We stayed in January 2014 for 8 days.

Pros:

- Absolute ski-in/ski-out
- Access to Annupuri gates on a powder day
- Queue for first lift in the morning very small (we were third gondola up having only stood and waited less than 10mins)
- Great Onsen
- Quiet; no snow shifting machinery noise or loud revellers
- nice daily hot breakfast with outstanding view of Mt Yotei

Cons:

- Rooms are small
- If gondola shut (as it was for one half day), the options are limited
- you have to get a bus to more restaurant/bar options in Hirafu.
- ski hire cost is much higher than Hirafu (we went to Hirafu to get it which was a nuisance).
- night skiing really means bus to town.

We would definitely stay again
See our video here

The Powderhounds have not yet stayed at this hotel (although we have been in the lobby a couple of times!!), however we have compiled an editor’s review and ratings based on trawling and summarizing dozens of reviews.

Here's the general consensus:

In general most guests rated the hotel as either "very good" or to a slightly lesser degree "excellent".

- Location - is excellent with regard to being able to step directly onto the slopes. The ski area in front of the hotel is ideal for beginners as it is a gentle wide-open area with very few people on it. For more advanced skiers & boarders, the Gondola (which literally connects to the hotel) takes you to the top of the mountain where you can access all other Niseko ski areas / lifts. The only downside to the location is that it is quite remote from where all the night time action, restaurants & bars are located in Hirafu Village. And on the odd occasions the Gondola will not operate in high winds, meaning you need to bus around to one of the other ski areas.

- Food & Nightlife - there are 6 restaurants in the Hilton however the general consensus seemed to be that whilst the food ranged from fair to very good, the variety was a bit lame and the cost was on the expensive side. So the only option was to head into Hirafu via shuttle bus some evenings to break things up a bit.

- Shuttle service - there is a free shuttle service that operates from the hotel to Hirafu village (about 20 mins ride) however it is a bit infrequent and can get full. Personally I have used this service without too much difficulty however you just need to be organised with your time in advance. Many people said having a car at this hotel made life very easy - there is free onsite parking.

- Hot springs - people generally raved about the bath house and outdoor hot springs as being one of the highlights of the hotel.

- Rooms - were spacious by Japanese standards however were said to be a bit dated (probably what you would expect in a 3.5 star hotel). The bathroom facilities were small but adequate.

- Service - there is a ski valet (which is almost unheard of in Japan) where you can dump your skis and boards at the end of the day without having to drag them to a locker room. There were mixed sentiments about the service; most felt it was very good however a couple of people felt it was less than adequate.

- Value - this hotel often has huge early bird deals so if you get on to one of their packages you will find this to provide exceptional value.

So in summary, if you are happy to be away from the crowds, if you have a young family and/or a beginner skiers & boarders and you aren't overly concerned about having lots of nighlife options, this is a great hotel.
See our video here