Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention

The resort is just outside the beginner's ski area on the West Side of Rusutsu. You need to take the East #1 Gondola to get to the West side with the better and more exciting runs.|The resort is quite interesting and can be a place to spend some time by looking around. There is a mall area as well as multiple food areas along the hall. The building wraps around the base area, and it is all interconnected. The most interesting part is the kids area with a huge carousel inside the building.|There are also a few restaurants in the resort, which look to open more for dinner than lunch. They also have a public bath and an onsen on-site. There is a rail which connects it to the Westin Resort across the road.|I didn't sleep there, but did spend a day looking around the building. They conveniently had a Burton store, so I was able to buy a replacement strap. |The lifts here are open for night skiing and if you are interested in that, it is better to park here instead of the east side, where the car park closes at 1600. It is a nice place to spend a day unless you are already staying the night.

Loved my time here, had a great time and never had to leave the resort for anything I needed during my 2 week ski trip. The selection of food was excellent. The staff was great too. I wish they had a laundry service and the shuttle times were not easy to find. I should have left a day sooner if I had known that the shuttle couldn't get me to the airport before 06:00. Still, an amazing trip at an awesome location and the best skiing I've ever seen with beautiful snow!

I stayed at your hotel in Hokkaido for 4 days and 3 nights, and everything was wonderful until today morning of our check-out, which completely ruined our experience. At around 4:45 AM , we attempted to check out but were confused by the lack of clear instructions for the self-check-out process. The signage was not helpful, and we couldn’t figure out how to proceed. We noticed a bell at the reception desk and rang it to call for assistance. However, a male staff member with glasses who came to help us showed an extremely rude attitude. He clicked his tongue, slammed things down, and clearly expressed irritation toward us. I am a foreign tourist currently studying Japanese, so my Japanese is not fluent. I communicated with him in English, but his attitude worsened. What shocked and hurt me the most was that, after responding to me, he muttered the word “バカ” (baka) under his breath, which is a very disrespectful term meaning “idiot” in Japanese. I clearly understood this word, and even my two friends with me confirmed they heard it too. We were in a hurry to catch a flight, so we didn’t have time to argue with him, but this behavior is absolutely unacceptable. This is extremely disappointing, especially because we had such a positive impression of the hotel until this point. We had even planned to return to stay here again on our next visit to Hokkaido. Unfortunately, because of this staff member’s behavior, my image of your hotel has been completely tarnished. I truly hope the management takes this complaint seriously and addresses the issue appropriately. No guest especially a foreign traveler deserves to be treated with such disrespect.

Didn’t stay here myself but the convention center while definitely showing its age is unbeatable in terms of location. Service and food was also amazing. I also did want to share that the coin lockers ARE available for general visitors to use as well not just for hotel guests. The large lockers 400yen (paid in coins only) and small lockers 300yen. There is a coin exchange machine and changing rooms in the same area as well. I was able to fit my backpack, my medium sized checked luggage and my carry on bag into a single large locker.

Generally great experience for first time skiers! They provide equipment rental and lockers at a rather steep price but that’s to be expected. Hotel at the 2 wings can be confusing especially when it comes to lockers. Food was mid but we loved the onsen!

I attended a conference at Rusutsu resort last week with my wife and children 8 and 3 years old staying 8 nights in a triple room on the 3rd floor in the North wing.|The hotel has a theme park feel with animated singing animal bands, a free 2-story merry-go-round a talking tree and Disney like restaurant main street between the north and south wings which is great for families with small children.|There is a great range of food options for families and a lunch cafeteria with a broad range of cheap food options at the end of South wing on the 2nd floor with a free magic museum to keep the kids busy.|The ski lifts and kids ski school is straight out the rear of the hotel and ski locker area.|There is no regular group adult ski school though this is arranged for conference groups. The kids group ski classes are a bit pricy though we did get one as a private lesson as no other kids were registered which was overall good value. Be aware they strictly enforce the 4yo minimum age for kids group lessons though allow with private lessons (Japan does love rules).|Private lessons through the resort are very expensive though I do here there are external instructors that will give lessons there through some booking sites though they do not get to use the priority lines however the lines at Rusutsu are often nonexistent so this may not be a problem.|The free wave pool is safe and shallow (0.8m) so great for small kids and has a fulltime lifeguard. The waterslide to the pool is a highlight for the kids when not skiing.|The North wing onsen is heaven. Do not bother with the smaller south wing onsen by the wave pool.|There is a range of higher end adult restaurants which all seemed popular, we ate at Kakashi several times (sashimi platter is very good and has kids options) and felt it is good value and felt like we were in Japan. The Chinese in the convention center is very good for dinner and breakfast. The Japanese set breakfast in the convention wing is for those wanting a serious Japanese experience but was not for our kids.|The laundry in the South wing is great and has cheap washing powder available.|There is a seicomart and a 7eleven across the road from the resort with all the essentials- cheap bear and wine, heated prepared meals and noodles, ice-creams as well as any general items that you forgot.|The negatives are that it is a bit dated and kitsch and may not appeal to those wanting a sophisticated adult hotel and the Vale or Westin would be better. It is a ski hotel so gets a lot of battering and there is the odd scuffmark here and there (some from my kids I am sure).|The kids creche near the cafeteria is usually booked out days in advance (we could not get in when needed) so plan ahead.|The TV has no English channels with no BBC/CNN or kids TV but the internet did allow us to stream video for the kids tablets. They should address this considering over half the ski guests seem to be English speakers.| The room does not get a full service every day though they do a daily clear of the bins and provide new towels and a quick vacuum if needed. Beds seem to get made and the sheets every 3 days unless asked for.|Overall, we loved this place and after 6 ski trips to Japan (3 to Niseko) this is our favorite with kids and we will return here for the next ski conference.

