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.
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.
