Fresh Powder Apartments Furano: Hokkaido Prefecture Japan

[Jahoota]

Stayed for 5 nights last week.

The apartments are all western style with a modern kitchen and big sized showers. There is free internet available but its pretty slow, especially when everyone gets home and gets on the net! There is a good size ski/board storage room and a drying room big enough for everyone gear. The apartments have cable TV tho there are not many western channels (as you'd expect!)

The apartments are location is just across the road from the Kitoname gondola (50m walk) and 50m walk to the bus stop that will take you either locally or back to Sapporo or New Chitose airport. There is also a range of restaurants to eat at that are within walking distance and a ski/board rentals shop next door with another across the road.

The Manager, Tim, is Canadian and is very helpful. Be sure to go on a supermarket run with him as he can advise you what some of those packaged Japanese mystery items are and what's good value and on special. Supermarket runs are usually twice a week but sometimes other days also happen. If that happens Tim will usually leave a note on your door telling you when he is going.

These apartments aren't cheap to rent (the same thing in Canada or the USA would be cheaper) but they are high quality and reasonably spacious by Japanese standards.

Would I stay there again? yes. 9/10 (slow internet and cost being the only downside)

[blutek]

Have stayed at their Niseko apartments. Nice but was at a premium.

[The Frog]

[SarahSkis84]

That apartment looks fantastic! I think Hokkaido Prefecture on my next Japan holiday instead of finding my apartments through here. A mate of mine was just telling me about his ski trip to Japan and he said they play they stayed in was brutal. Saw the pics and looks nowhere near like the ones above.

[blutek]

There's a lot of investment in luxury ski condo's in Niseko catering mainly to the topend of the Hong Kong & Singapore tourist market.
Apartments are built and sold off to individual foreign investors, but are managed as 'vacation rentals' by a management company. The booking terms & conditions are more restrictive that say an hotel booking (as basically it's an investment scheme).
A number of clients forfeited their expensive prepaid bookings last year, after the tsunami (& it wasn't covered by travel insurance) - when investors weren't willing to give refunds.

Checkout The Vale in Niseko for luxury.