Look elsewhere. Firstly, had some issues checking in as I had booked a two-bed room and put my partner’s name down but they charge per person even though there are two beds in the room so we had to fork out $1500 on the day of arrival which wasn’t a nice surprise. No milk, sugar or tea, not even a spoon are provided in the rooms at all, coffee is not provided daily, every third day, including room cleaning. Ice is to be paid for. Minimal hot water in showers with extremely low pressure, like a dribble, ended up just showering at the onsen. Restaurants are below mid, 1.5-2stars in terms of quality and value for money, all only offer buffet style at dinner and are incredibly over priced for what it is. The vibe is WEIRD. Weird music, weird animatronics. Onsen and being door to door to the slopes was incredibly convenient but I would not stay here again considering how expensive it is,

Amazing! We booked for early snow season because it was definitely cheaper than what it would be during peak. The ski resort has just opened as we got there and each day after it snowed plenty. There’s a free shuttle bus from Sapporo - Rusutsu Resort which is super handy! You just have to book through their website. If you arrive early they give you coins for lockers to store luggage while you wait to check in. There’s so much to see and look at. Plenty of shops and a few restaurants/cafes with a 7/11 just across the street. We stayed in a Japanese style room for 5nights. It suited us all perfectly. Plenty of room. Although… going from a super comfy bed to a futon mattress on the floor 😂 it took my body some getting used to. As I have tattoos I wasn’t allowed to use the onsen, which is okay! The bath & shower in the room did the job. We did a snowboard lesson through the hotel. $1100au 4 people 6 hour lesson & lunch only $1300au for snowboard, boots & helmet rental for 3 days and because it was still “early season” it was $211 per day for lift passes. I’ve heard people say this resort is expensive but in early season.. it was much cheaper than others and not too busy. During peak I know the prices are hiked up and tbh I dont think it’d be worth how much you’d have to pay then. Samurai kids park opened a few days before the date it was meant to. $15 for the kids to play with a few toys & slide down the hill on the tubes. It kept them occupied for hours and they said they enjoyed it so I can’t complain. We ate most our meals from the 7/11 because they’re THAT GOOD! the cricket pub closed before we’d finish snowboarding so the 7/11 was the most convenient. We did go to the Izakaya one night and the food was so yum! Pricey but still good. Overall we had the best time! And I would definitely come back here next year at the same time or later in the season.

