Hilton has marked a new chapter for its lifestyle portfolio in Japan with the opening of The Green Leaf Niseko Village, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, a design-led ski resort set at the base of Mount Niseko Annupuri in Hokkaido.

The launch brings the Tapestry Collection brand to Japan for the first time and places Hilton firmly in the heart of one of Asia’s most coveted winter sports destinations.

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Hilton’s Lifestyle Push Arrives on Niseko’s Slopes

The debut of Tapestry Collection in Japan comes as Hilton accelerates its lifestyle growth strategy across the country. The Green Leaf Niseko Village joins more than 180 Tapestry Collection properties worldwide, each curated to reflect a strong sense of place and an individual character rather than a standardized template. For Hilton, Niseko provides a fitting stage to introduce the brand to Japanese and international travelers seeking both design and authenticity.

Located within Niseko Village Ski Resort, the 200-room property is positioned as a seasonal winter retreat that opens in time for the region’s famed “White Season,” when deep powder snow and long ski days draw enthusiasts from around the globe. The hotel operates as a winter-only destination, underscoring its tight alignment with the rhythm of the ski calendar and the strong seasonality of Niseko’s tourism economy.

Hilton executives describe the launch as a strategic move that complements existing and upcoming lifestyle projects in the country. Alongside Canopy by Hilton Osaka Umeda and new Canopy properties slated for Okinawa and Tokyo, as well as an additional Curio Collection by Hilton expected to open in Kyoto by 2028, Tapestry Collection’s arrival in Niseko broadens the group’s footprint in Japan’s higher-end experience-led segment.

The opening also reflects surging international interest in Hokkaido’s alpine areas, particularly among travelers from North America, Australia and Southeast Asia, who increasingly see Niseko as a rival to established ski destinations in Europe and North America. By bringing a globally recognized lifestyle flag to the resort, Hilton is betting on sustained demand for upscale, design-forward accommodation that ties directly into the mountain environment.

A Ski-In, Ski-Out Sanctuary for the White Season

The Green Leaf Niseko Village sits at the foot of Mount Niseko Annupuri, offering direct ski-in, ski-out access to the Niseko Village Ski Resort. Guests can step out from the property straight onto some of the region’s signature runs, positioning the hotel as a convenient base for skiers and snowboarders chasing Hokkaido’s famously light powder snow.

More than a traditional ski hotel, the property has been conceived as a winter sanctuary where the snow-covered landscape shapes both the daily routine and interior mood. The hotel operates around the arc of a typical mountain day, encouraging early starts on the slopes, relaxed afternoons in the onsen or lounge, and social evenings anchored by dining and après-ski experiences.

Public spaces are framed by large windows that invite in the alpine scenery, while the surrounding pine forests and white-draped ridgelines set a backdrop that changes with light and snowfall. The flow between mountain and hotel is designed to be almost seamless, reinforcing the sense that the property is an extension of the natural terrain rather than an isolated building.

By focusing solely on the winter season, the hotel’s operation and services are tightly tailored to cold-weather needs, from drying and storage facilities for gear to menu planning and wellness offerings that prioritize recovery after a day in the snow. This winter-centric positioning differentiates The Green Leaf Niseko Village from many year-round resorts and supports its status as a specialist ski retreat.

Design Narrative Rooted in Nature and Craft

The interior design of The Green Leaf Niseko Village has been led by New York-based studio Champalimaud Design, known for creating narrative-rich spaces that respond to their surroundings. At Niseko, the studio has developed a visual story that draws on mountain forms, snow textures and the quiet atmosphere of a Hokkaido winter.

Natural materials are central to the design language, with wood, stone and textured fabrics chosen to echo the landscape outside while providing warmth and tactility indoors. The palette leans toward earthy and muted tones, allowing framed views of the snowfields and forest to stand out as living artworks. Sculptural lighting and subtle patterns reference snowdrifts, wind-scoured slopes and the vertical lines of trees in winter.

Public areas, including the lobby and lounge, are set up as social yet calming environments, with fireplaces, layered seating arrangements and soft lighting intended to envelop guests returning from the cold. The layout balances open-plan conviviality with smaller nooks, ensuring that both groups and solo travelers can find their preferred rhythm between interaction and privacy.

In guest rooms and suites, the design maintains a focus on calm, understated comfort rather than overt alpine clichés. The lines are clean, the furniture low-slung and functional, and the décor deliberately restrained, allowing handcrafted elements and artwork to carry the sense of place. Large windows frame either mountain or forest views, reinforcing the constant visual connection with Niseko’s winter scenery.

Art Collaborations Bring Niseko’s Winter Story Indoors

Art plays a central role in expressing the identity of The Green Leaf Niseko Village and in anchoring Tapestry Collection’s promise of locally inspired stays. The property showcases an extensive selection of works by Japanese painter Soichiro Tomioka, celebrated for his ethereal winter landscapes and his self-developed pigment known as “Tomioka White.”

Approximately 200 of Tomioka’s pieces are distributed across guest rooms and corridors, turning often-overlooked transit spaces into intimate galleries. His compositions capture the depth and luminosity of Japanese winter light, echoing the very conditions guests experience outside. The emphasis on a single artist’s exploration of snow and light helps unify the property’s visual narrative and underscores its winter-specific focus.

Another defining collaboration is with Sapporo-based artist and graphic designer Emi Shiratori, whose work brings a contemporary, playful layer to the hotel. Shiratori’s murals appear at the lobby entrance and spa façade, while her hand-drawn illustrations embellish guest room doors, ski lockers and printed materials throughout the property.

