We stayed at the Hirafutei from 14th-21st Feb 2011, so 7 nights. Staff seemed friendly enough, and would always try their best to help.
The location is perfect, you just nip out the back of the hotel, down a walk way to the locker rooms, which seem very new, and then out onto the family run, which takes you to a run that connects you the one of the main lifts.
We stayed in a traditional Japanese room, which was very pokey and small, and the beds are roll out matts, and they aren't very comfortable, especially if you're staying for 7 nights.
We booked a room with an onsen. It was nice to get into (it's a hot spring bath type set up), although it's quite small, so you would struggle to get 2 adults in there at one time. And it was so hot, that you couldn't stay in there for long anyway.
The hotel seems to attract groups of school kids, which makes the hotel quite busy at times.
The buffet breakfast was ok, although alot of it was Japanees style food, which is quite unusual to the western pallete.
We paid about $400-$500 per night there, i can't exactly remember. Which is alot, especially for a place where you sleep on the floor and your beds get rolled away to be able to use the living style area.
Were from Melbourne, Australia and would recommend any westerners to stay somewhere with actual beds and modern facilities. If i come back to Niseko i will definitely be staying at the Alpen Ridge, which are band new apartments, just down from the Prince, and they are in a perfect location too, ski in and ski out.
Also i would book direct with Ski Japan, they are fantastic and have a office in town to help with any enquiry.
I don't have any pics to put on, but all the ones that are already on here are a true indication of the hotel.
I hope my review has been help full.
- Prince Hotel Kutchan Cho
