Rusutsu Resort Hokkaido 2026: Japan's Top All-Season Stay
Explore Rusutsu Resort, Hokkaido's premier all-season destination. From thrilling winter skiing to summer golf, theme park fun, and rejuvenating onsen, find your perfect escape.
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Explore Rusutsu Resort, Hokkaido's premier all-season destination. From thrilling winter skiing to summer golf, theme park fun, and rejuvenating onsen, find your perfect escape.
For this trip,
I went with a Modoo Tour package,
but I loved the accommodation,
so for those planning a free-and-easy trip,
I'm sharing hotel booking links too.
Please note that prices can fluctuate.
Agoda Rusutsu Resort Booking ~$185
Klook Rusutsu Resort Booking ~$214
Still on the evening of Day 1 of the package tour,
we arrived at Rusutsu Resort.
The accommodations for Day 2 and Day 3 were
just okay,
but this resort was definitely the best!
Hokkaido Rusutsu Resort
Located about a 90-minute to 2-hour drive from Sapporo and New Chitose Airport,
near Niseko's Mount Yotei,
this place is a true gem where you can enjoy
skiing, golf, an amusement park, and even hot springs – all in one spot!
It's Hokkaido's largest-scale
four-season resort.
Notably, it has been recognized multiple times at the World Ski Awards
as Japan's Best Ski Resort.
While especially famous as a winter ski destination,
it also offers plenty of attractions in summer,
making it a beloved destination year-round.
What's unique is that
due to its incredibly vast grounds,
there's a monorail
for getting around!
If you book in advance,
there's also a free shuttle bus service
from the airport.
How amazing is that!
Rusutsu Resort boasts
an amusement park,
ski slopes,
swimming pools,
and golf courses.
It comprises three main buildings:
The main building, steeped in history,
Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention;
the premium condominium offering ski-in/ski-out access,
The Vale Rusutsu;
and the relatively newly opened
Westin Rusutsu Resort.
Often referred to by travelers as the 'old wing' or 'main wing',
Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention
is divided into the North Wing and South Wing.
It features a large number of rooms,
and conveniently houses a shopping mall and restaurants
all within a single building.
The Room
The room was incredibly spacious!
Even though there were only two of us, there were three beds.
It wasn't severely aged or anything like that,
but the bathtub was quite small.
On our way to dinner, we discovered a carousel
on the floor below!
That's amazing !!
Resort guests enjoy complimentary access until 9 PM.
Dinner Buffet, Breakfast
At October Festa, I always had dinner and breakfast,
just mentioning my ticket or room number.
It's a buffet overflowing with lamb and vegetables produced on their own farm,
Rusutsu Highland pork, and more,
Hokkaido seafood and meat,
dairy products, and more.
Alcoholic beverages like Sorachi Beer and Sapporo Beer
were available for an extra charge.
Even if you get there right at opening, the line is
incredibly long and there are so many people!
The steak is delicious, the snow crab is great,
there's plenty of aged sashimi,
and so many other varieties,
but it gets incredibly crowded!
Everywhere I went, for both breakfast and dinner,
it was absolutely packed with people.
Breakfast
Breakfast is incredibly varied, and they even have kimchi!
Grand Public Bath Hot Spring
The hot spring at Rusutsu Resort Hotel operates as a grand public bath,
utilizing clear underground water that flows down from the foot of Mt. Yotei.
In the open-air bath, you can soak in the four-season scenery of Shikotsu-Toya National Park,
allowing you to experience a truly unique atmosphere.
The hot spring water is
a sodium-bicarbonate type,
known for its effects in relieving muscle pain and promoting overall health.
A special feature is the lying-down bath area, which is lined with black silica,
known for its excellent warming properties,
helping to improve blood circulation alongside a relaxing foot bath –
another unique characteristic!
To get to the hot spring from here,
I walked quite a distance –
about 10 minutes!
It's such an endlessly
vast place...
You just go past the lobby and walk straight to the left...
Hokkaido's incredibly vast resorts...
It took some getting used to!
The Jozankei View Resort we're heading to tomorrow is massive too...
Walking around feels like it takes half a day!
But still,
they have a massage shop,
and I enjoyed the onsen thoroughly!
Rusutsu Resort Souvenir Shop
The Kurofuneya Souvenir Shop!
There was actually
one more souvenir shop here.
Hokkaido Ramen!
There's a famous soup curry place in Sapporo called Garaku,
and they even sell that restaurant's soup curry as a souvenir!
Seasonings,
soups, snacks, and so much more – the variety was truly impressive!
They also had lots of keyrings, stationery, and toys for sale!