Many of her motifs draw on Niseko’s local wildlife and alpine flora, subtly weaving native species and regional references into the guest journey. Room keys, menus and personalized cards carry these designs, transforming functional objects into touchpoints of storytelling. During an earlier creative residency at the hotel, guests were able to watch Shiratori at work on site, further blurring the line between accommodation and cultural experience.

Rooms and Suites Tailored to the Mountain Lifestyle

The Green Leaf Niseko Village offers 200 guest rooms and suites designed with the specific needs of winter travelers in mind. Layouts are intentionally practical, with space for bulky outerwear and gear, while maintaining a refined, residential feel. Many rooms are oriented to maximize natural light in short winter days and to provide views over the slopes, village or forest.

Design details emphasize tactile comfort: upholstered headboards, layered bedding and soft rugs underfoot create a sense of retreat after time spent in boots and technical apparel. Natural textures are contrasted with modern lines, and subtle art pieces ensure that no two rooms feel entirely identical, in keeping with Tapestry Collection’s emphasis on individuality.

Suites offer expanded living space for families or groups traveling together, with separate seating areas that function as informal lounges or workspaces. These configurations are particularly attractive to guests planning longer stays, a growing trend among international skiers who use Niseko as a seasonal base.

Key features across the inventory include direct proximity to ski-in, ski-out access points, convenient circulation to the onsen and spa facilities, and integration with Hilton’s digital touchpoints. Hilton Honors members can use mobile technologies for check-in, digital keys and room selection, streamlining arrival and departure during often-busy peak weeks.

Culinary Experiences Framing the Après-Ski Ritual

Dining at The Green Leaf Niseko Village is tailored to the rhythms of a winter sports day, from early morning breakfasts to late-evening drinks by the fire. The hotel’s main restaurant, Goshiki, serves as the culinary hub, offering a mix of Japanese and Western dishes that leverage Hokkaido’s reputation for high-quality produce and seafood.

Breakfast service is structured to accommodate early risers heading straight to the lifts, with both seated options and grab-and-go formats available. Lunch features à la carte selections spanning comforting Western classics and Japanese favorites, attracting both in-house guests and skiers from the wider Niseko Village area. During key holiday periods, such as Christmas and New Year, buffet formats and live cooking stations emphasize shared celebration and variety.

In the evening, Goshiki transitions into an international buffet dinner setting, with stations that showcase regional ingredients alongside global flavors. The atmosphere shifts from the energy of returning skiers to a more relaxed, convivial mood, reinforcing the restaurant’s role as an anchor for social interaction and refueling after a day outdoors.

Crowning the hotel’s après-ski scene is the Tomioka White lobby lounge, a space centered around a signature fireplace and a full-service bar. Here, guests can warm up with coffee, sample cocktails and local brews, or enjoy light bites into the late evening. The lounge design encourages guests to linger, whether sharing stories from the slopes or winding down with a book in front of the fire.

Onsen and Spa Elevate Wellness on the Mountain

Wellness is a prominent part of the offering at The Green Leaf Niseko Village, anchored by an indoor-outdoor onsen that draws mineral-rich water from a natural hot spring source. The onsen features separate bathing areas for men and women, including an open-air rotenburo pool framed by natural rock and surrounded by snow-laden trees during the winter months.

Water emerges from the spring at more than 50 degrees Celsius before being cooled to a comfortable soaking temperature and continuously fed into the baths. The combination of steamy mineral waters and crisp mountain air offers a sensory contrast that is particularly valued by skiers using the onsen to relax muscles and recover between days on the mountain.

Complementing the baths, the hotel’s Juhyo Spa takes its name from the region’s iconic “snow monsters,” the heavily frosted trees that define parts of the Hokkaido landscape. Treatment menus blend Japanese hospitality sensibilities with European sports-science influences, emphasizing therapies aimed at easing tension, improving circulation and supporting athletic performance.

A compact but well-equipped fitness center rounds out the wellness facilities, giving guests an alternative way to stay active on days when weather conditions limit time on the slopes. Together, the onsen, spa and gym position the hotel as a comprehensive base not only for skiing but for broader winter wellbeing.

Niseko’s Evolving Appeal and Hilton’s Long-Term Bet

The opening of The Green Leaf Niseko Village, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, arrives at a moment when Niseko’s international profile is still on the rise. Once a niche destination primarily known to regional ski enthusiasts, the area has steadily gained recognition for its reliable powder, modern lift infrastructure and expanding mix of high-end accommodation and dining.

Air access to Hokkaido through New Chitose Airport has improved in recent years, and ongoing investment by both domestic and international hospitality groups points to confidence in the resort’s long-term prospects. For Hilton, situating its first Japanese Tapestry Collection property in Niseko signals a belief that demand for differentiated, locally grounded experiences will continue to grow alongside traditional ski volume.

The project also strengthens Hilton’s brand presence across Japan’s key tourism corridors, adding a northern mountain hub to a portfolio that already spans major cities and resort areas. For travelers, it translates into greater choice at the upper-midscale and lifestyle tiers, and into a more diversified accommodation mix in Niseko, where condominium-style units and luxury chalets have often dominated the narrative.

As winter travelers increasingly look for destinations that combine outdoor adventure with design, culture and wellness, Hilton’s move in Niseko positions Tapestry Collection as a bridge between global brand standards and the specific character of Hokkaido’s White Season. The Green Leaf Niseko Village now stands as both a new ski resort option and a marker of how international hospitality players are reshaping Japan’s alpine landscape.