Ski resort on Hokkaido sets tone for Hanwha’s pitch for exclusive clientele
For people who see money as no object in search of a luxury skiing experience, exclusivity is what counts. Add wellness, and that’s how Hanwha Solutions is pitching Muwa Niseko, a luxury ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan.
Muwa Niseko, meaning “my Niseko” with the French word “moi” spelled out phonetically, is nestled in the ski resort town of Niseko on Japan’s northernmost island Hokkaido, best known for powder snow -- soft and dry flakes that make for silk-smooth turns for skiers.
Open since December last year, the 113-room resort complex, which can accommodate up to 455 guests, prides itself on giving each visitor absolute privacy and enabling them to go skiing whenever they want without the hassle of having to handle heavy ski gear.
“Muwa Niseko is right next to the ski slopes,” a Hanwha Solutions official said, referring to Grand Hirafu, the largest of the four ski areas in the region. Concierge and valet services are provided for Muwa guests, the official added.
Soaking in hot springs at the top of Muwa while looking right at the 1,898-meter-tall Mount Yotei covered in deep snow can ease the stress of cold winters -- one of the signature wellness programs offered at Muwa.
The Muwa Infinity Onsen, as the program is called, offers a “private ceremony experience that combines natural onsen with Muwa’s original tea ceremony to help you purify your mind and body,” Hanwha said.
Spa treatments that use natural extracts of herbs, plants and flowers take place separately, the company added, noting specialists will individually attend to each Muwa guest.
Fine dining follows the spa.
Italian restaurant Hito by Tacubo, led by Michelin-starred chief Daisuke Tacubo, and Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant Hiyama, are among the choices available for Muwa guests.
Hito, an all-day dining restaurant, features authentic Italian cuisine with selected dishes prepared over fire. Hito, meaning “fire” in Japanese, is known for wood-fired Wagyu meat dishes.
Hiyama, on the other hand, specializes in “sukiyaki,” a hot pot of beef and vegetables simmered in sauce. Established in 1935, the restaurant has long focused on freshness delivered in part by locally sourced ingredients, including tofu from Hokkaido.
Other activities designed to boost wellness add to the variety.
For guests with children, igloo building and guided snowshoeing are available. Downhill skiing or cross-country skiing requires training, but snowshoeing, which is basically walking with snowshoes, does not -- making it especially popular with children, according to Hanwha.
For grownups, private meditation lessons including yoga combined with select tours to local wineries, whiskey distilleries and beer breweries could make their trip ever more intoxicating. For those leaning towards something more outdoorsy, private guided tours of Mount Yotei or canoeing on the Shiribetsu River is recommended.
“In the run-up to the year-end, nine out of 10 confirm their reservations at Muwa,” a Hanwha official said of the peak season. According to Japanese government data, some 670,000 tourists visited the Niseko region in 2022, with over two-thirds arriving between November and April.
All the programs at Muwa are subject to weather conditions and some require pre-registration.
For Hanwha, Muwa Niseko is a “vacation home,” and the Korean conglomerate plans to launch soon a “second home” in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, that would cater to a more exclusive clientele interested in longer stays.
Muwa Jade, as the 32-unit residence overlooking the Bukhan River is named, will welcome visitors to Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, as early as July 2025, according to Hanwha. A landscape dotted with pine forests with a private garden for each Muwa Jade member -- plus high-end furnishings inside each unit will make for an exclusive living space, Hanwha believes.
An industry source with general knowledge of how Korean businesses are stepping up efforts similar to that of Hanwha said the goal is to attract high-powered executives or simply high-net-worth individuals.
“How luxurious each space is or can be matters less than whether it can stay that way long enough without boring or disappointing the existing clientele,“ the official said, noting exclusive spaces need a steady stream of select clients.
Harnessing staying power that could lock in such private groups is the challenge, the official added.
“That depends on balancing conflicting desires -- city versus nature comforts and seclusion versus openness, for example. And the equilibrium shifts every now and then.”
This series looks at the latest lifestyle of the ultrarich. -- Ed.