Since bears are famous here,
you find bears on corn, bears on hairy crabs, and even bears on maps! Such unique magnets!
I even snapped a commemorative photo!
They also have a fantastic golf course!
During the summer season, Rusutsu Resort is all about Rusutsu Golf 72.
True to its name, it's a massive golf course with 4 courses and 72 holes.
Each course offers varied fairway undulations, out-of-bounds areas, and challenging pond-crossing holes, ensuring you can experience a wide range of difficulties!
Rusutsu Ski Resort is comprised of three magnificent mountains: West Mt., East Mt., and Mt. Isola.
It proudly boasts a massive slope area with 37 courses in total, spanning an impressive 42km of downhill runs!
Alongside Niseko, it's celebrated as one of Hokkaido's premier powder snow destinations.
Equipped with a lift and gondola system that can transport approximately 30,000 people per hour, you'll find wait times are pleasantly short here.
From gentle slopes perfect for beginners to challenging un-groomed courses (未圧雪) for advanced skiers, a freestyle park where you can enjoy jumps and jibs, and even a kids' plaza and kids' school for the little ones – there's an incredible variety of options available,
making it incredibly popular with families too!
Above all, the biggest advantage of Rusutsu is the direct connection between the hotel and the ski resort. Imagine changing into your ski gear in your room and heading straight out to the slopes – pure convenience!
Rusutsu Resort truly makes me want to come back for a freestyle trip and experience those incredible slopes someday!
Although this trip was part of a Modoo Tour package,
I absolutely loved the accommodation! So, for those of you planning your own independent adventures,
I'm also leaving a link here for overseas hotel bookings.
Just remember, prices can vary!
Rusutsu Resort International Hotel Booking HanaTour 1 night ~$234
Agoda Rusutsu Resort Booking ~$185
Klook Rusutsu Resort Booking ~$214
It's still the evening of Day 1 of our package tour!
We've arrived at Rusutsu Resort!
The accommodation for Day 2 and Day 3...
was just okay,
but this accommodation was definitely the best!
Hokkaido Rusutsu Resort
From Sapporo and New Chitose Airport,
it's about a 90-minute to 2-hour drive,
located near Niseko's Mount Yotei.
This place is incredible!
With a ski resort, golf course, amusement park, and even hot springs,
all enjoyable in one fantastic location.
It's Hokkaido's largest,
all-season resort.
Notably, at the World Ski Awards,
it has been recognized as Japan's Best Ski Resort
multiple times,
a testament to its excellence.
While it's especially famous as a winter ski destination,
there's so much to enjoy in the summer too,
making it a beloved destination year-round.
What's unique about Rusutsu Resort is this:
because of its incredibly expansive grounds,
there's a monorail available,
which guests often use to get around!
If you book in advance,
from the airport,
they also operate a free shuttle bus!
Isn't that amazing!
Rusutsu Resort boasts:
An amusement park
A ski resort
Swimming pools
And a golf course.
And when it comes to accommodations, there are three main buildings:
First, there's the main building with a long history,
Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention,
then there's the premium condominium offering ski-in/ski-out access,
The Vale Rusutsu,
and finally, the relatively recently opened
Westin Rusutsu Resort.
Among travelers, what's commonly referred to as the 'old building' or 'original section',
Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention
is divided into the North Wing and South Wing,
boasts a large number of rooms,
and conveniently houses a shopping mall and restaurants
all within the same building.
The Room
Our room was incredibly spacious!
Even though there were only two of us, there were three beds. Talk about room to stretch out!
The room wasn't severely aged or anything, which was great.
The bathtub was a bit on the smaller side, though.
As we were heading out to grab some food, we discovered something amazing on the floor below!
There's a full-on carousel!
How cool is that?!
Even better, resort guests can ride for free until 9 PM!
Dinner Buffet, Breakfast
At October Festa, we always made sure to grab both dinner and breakfast there.
You just needed to show your ticket or room number, and you were all set!
It's a fantastic buffet, absolutely brimming with goodies!
Think succulent lamb and fresh veggies straight from their own farm, amazing Rusutsu Plateau pork,
and a bounty of Hokkaido's finest seafood, meats,
and dairy products.
And if you fancy a drink, you can also indulge in alcoholic beverages like crisp Sorachi Beer or classic Sapporo Beer,
though those come with an extra charge.
Fair warning though: even if you try to be an 'early bird' and get there right when they open,
expect a super long queue and a whole lot of fellow foodies!
The steak? Absolutely delicious! And the snow crab was pretty good too.
