Originally Posted by
gummibar
They still offer the "free" transport but everyone has to pay the Resort fee of 540Yen from 1 Dec 2014 to 5 April 2015. This covers the transportation and other things.
I'm also staying there this Dec (7-11) and have been trying to check out the shuttle service for a few weeks already. They still haven't updated them on the website...i'm just hoping they will confirm the schedule soon.
Oh...a point to take note. The shuttle only picks u up from Chitose Airport...not from central Sapporo.
You can check out the schedule
here (assuming they have updated it). Click on the JR Hokkaido Timetable from Airport/Sapporo to Hotel (PDF) link on that page.
I'm planning on renting a car, but I'd be interested in trying the free bus one-way at least. Driving up there in the winter can be a pain. Last year it was about an hour of white-out conditions.
I can't wait for my upcoming 6 day stay!