What were the accommodation costs for The Westin Rusutsu Resort or The Ritz-Carlton, Niseko during the Sapporo Snow Festival, and was it possible to book with points?

The Westin Rusutsu Resort was over ~$690 per night, and point bookings were not available in early February. The Ritz-Carlton, Niseko was charging the most expensive rate, approximately ~$2,208 per night, during the Sapporo Snow Festival.

When does the 2025 Sapporo Snow Festival begin, and what was the room availability like at hotels in Sapporo city during the festival period?

The 2025 Sapporo Snow Festival begins on February 4th. During the festival period, there was limited room availability at hotels in Sapporo city.

If I were to book a stay at Courtyard Sapporo on February 3rd using points, what kind of cost savings would that offer compared to cash payment?

The cash rate for Courtyard Sapporo on February 3rd was JPY 64,480 (approximately ~$421). When booked with 25,000 points, if points were purchased during a promotion, it would have been approximately ~$221, which is about half the cash price.

How did the author book city hotels during the Sapporo Snow Festival, and what card was used?

The author secured a two-night stay in Sapporo city during the Snow Festival using points accumulated through the Marriott Bonvoy The Best Shinhan Card, which was used for business. The author utilized existing accumulated points rather than purchasing them directly.

Sapporo Snow Festival 2026: Half-Price Hotel Booking Tips

Sapporo Snow Festival 2026: Half-Price Hotel Booking Tips | TRVLOGUE

I'm a travel enthusiast always looking for smart ways to explore, and my latest adventure planning involves a trip to Sapporo.

It's no secret that hotel and accommodation costs in Japan have soared recently. This rise is largely attributed to a surge in tourism, fueled by the favorable exchange rate, combined with a shortage of hospitality staff leading to higher labor costs.

Today, I'm excited to share my secret to booking hotels in Japan for what felt like half the price. In fact, for my upcoming Sapporo trip, I managed to book my entire stay using only accumulated credit card points. That's right—flights and accommodation, all on points!

My journey into this travel hacking began with maximizing my Asiana Airlines miles, especially with its impending merger with Korean Air.

Asiana Mileage Tips: Preparing for a Hokkaido Sapporo Ski Tripblog.naver.com

Hokkaido Sapporo Marriott Hotels

Let's dive into the Marriott hotel options, specifically in Hokkaido and Sapporo. You'll find a total of six Marriott properties in the region.

While my heart desires a stay at luxurious resorts like Rusutsu or Niseko, with rates often exceeding ~$690 to ~$2,070 per night, and my points balance not quite stretching that far, I focused my search on downtown Sapporo instead.

My planned visit in early February coincides with the renowned Sapporo Snow Festival, a peak travel period.

Let's check the room rates for The Westin Rusutsu Resort, famous for its Sapporo ski slopes.

A single night here can easily run over ~$690. What's more, point redemptions are typically unavailable during early February, right in the heart of the festival. The Sapporo Snow Festival for 2026 is scheduled to kick off on February 4.

The Ritz-Carlton, Niseko, for instance, runs about ~$2,208 a night. It's clear these premium resorts command their highest rates during the Sapporo Snow Festival period.

Hokkaido Marriott Hotel Map

The two hotels tucked away in the bottom left corner of the map are The Westin Rusutsu and The Ritz-Carlton, Niseko.

In downtown Sapporo, you'll find two Marriott properties: the budget-friendly Fairfield by Marriott Sapporo, and the newer Courtyard Sapporo, which opened its doors on August 1, 2024.

Sapporo Snow Festival Schedule

Due to the immense popularity of the Sapporo Snow Festival, available rooms in the city center become scarce during the festival period.

Fairfield by Marriott Sapporo: February Availability (as of a recent check)

At Fairfield Sapporo, the room rate on the festival's final day was ~$205, dropping significantly to ~$106 the following day. If you look at the image on the right, you'll see that on February 11, you could book with 20,000 points.

Courtyard Sapporo: February Availability (as of a recent check)

As of a recent check, a stay on February 3, the day before the Sapporo Snow Festival kicks off, at Courtyard Sapporo was 64,480 JPY, which is roughly ~$401.

However, I found that this specific night was available for booking with Marriott Bonvoy points!

Even now, you can often book February 3 for just 25,000 points. You might be wondering how much 25,000 points are worth in dollars.

While Marriott points typically cost $12.50 per 1,000 points, there are often bonus promotions, like a current offer giving 40% more points when you purchase 2,000 points or more. Under such a promotion, you could acquire 25,200 points for just $225.

Comparing this to the cash rate of 64,480 JPY (about ~$401), booking with points for $225 is roughly half the price.

However, even at half the price, spending over ~$207 on accommodation can feel like a lot.

I didn't actually buy the points for my booking. Instead, I used points accumulated from my business expenses with the Marriott Bonvoy The BEST Shinhan Card.

For more details on earning and redeeming points, you might find my previous post helpful:

Marriott Bonvoy The BEST Shinhan Card for Staycation Loversblog.naver.com

On the day I checked, point reservations were available for both February 3 and 5. By leveraging my accumulated credit card points, I managed to secure two nights of accommodation in downtown Sapporo during the peak Snow Festival period!

For the night of February 4, I booked a place near Rusutsu Resort. Unfortunately, point redemptions weren't an option for that particular stay. However, I chose a spot just a 5-minute drive from the ski resort, making it easily accessible, even by walking. At this point, finding any available accommodation near the resort for my dates would likely be challenging.

My Takeaway

I've outlined how to leverage Marriott Bonvoy points to book hotels at half price during the Sapporo Snow Festival. If you're planning an international trip, use these search and booking strategies to score deals on hotels and flights in other destinations too!

In my upcoming posts, I'll share more about the Sapporo Snow Festival, how to book free bus transfers from Sapporo city to Rusutsu Resort, and tips for finding great value international hotels. Stay tuned!