Zaborin
B · 7.9 / 10right inn, right place
Zaborin has been Niseko's established luxury ryokan since 2015, with fantastic hardware, two onsen baths in every room and a loyal following, and the three guests who reviewed it here enjoyed it, one calling it a contender for KI-NRT's top ten. But the food and service reports have turned mixed, founder Shouya Grigg now calls neighbouring Shiguchi the ryokan he always wanted to make, and the most recent visitor, who did both back-to-back, would give a single Niseko night to Shiguchi.
Scores
Food 4 / 5
Dinner is mostly traditional kaiseki, and there is a private meal at an irori hearth that cristmh found very unique. Reports differ by year. cristmh had incredible food in 2019, Fliar excellent food in autumn 2024, and mattjp in 2025 got a meal that was perfectly fine and not particularly memorable next to the terrific modern tasting menu at Shiguchi next door. KI-NRT has heard mixed reports on the food from Japanese travellers.
Bath 4.5 / 5
Every room has two gensen kakenagashi onsen baths, real source-fed hot spring water flowing through, one indoors and one outside on the spacious deck, so you bathe without leaving your room. cristmh called the rooms with their indoor and outdoor onsens amazing, and Fliar singled the two baths out as well.
Service 3.5 / 5
Service is the weak point. Fliar found the staff very good and mattjp had no particular misses, but housekeeping did not impress Fliar, and mattjp found the service at Shiguchi next door meaningfully better. luckypeach skipped a planned 2020 stay after Japanese reviewers reported a service drop with pandemic staff turnover, and says it was never celebrated for service anyway, with check-in at a lobby counter and nobody walking you to your room.
Room 4.5 / 5
The rooms are the strongest thing here, amazing in cristmh's words and very spacious at around 120 square metres with a large deck, and mattjp, who stayed at Zaborin and Shiguchi on consecutive nights, gave Zaborin a slight edge on hard product. Fliar's one gripe was a living room too sparse even by minimalist Japanese standards, where some ikebana or a few art works would not have gone amiss. luckypeach calls the hardware fantastic.
Place 3.5 / 5
Zaborin is a very modern build in the Niseko countryside at Kutchan, designed by the Sapporo architect Makoto Nakayama with founder Shouya Grigg, understated and beautiful, though mattjp found it quite hotel-like beside Shiguchi, which looks as if it had stood there for 50 years. The location is beautiful, and the approach from Chitose passes through the national park, which Fliar enjoyed for the autumn colours even though the road was very busy.
Getting there
- New Chitose — 2h, 0 transfers. ~2 hr by car/private transfer from New Chitose Airport (CTS) due west to Niseko.
- Sapporo — 2h30, 0 transfers. ~2.5 hr by car from Sapporo (or rail to Kutchan + 15 min drive).
Sources
FlyerTalk review by cristmh #189 · FlyerTalk review by Fliar #421 · FlyerTalk review by mattjp #574 · Ikyu 4.13 / 5 · #73 · #485 · #792 (thread mentions)