“A serene oasis of Japanese zen in a powder heaven”

I absolutely loved staying at the Kanro no Mori. I was there on a snowboarding vacation for six days and it was constantly delightful and quintessentially Japanese, with most of the guests being from Japan. Previously, I had stayed at the Green Leaf hotel in Niseko, but I found it was populated m… more

I absolutely loved staying at the Kanro no Mori. I was there on a snowboarding vacation for six days and it was constantly delightful and quintessentially Japanese, with most of the guests being from Japan. Previously, I had stayed at the Green Leaf hotel in Niseko, but I found it was populated mostly with foreign visitors and thus lacked a degree of Japanese culture I was looking for.. The rooms are very large, by Japanese standards and mine had an entire dining/sitting room (with a table and chairs about two feet tall) that made the room seem like an entire apartment. The breakfast buffet was extensive and full of unique options, so that no two ever had to be the same. The on-sen was extremely relaxing (with both outdoor and indoor pools) and the addition of cold pool was a big plus. The staff was attentive and very eager to help, although there were a few moments of consternation (on both sides) as we tried to bridge the language gap. One local gem was the nearby Moiwa Ski resort. It is a smallish resort by local standards, but the vast backcountry, the inexpensive lift tickets and the abundance of powder made it quite fulfilling. For a real Japanese ski/boarding experience you should definitely check out this hotel.

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“Not really a Roykan”

It is something between a hotel and a roykan. Don’t expect the same roykan style of service. The Onsen is good. Food is all right though not great, do note that it is semi buffet style. Staffs don’t really speak English. Ski rental shop next to the hotel is average. Equipment is rather dated.

“Fantastic view, average hotel”

Was in Niseko for the first time for a ski trip and decided to stay at Kanro due to decent reviews on Agoda. However we were not impressed by the service as none of the hotel staff could speak fluent English. Only a couple of them could manage simple English while the rest didn’t understand at all.… more

Was in Niseko for the first time for a ski trip and decided to stay at Kanro due to decent reviews on Agoda. However we were not impressed by the service as none of the hotel staff could speak fluent English. Only a couple of them could manage simple English while the rest didn’t understand at all. They do have a few staff from China so good thing we spoke Chinese. Hotel guests are mainly Chinese tourists and local Japanese people, which explains why none of the staff spoke good English. Breakfast buffet was good but dinner buffet was quite a disappointment with very few choices and mostly cold dishes. It is located 10mins drive away from Annapuri ski resort and 30mins drive away from Hirafu welcome centre. There is free shuttle bus service. We didn’t mind the distance since the hotel is very close to Moiwa ski resort (3mins by driving) where we spent most of our time at. Ski rental at hotel is cheap but equipment is dated. I even found a used plaster in a pair of gloves I rented. Do not recommend renting your equipment from the hotel at all. And although there is a ski centre at the hotel next to the rental shop, none of the staff could speak English so we had to book our ski lesson through the Chinese staff at front desk. Rooms are spacious and clean however not so sound proof. During our stay we could hear our next door neighbors talking and their baby crying. Did not use the hotel onsen but I heard it is good and famous for making your skin beautiful. Lastly we really enjoyed the view at the hotel restaurant. Amazing winter view of the woods and hill which made our stay worthwhile.

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