We went to the hotel just for the onsen experience (so I can’t comment on the rest of the hotel). We used the mixed gender onsen so my husband and I could go together. They supplied us with yuami to wear (shorts for me and a strapless towel dress for women) at a small cost. The outdoor onsen was beautiful - surrounded by rocks and snow. The water temperature was SO hot so it took us awhile to get used to it, but we loved the experience. We walked there from the Niseko United shuttle drop off at the entrance to Annupuri.
We (6 of us) and another family of 3 were the only people in the hotel . Some of the rooms have a bathtub while others do not have a shower or bathtub . Beware when you are booking the rooms . The rooms are very clean and come with two twin beds . No water is offered in the room . However the lounge on ground level do provide whole day coffee , matcha and ice water. There are also two massage chairs in the lounge which opens till midnight . Wifi is good . Onsens - a beautiful outdoor onsen overlooking out to the pine trees and two indoor onsens. Because there were so few of us ( probably low season for them) , the onsen did have an exclusive feel. Dinner was kaiseki. Delicious and amount was adequate . Breakfast was also set Japanese . Quite lovely . There are short trails around the hotel leading to a forest . There was also a distillery nearby . Do try out the alcohol .
This was our favourite stay during our two week Japan vacation. The Ritz Higashiyama is an absolutely wonderful hotel with amazing views and a very warm and helpful staff. The entire aesthetic of the hotel is very warm and welcoming. The rooms are beautiful and the onset is just amazing and rejuvenating ! The grounds around the hotel are lovely and made for some great walks and views . Now the food- we had the most delectable omakase meal at this hotel, we still dream about it! The food overall was delicious and fresh. We loved eating at the restaurant here. Despite coming in somewhat low season, we had a wonderful experience. They also helped us book a trip to Lake Toya which was stunning! Overall, an amazing stay in beautiful surroundings! We will definitely be back.