Plus, there was an incredible selection of aged sashimi –
so many types to choose from!
However, here's the catch: it gets unbelievably crowded!
Seriously, everywhere we went for breakfast and dinner, it was just packed with people.
Breakfast Spread!
And the breakfast spread? So diverse, with tons of options – they even have kimchi for those who love a little kick!
The Grand Onsen: A Journey to Relaxation!
The Rusutsu Resort Hotel's onsen is truly special,
operating as a magnificent grand public bath, fed by crystal-clear underground spring water
flowing directly from the slopes of Mount Yotei.
Step into the open-air bath, or 'rotenburo,' and you'll be treated to breathtaking, ever-changing views of Shikotsu-Toya National Park through all four seasons,
it's an experience that truly transports you!
The hot spring water itself is a sodium bicarbonate type,
famous for its soothing properties – perfect for easing muscle aches and boosting your overall well-being.
What's more, the reclining bath area is lined with black silica, which offers fantastic warming effects,
and, combined with a foot bath,
is said to really get your blood circulation going!
Getting to the onsen from our spot involved quite a trek, though!
We walked for about 10 minutes,
seemingly endlessly, because this place is truly enormous...
You just head straight past the lobby and then take a left, but let me tell you...
I'm still getting used to the sheer scale of Hokkaido's resorts.
The Jozankei View Resort we're heading to tomorrow? Yep, also massive!
It took us half a day just walking around...
But hey,
we found a massage shop
and thoroughly enjoyed the hot springs!
Rusutsu Resort Souvenir Shop
Kurofuneya Souvenir Shop
Turns out, there was
another souvenir shop here!
Hokkaido Ramen!
And get this, Garaku, a super famous
soup curry spot in Sapporo,
sells their delicious soup curry here
as a souvenir too!
From seasonings
and soups to all sorts of snacks, the variety was incredible!
They also had tons of keychains, stationery, and toys
for sale.
Bears are super famous here,
so you'll spot them everywhere – on corn, on hairy crabs,
even on maps! Such quirky magnets!
And we took some commemorative photos!
Did you know there's also a golf course here?
During the summer, Rusutsu Resort's star attraction is
hands-down Rusutsu Golf72!
True to its name, this massive course boasts 4 distinct courses,
and a whopping 72 holes.
Each course offers unique challenges with undulating fairways, out-of-bounds,
and even holes where you have to clear ponds,
ensuring a diverse and exciting golfing experience for all skill levels.
Rusutsu Ski Resort is a true winter wonderland, sprawling across three magnificent mountains: West Mt., East Mt., and Mt. Isola!
It boasts an impressive 37 courses with a staggering total downhill distance of 42km.
Alongside Niseko, it's celebrated as one of Hokkaido's prime
powder snow destinations.
With a state-of-the-art lift and gondola system capable of whisking
approximately 30,000 people up the slopes every hour,
you can expect delightfully short waiting times.
They've truly thought of everyone, offering everything from gentle slopes for beginners
to challenging ungroomed courses for advanced skiers,
a freestyle park packed with jumps and jibs,
and even a dedicated Kids' Plaza and Kids' School for the little ones.
This incredible variety makes it a huge hit with families!
But perhaps the absolute best part? The hotel and ski resort are directly connected!
Imagine changing into your ski gear right in your room
and stepping straight out onto the slopes –
pure bliss!
Rusutsu Resort truly made me dream of returning for a dedicated ski trip one day!
It takes approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours by car from Sapporo and New Chitose Airport to Rusutsu Resort. If you book in advance, you can also use the free shuttle bus service operating from the airport.
Due to the resort's expansive grounds, a monorail operates for transportation. The main building complexes include Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention, which serves as the main building, the premium condominium The Vale Rusutsu, and Westin Rusutsu Resort.
At October Festa, you can enjoy a variety of buffet dishes including lamb and vegetables produced on our own farm, Rusutsu Kogen Pork, Hokkaido seafood, other meats, and dairy products. Alcoholic beverages such as Sorachi Beer and Sapporo Beer are available for a fee.
The hot spring water is a sodium-bicarbonate spring flowing from the foot of Mount Yotei, effective for relieving muscle pain and promoting health. From the open-air bath, you can enjoy the seasonal scenery of Shikotsu-Toya National Park. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the main bath, past the lobby and to the left.
Rusutsu Ski Resort consists of three mountains: West Mt., East Mt., and Mt. Isola, offering 37 courses with a total skiing distance of 42km. A wide variety of options are available, from gentle slopes for beginners to ungroomed courses for advanced skiers, freestyle parks, kids' plazas, and kids' schools.
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