WOW! I am beyond impressed with this hotel. I knew this hotel would be top-notched when I received a welcome email from a hotel staff days before my arrival to prepare for my stay. I'm so grateful that my Marriott Platinum status can be used at the Westin as well after the merger. As a member, I was able to check in early, check out late, entitled for a free breakfast each day, and access to the lounge every day at almost all hours. What a treat!! We arrived early Saturday morning, and a staff immediately came out and greeted us with a luggage cart. She was super friendly, seated us at the lounge area to help us with check in, explain the hotel facilities with us, and answer all of our snowboarding questions. Another staff even brought out two glasses of welcome fresh-squeezed orange juice! I felt so spoiled! :) Then another staff guided us to our room, and even explained all the room amenities to us. We were so grateful! The room was insane! It's a two-storied maisonette with two bedroom areas, huge living room with a spacious kitchen and a huge bathroom. The view was out-of-control amazing; we got a clear view of both the East and West Mountains and the amusement park. I was in awed. It was so comfortable! And what really warms our heart was a handwritten note from the general manager welcoming us to the hotel and a delicious box of chocolates. Not to mention, each night, the hotel staff would leave us a weather forecast card and two biscuits by our bedside. Seriously, we were beyond touched by the thoughtfulness. First thing we did was rent winter attires and snowboards. The staff were very patient to help us find the right size jacket, pants and other sports gears. Our assigned locker was huge! We were very impressed at the locker system. Just pushed a card in, and we can set our password for the next 3 days! Heading to the mountains was beyond easy; we can access the West Mountain by a short monorail or to the East Mountain by a quick pair lift. The staff were so nice too! Always there to greet us with a smile! The snowboarding experience was incredible! Even though the weather condition was not the best, we still had loads of fun! The lifts and gondolas were really well-maintained, and the lines were almost non-existent. Even though there was a student trip during our stay, the mountains were almost vacant. We have never witnessed anything like that before. An uncrowded mountain during the start of the season?! We were in heaven! After our many snowboarding trips, we relaxed in the hotel onsen. The onsen was separated by male and female, and they were HUGE! All the washing stations were equipped with shampoos, conditioners, body wash and there were so many baths to choose from! The bubbling jacuzzi-like bath was so comfy, and the outdoor bath was so amazing! There were reclining seats within the outdoor bath so I can lay down and enjoy the view. The food at the hotel was incredible! I expected to get rip off at resorts, but the food here were very reasonably priced and incredibly delicious! There are many Hokkaido themed food and most of the food were sourced locally. So delicious and so satisfying! The breakfast buffet had so many choices and again, servers were incredibly friendly. Lastly, a huge huge huge shout out to Mr. Daichi Sawasaki. Our rental car was unfortunately scratched by another car during out stay (No fault of Westin at all! It's completely the fault of some careless driver). Daichi helped us call the rental car company, and coordinated with the police. During the entire process, he was so friendly, professional, and kept everything under control. Though the accident was unfortunate, we felt very fortunate because we made a new friend during the process! Daichi was just so amazing, it really made our overall experience even more impressive and more personal. I will never forget his kind gesture. Please give this man a raise and a promotion! He's the man!!! Overall, I am seriously in love with Westin Rusutsu! Not only was this the place where I learned snowboarding, Westin Rusutsu Resort's hospitality, facility and overall stay was just over the top wonderful. Marriott and its chain of hotels continue to impress me more and more each stay. I swear I am going to host all my future life events at all Marriott hotels, and I will be a loyal member till I die. I can't wait to come back to the Westin. Expect me to be back whenever there's a cheap ticket to Hokkaido!!!!!

When I booked my hotel, it stated that it was at the Rusutsu Resort and Hotel (RRH). So you can imagine the nervousness I felt when we arrived, asked them to confirm if we were in the north or the south tower, and when they attempted to find my reservation, they were unable to locate it. I stared at my phone, double checked the dates and showed them that it, indeed, said I was at the right place. As the sweet gal at the front desk scrambled, I checked my email to see if I could find a confirmation number for the hotel and realized I had an email (from RRH) and as I scrolled down, it said The Westin and it provided a different address. I was completely confused, explained myself and the gal stated that they used to be one hotel but they recently "split" and the towers (as it used to be called) is now managed by The Westin, located across the street. I asked if we could walk there and she said it would be a 5-10 minute walk but seeing all of our luggage, she recommended we take the monorail. Once we arrived at the correct hotel, I was completely relieved when they pulled up our reservation with no problem. We had two rooms booked for the eight of us, four per room. When you first enter the hotel, there's a bedroom on the left, which had two double beds in them. You'll immediately see stairs leading down to a living room area with a wet bar, small fridge and cups. There are two twin sized murphy beds that were set up for us. There are two single seater lounge chairs and a love seat. The room is very spacious but there is only one bathroom. The awesome thing is that there's a public bath located on the second floor of the hotel, which is free of charge so a couple of us ended up bathing there. Be sure to take your towel from your room since there are no attendants or towels. There are mini lockers to put your valuables in but they're not much bigger than a tiny shoe box so don't bring your purse down. You won't need any money while you're down there. If you've never experience a public bath, definitely check it out. There's an outdoor area where you can sit in the warm water and (if it's winter like it is now) you can see the snow on the trees. super cool! After we settled in and went back to the original hotel to explore, it was a short 7 minute walk across the street. There's an East mountain so even if you stay here, there are slopes that you can access from here, although the West mountain seems to be where lessons are held and all the food options are.

Nice rooms and super helpful staff. The GM was awesome. He came and introduced himself at check in and said hello throughout the stay to make sure everything was cool.