Zaborin
Ravishing ryokan
Hanazono Forest haven
On Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, Zaborin is a heavenly hotel stay with all of the discreet elegance the country is famous for. Nothing is too in your face, but when you look for it, everything you possibly need is right there. With just 15 villas, each with an indoor and outdoor onsen bath, filled with the purest volcanic water, it’s intimate and secluded, surrounded by meadows and forests, and with some of Asia’s finest ski slopes on your doorstep.
Facilities
客室
Fifteen suites.
Checkout
11am, but flexible for a fee. Earliest check-in, 2pm, but flexible for free, if your room’s ready.
詳細
Rates include breakfast and dinner.
Also
Helping the chef with his foraging is Sato, a septuagenarian who has been studying what is and isn’t safe to eat from the wild since he was 20; he also helps out with hotel flower arrangements from his haul.
Hotel Closed
Occasionally in low season.
インターネット接続（無料）
ランドリー
ホテル内にレストランあり
スパ
At the Hotel
Free WiFi throughout, spring-water onsen baths, valet parking. In rooms: Apple TV, iPod dock, Bose sound system, Nespresso machine, locally made bath products and underfloor heating.
Our Favourite Rooms
For a traditional Japanese experience, book a Washitsu room, which come with typical futons, as opposed to Western-style beds. Some villas come with an extra tatami-mat room and can sleep four. The other major dilemma is whether you want to look out to the Hanazono forest or the nearby meadow…
Spa
There’s no spa, but each villa comes with two onsen baths (one inside, one out), filled with the purest, mineral-rich volcanic spring water.
Packing Tips
The region is famous for its ski resorts; since it snows every day for six months of the year, thermals will probably come in handy. Don’t forget your ski gear if you want to hit the slopes of Niseko, Japan’s most-prized piste.
Also
The villas have steps and so are not suited to wheelchair users.
子供
Under-3s stay free. Children aged three to five stay for JPY10,000 a night (includes children’s meals and bedding), or JPY6,000 if they share a bed with parents. Children from six to 12 stay for JPY20,000 a night (JPY30,000 if they want adult meals).
ギャラリー
Food & Drink
Top Table
Each table is private and intimate, with views of the forest, but ask to sit closest to the window so you can watch the local wildlife frolicking as you breakfast.
ドレスコード
Guests don’t have to worry about keeping up with the Joneses; a yukata robe is left in your room and you are strongly encouraged to wear it.
Hotel Restaurant
The chef cut his teeth at Japanese restaurants in Tokyo and New York, before returning to Hokkaido to helm the kitchen at Zaborin. Using ingredients from the forest and nearby lake that he’s picked and caught himself, a traditional kita kaiseki meal is served nightly – essentially a set menu, 11 courses long and changing with the local harvest. Breakfast is a similar affair, with vegetables picked that morning, fresh eggs and grilled fish.
Hotel Bar
There’s a candlelit library and lounge where pudding and tea is served post-kaiseki dinner. Settle by the fireplace and enjoy a local wine or sake from the cellar; or head back to your villa to raid your minibar’s Nikka whisky and Japanese craft beer selection.
Last Orders
Breakfast is served between 8am and 10am, and dinner between 6pm and 9pm. The bar opens at 6pm and calls time at 11pm.
Planes
The New Chitose International Airport is a two-hour drive from the hotel. For international travellers, connections are available through both of Tokyo’s airports (Haneda and Narita).
Trains
Kutchan station is closest, 20 minutes away by car; hotel transfers to and from this station are free. JR Rail operates services to this station from other Japanese cities, including Sapporo and Otaru on the coast.
Automobiles
Niseko is the nearest town, a 20-minute drive away. From the city of Sapporo, the drive will take around two hours. There’s free parking at the hotel and detailed driving instructions can be provided on request.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Japan’s most impressive piste is 20 minutes away by car in Niseko. Non-skiers can trek through the Hanazono forest, visit the Yoichi distillery to learn about all things Nikka whisky, or just stay at the hotel for a wine and sake tasting in its cellar or a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
