Zaborin

Simply amazing place. Might not be for everyone, but we found it to be a very special and unique place that we would love to visit again. Great for those who appreciate beautiful design and still elegance. Worth noting is that the food served is a traditional japanese meal for dinner (getting a more western breakfast was a very easy request). The ryokan was very accommodating in making some adjustments to the menu - but from a western perspective it is very authentic and might not suite everyone. Trying the BBQ room for one evening is highly recommended!

Stayed here for 3 nights. The hotel room is probably one of the fanciest that I’ve stayed in all my travels. Rooms are huge - we paid extra to get a room with a nicer view. We picked the Japanese room - with a futon bed. Initially we thought that the futon would be too thin - but it was amazingly comfortable. Do note that rooms don’t have air conditioning. Floors are heated - which is perfect for winters Meals are very private. Each room is assigned a private dining room , with a beautiful view of the outside. I love how they allow you to take your desserts to the lounge upstairs - where you can have desserts while looking through the binoculars (belonging to the hotel ) - trying to spot the ducks and birds . Service is spot on - and staff will do their best to accommodate any requests that you have. My wife had a minor burn during dinner on the first night - and she was personally attended to by the GM of the hotel, which we really appreciated. The GM also personally sent us off when we checked out after our stay. 3 nights may be too long for guests seeking an adventure - but perfect for someone who just wants some quiet time to relax during their holidays.

Located not far away from Kutchan JR station, Zaborin is nested in a lovely countryside. The rental Toyota car GPS can not locate the exact location of the hotel, I have to resort to the Google map on my cell phone to take me to the hotel. This was not the first time that the Toyota rental car GPS failed. The hotel is a modern design building. Staff at the entrance would take care of the luggage and led us to the reception. Reception is located on the second floor by lift. The first impression of hotel interior design is minimalist, there is no extravagant or classical Edo decoration. We did the check in at the lounge and finished the hotel introduction inside our room. Most of the rooms have a similar interior design. Ours has a fantastic view of the country and a side view of Yotei Mountain. The room has a separate living room and bedroom, a nice restroom, a large bathroom with inside hot bath and outside onsen. The hotel reminded us before arrival that the hotel room has no air conditioning, but only electric fan. We had a drink to ourselves at the outside patio area with fantastic view and nice weather. The weather is still nice and not too much flying insects around you. We walked around the hotel and found that we are by ourselves most of the time and did not meet any other guests during the walk. I guess the guests are enjoying the nice quality of the room. We had a drink at the lounge before dinner and we were the only guests while there. Our dinner was served at the lover level of the hotel restaurant. Each pair of guests were seated in partitioned rooms. Food is served with ingredients explained. Food quality is high. After we checked out at the reception and took the lift to downstairs, we found our car was ready at the entrance, with our luggage loaded tot he trunk. You do not need to carry your luggage to the parking lot to get your car.

We joked that it was the mansion of the evil villain in a Bond movie: architecturally stunning, set in the wood. Things we particularly enjoyed: The view from the rooms with trees lit. The privacy. Dining is just "you" and the dining rooms are essentially private. The food. Without being pretentious about it, the food all seemed sourced from Hokkaido. The breakfasts were lovely as well. Two onsen, with our focus on the one outside our room. Again, utterly private. We stayed 3 nights; we wish night 2 there had been an option of perhaps a simpler meal, just a few courses (ok, this is sort of "complaining" about how lavish the dinners were).

What a beautiful gem of a hotel in the heart of the forest in Niseko area! Combining traditional and modern elements, Zaborin elevates the ryokan experience with understated elegance and luxury. The facilities are beautiful and the environment is tranquil and serene. The food is amazing! Local, seasonal and high quality ingredients, delicate and complex flavor profiles, exquisite presentation. We were treated with such warm hospitality by everyone here, and hope to get to return in the future.

Having explored Japan for three decades and staying in numerous luxury Ryokans, Zaborin in Hokkaido has made an indelible impression. It strikes a remarkable balance between Western modern living and Japanese tradition in its architecture. The Northern Kaiseki cuisine was an unforgettable delight. Despite a minor setback with a broken hot spring pump, the attentive manager, Nobue Shiozawa, ensured our satisfaction. Zaborin's tranquil mountain location and warm hospitality only added to our appreciation. We would have given it a 5-star rating, but due to the temporary inconvenience of not enjoying the en-suite open-air Onsen, we rate it 4 stars this time. Nonetheless, we're already planning our return, as Zaborin's value and charm are truly exceptional.