Hotel Naturwald Furano

Rooms and decor

Walk into Hotel Naturwald Furano for the first time and you hit a small lobby as warm as a timber cabin in the woods — dark wood tones, beige-and-brown fabrics, a mock fireplace and a sofa corner to settle into before check-in. The 70 rooms, renovated in 2019, come in several layouts: double, twin, Japanese tatami, and the family rooms for 3 to 5 people that are the hotel's signature. Family rooms come both as Western setups with three beds and as Japanese-Western rooms that pair sprung beds with a tatami zone laid with futons — kids lounge on the mats, adults take the beds. Bathrooms are standard Japanese with a small tub. Plenty of reviews praise rooms as cleaner and bigger than expected, with soft, comfortable beds; many open onto forest and mountain views, and some look straight out at the Kitanomine ski runs. A few corners still feel a little old-Japan rather than sharply modern, but that's part of the cabin warmth that suits the snow.

Food and amenities

The highlight here is the Tsurugaike onsen, with outdoor and indoor baths separated by gender — clean, clear hot-spring water at just the right temperature, in a quiet, uncrowded space. Reviewers say a soak after skiing or a lavender-field walk is deeply relaxing, and in winter the outdoor bath frames light snow settling on the surrounding trees. Families who'd rather skip the shared pools can book a private bath. The breakfast buffet is another strong point, leaning hard on Hokkaido produce — fresh vegetables, salmon, local milk and yogurt, cheese from a Furano dairy, fresh-baked bread — alongside a full run of hot Japanese and Western dishes, made-to-order omelettes, hot ramen and Japanese sweets. Reviews call it good value and a kid-pleaser. Service is where families are most impressed: staff speak English and Chinese, look after kids with free high chairs and extra mattresses, and help arrange tours and restaurant tips. The hotel also runs a free shuttle to JR Furano station and the ski slope in winter, keeps a ski-storage room and boot warmer downstairs, and has its own Japanese restaurant serving evening sets built on local produce.

Location and getting there

Hotel Naturwald Furano sits in the Kitanomine zone, on the main-gondola side of the Furano ski area, just a 5-minute walk from the Kitanomine Gondola station. That setup suits skiers who don't want to pay Fenix Furano rates but still want to walk to the lift rather than wait on a shuttle from town. The walk is a slight uphill that can turn slippery in winter, so pack shoes with grip; the hotel's ground-floor ski storage and boot warmer let you drop gear before heading up. The town centre and JR Furano station are about a 5-minute drive — close, but not walkable — so getting into town or onto a train means the hotel's limited free shuttle or a short, inexpensive taxi. There's no convenience store or restaurant right by the hotel; the nearest is a 10-minute walk. For summer, Tomita Farm is about 15 minutes by car, or you can ride the train to Naka-Furano station and walk if you're not driving. From Asahikawa Airport (AKJ) it's roughly 1 hour by car, or a bus to JR Asahikawa and a train down to JR Furano.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, design and newness — despite the 2019 renovation, the building and some corners still read as older-Japan rather than current-boutique. If you want something newer and more design-led, Hotel Munin Furano (8.8) or Furano Natulux (8.7) suit better. Second, the surroundings — with no convenience store or restaurant nearby, you'll lean on the in-house options or a shuttle or taxi into town, which won't suit anyone who likes late-night snack runs. Third, booking — in winter peak the family rooms are the hardest to get and need 3 to 4 months lead time at minimum, and the summer high season (July) fills fast too, so plan seriously ahead. At this price several rivals stand out; if you're comparing a few places, look at Hotel Munin Furano for its Nordic design and higher score.

Our take

After reading through a stack of real guest reviews, Hotel Naturwald Furano is a family hotel that sells "roomy family rooms, close to the Kitanomine Gondola, warm service" with full confidence. If the trip in your head is staying with a family of four or five in one room, walking to the ski gondola in 5 minutes, then coming back to soak in the outdoor onsen and eat a good Hokkaido buffet, this is about as neat a fit as it gets — best for families traveling with kids and anyone who wants that timber-cabin-in-the-forest warmth. But if you're after sharp modern-boutique design, condo-hotel-sized rooms, or a convenience store at the door, the older-Japan feel and out-of-town location may not be the answer — look at Hotel Munin Furano (Nordic boutique) or Furano Natulux (right at JR station) instead. Overall we give it 8.3/10 for a warm, good-value family hotel that delivers for ski families.