get on the lifts.
We enjoyed our stay at the Yu Kiroro enough that we plan to make it an annual event.