HelperElfMissy 42 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Some of the houses being built down there are pretty schmick though. The Hirafu houses are pretty nice on the inside, but the offerings by Canandian homes are just pure unadulterated luxury! I don't think the south of seicomart rule will apply for long ...just look at other ski resorts around the world - that immediate proximity is always highly sought after, but beneath the seicomart is not far by european standards. Link to post Share on other sites
tripitaka 0 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 It still surprises me that people will pay that much in Hirafu, particularly over the whole season. I always thought people with that kind of money would want to be in Aspen or Vail. There can't be that many places in Hirafu to be seen in your mink coat!! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 it's not that kind of place. It's more rigby shirts and jeans walking up and down the hill. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Originally Posted By: thursday. it's not that kind of place. It's more rigby shirts and jeans walking up and down the hill. Its new money eh? :turnsupnosesmiley: Link to post Share on other sites
tripitaka 0 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Western Australian mining or property bubble money, perhaps? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 LOL! Different kind of clientel! I would rather have the space/weight in my bag taken up by my board, boots and helmet, than a mink coat and heels! However I suppose the Aspen crew don't balk at paying 10x the price for flying business/first and therefore getting a bigger luggage allowance!! It is definitely welly boots, jeans and skijacket - even the basic smarter clothes I wore in Tokyo stayed in the suitcase in Niseko. Link to post Share on other sites
tripitaka 0 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Well Mama if I was paying $1000 a night, I'd probably feel a bit short-changed if I didn't get a bit of glamour served on the side. I defintely wouldn't want to spend the evening looking for an ATM or battling drunks in an izakaya!! Just as well my reality's a little more modest. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Originally Posted By: tripitaka I defintely wouldn't want to spend the evening looking for an ATM or battling drunks in an izakaya!! Just as well my reality's a little more modest. your imagination aint. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 When they clear the ****ing pavements then perhaps people will wear shoes Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Originally Posted By: MikePow When they clear the ****ing pavements then perhaps people will wear shoes True! As for glamour ... ya know I reckon that is quite overrated. Although I am looking forward to a triste to HK in a lovely hotel suite that is offering "bath menu's" ... now that is my kind of glam - a scented, rose petal filled bath, glass of champers and the hubby. Stuff the heels, mink, and as for the Dom - I'll take mine in that bath! Link to post Share on other sites
tripitaka 0 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Originally Posted By: thursday. Originally Posted By: tripitaka I defintely wouldn't want to spend the evening looking for an ATM or battling drunks in an izakaya!! Just as well my reality's a little more modest. your imagination aint. True. OTOH, anyone paying that much money has got rocks in their head. Link to post Share on other sites
poach-ninja 0 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Or just way too much money and doesn't care Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 This just in. Kind of explains why so many Australians vaction here and have bought second homes here: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23559889-1702,00.html Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 That price will kill growth. There has to be a happy medium when it comes to pricing. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 In some respects, Hirafu doesn't need growth (read volume). Well not until the mountain gets its act together. Lower prices = more people visiting = more people on the slopes = more queues + less fresh tracks Which in time will send people away from this area because the things they come for they can't get. Taking a leaf out of Deer Valley's (Utah, USA) book would be a wise move IMHO. They limit the number of day tickets sold each day to manage the skier to terrain ratio. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 deer valley charges a fortune though and they own most of the hotels and etc around the resort. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Less than the AUS resorts if the link I posted is accurate. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Interesting article! I knew Aussie prices were among the most expensive in the world, but you shake your head when you see it listed with all those big names way down the list!! As for Aussie lift prices - they can charge what they like - there is very little in the way of snowfields in Aus, and a huge number of people hoping to enjoy them in the relatively short season. Getting accomodation less than 3 months out is next to impossible .... We are still going this year, depsite being 'spoiled by Japan Pow' the lure of a week on a board is just too great - and it is our home country... I suppose it is the old thing of competition bringing lower prices. If Grand Hirafu suddenly upped thier prices to Aussie levels then many people would just visit one of the other Japow resorts. Link to post Share on other sites
lin 0 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 2008 lift prices (A$) $98 Perisher Blue $97 Thredbo $94 Falls Creek $94 Mt Buller $94 Mt Hotham $92 Vail (USA) $91 Alta Snowbird (USA) $85 Deer Valley (USA) $85 Whistler (Canada) $77 St Moritz (Switz) $74 Mt Hutt (NZ) $72 Val D’Isere (France) $71 Arlberg (Austria) $66 Klosters (Switz) $56 Niseko (Japan) $48 Hakuba 47 (Japan) (15/04/2008 exchange rates, rounded to nearest A$) Very interesting. The more expensive the less snow! Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Tickets are but one source of revenue for the resort. Deer valley owns many of the hotels or has stakes in them. Look at the prices they are quite high. You wont see a mid level earner at DV unless they really really want to ski there. http://www.deervalley.com/vacation_planning/lodging.html Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 But Deer Valley is priced comparably to the other resorts in the valley - Park City and The Canyons - but offers far more IMHO. And the Niseko area could do a lot worse than copy the Deer Valley model - great terrain, great snow, great grooming, excellent service. Let the masses go to the bigger areas on Honshu. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Im not talking Niseko right now. I dont think the prices are in line with the other resorts in the area they are slightly higher. That and the fact that they own lots of lodges there insure that the profits go directly to the resort. The Golf courses there are top notch too! Talking Niseko now. I bet you will see 100 or more new apartments this season. Looking at the net shows more and more sales. TorF? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 it's ridiculous. The number of apartments going up and the infrastructure hardly changing. Where the hell are you supposed to eat? Self catering is not an option. You can do that at home. When you're in Niseko, you're on holiday and that doesn't include grocery shopping, cooking, and washing up. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 The lift ticket prices are practically the same. Accommodation is more but not by much and there is lots of expensive accommodation and housing at Park City and The Canyons. Costs on the hill - food & beverage - are practically the same too. Re: Niseko area There is accommodation owned by the resort. This appeals more to the domestic market. And the resort owners have not participated in the building boom to their loss. I know they've been burned before and they've still missed the boat. Taking my profession as an example there are no restrictions to people instructing on the mountain and individuals/companies don't have to pay a fee to the resort owners. This is a huge mistake IMHO. There will be development this summer in time for next winter and practically all of it is financed by overseas money. TofF? No idea what this means Thursday, This has happened because the local government has not stepped in to encourage commercial zoning and reduced rents for commercial enterprises. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Originally Posted By: thursday. it's ridiculous. The number of apartments going up and the infrastructure hardly changing. Where the hell are you supposed to eat? Self catering is not an option. You can do that at home. When you're in Niseko, you're on holiday and that doesn't include grocery shopping, cooking, and washing up. It did for me - for at least 50% of our meals. We still ate out, but having 6 in our family - 14 in our group ...bookings needed to be made well in advance. And in the cases of some of the kids (not usually mine) the food on offer did not appeal, so they had to be fed at home afterwards anyway. We were not keen on eating out for breakfast - a quick cook up of bacon and eggs before dawn fuelled the family for a fun day out. We would always eat lunch on the mountain. After a long day on the hill the kids were tired - they wanted to have a soak in a hot bath with lots of bubble, slip into warm trackies or PJ's, watch a dvd and have Mum cook up a big Pasta. Every 3rd night we would drag them out for a meal at a different eatery. Link to post Share on other sites
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