Originally Posted by
Cynicor
I've stayed at both (well, Tomamu, not sure which tower tbh). The Hilton is great, unparalleled slope access and ski valet makes it simple.. late checkout is an interesting one, as generally you would be flying out and the last bus in time for a late checkout would get you to the airport too late I would have though. Bear in mind even cutting it fine you need 4 hours from departure of hotel to your flight.
ignoring snow and terrain I'd say Niseko still, but from the sounds of your previous trip I reckon you could have an absolute blast at the tomamu resort too.
hilton niseko treat you pretty well. Not amazing like it used to be but still decently.
Resort fee also adds ++ to the cost so make sure to factor it in too
Thanks. Even with resort fees included, Hilton is cheaper than Tomamu Towers. Niseko Hilton is fantastic, one of my favorite Hilton properties due to superb service and great ambiance... even if they don't have pool or EL and their hard product is constrained by the original Prince Hotel build. Hilton is probably the main reason I'd prefer Niseko Village over Tomamu.
It's great to hear that Hilton has great slopes access. What is their ski valet service, and does that service make the logistics easy for skiing after check-out?
Anyways, I've looked into things further, and it appears the CTS-Hilton bus only runs through mid-March. 3-hr local train ride to Niseko is just not an option after a long flight with bags. So really the only way to get there would be rental car, which I may need to consider but am hesitant to do in snowy season. On the other hand, Westin Rusutsu runs shuttle buses until April.
Have you been to Rusutsu also? I've heard the slope access is not quick from Westin. Between Hilton, Westin and Tomamu Towers, how does it compare in terms of slope access, amount of crowd on a weekday, % of foreigners and family-friendliness?