Sounds good, we though we may do a bit more visting other resorts and grab a guide for some split boarding and stuff this time. Where would you suggest?
Pretty much all of the main resorts in Hokkaido are worth a visit, so depending on how you are getting around and what you're looking for, any of the below would be good:
Moiwa, Rusutsu, Kiroro, Teine, Kokusai, Furano, Asahidake etc.
Between Niseko and Otaru there's a lot of other good backcountry areas, although with no lift access at all (Kurodake, Chisenupuri). All worth doing, but with a guide if you're not familiar with the areas.
Niseko Harmony Resorts can do one, along with most of the other operators in town. They're milking the area for as much as they can, while giving virtually nothing back. It's all good building 5 new hotels every summer, but what about guest infrastructure, or services for the people who actually live here.
Trying to drive through town in the morning or early evening is a nightmare now and it's not uncommon to see queues going all the way through. Whoever let these developments go up with no parking should be fired.
I'm pretty sick of all the companies looking out for themselves, not wanting to do any favours or help anyone out. When something like the tsunami or financial crash happens though, it's all "what can we do together".
No one cared about pricing all the Australians out, because Hong Kong and Singapore were happy to come in and pay the ridiculous prices. They market it as one of the best ski destinations in the world, and while when the snow is good, there's not many places like it, in reality it has a long way to go.
A plague of, at best, 3 star hotels staffed by kids doing seasons, but marketed and priced like the best thing in the world.
Rant over.
