Comments by Allan Young

Hi my family and I stayed for two weeks at Youtei Townhouses in January 2007, they are great.  We were looking for a comfortable unit away from the crowds but we also needed to be able to access the mountain and its facilities easily.

Youtei fitted the bill perfectly, each morning we were driven to the resort of our choice, Hirafu, Annupuri or Higashiyama.  then when we wanted a lift home we just phoned the driver and he arrived shortly after to pick us up.  We were also driven to Niseko and Kutchan townships on a couple of days when we took a break from the skiing.  In the evenings we were driven into Hirafu or Niseko where we had our meals, we were provided with a great restaurant guide which made picking where to eat easy. 

Youtei Townhouses are located in a quiet street just off the main road that runs between Hirafu and Higashiyama, its about 2/3 of the way from Hirafu to Higashiyama.  The area is beautiful with a few residential homes and commercial units and wide open snow covered areas with trees making taking a morning walk very relaxing.  The units balcony overlooks Mt Youtei which is amazing when it pops out from behind the clouds. 

Downstairs the units have two nice bedrooms, our kids shared one and we had the other, we had a three way bathroom which is very hard to find in Japan and there is a drying and ski storage room.  Upstairs you have one large open plan room with a lounge and kitchen, the kitchen is well appointed so you can pick up some shopping in town and do your own breakfasts and some evening meals if you like.  All of the TV in Japan is in Japanese and there are no English sub titles so the DVD player was great, we took a heap of DVD's to play in the evenings

Youtei wont suit everyone, its quiet and a little isolated but it is perfect for families with kids and for those looking to get away from the noise of Hirafu. 

I would stay there again

Allan Young

ASB Alpine