MY DAUGHTER AND I were due for our annual girls’ trip, so when Club Med Kiroro Grand came up, our attention was piqued. A Club Med? We hadn’t been to one before. In the past, a family ski trip to Hokkaido automatically meant Niseko, as we are unabashed Niseko-lovers. Every season she beckons, and despite the intention to explore farther afield, we remain firmly ensconced in her bosom, discovering old loves and new. But now we had a call to explore the Hokkaido ski resort of Kiroro Grand in Akaigawa prefecture, a region of the island unknown to us.
The two-hour bus journey to the resort from New Chitose Airport flashed by as we gazed out at the white landscape. Mid-December and the snow was already thick—we were told that we were lucky, as just the week before, grass had still been visible underfoot. Now, fat flakes fell in frenzied flurries, and wouldn’t stop for the five nights we were there.
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The Club Med valley
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A Family Superior Room
Club Med Kiroro Grand (prices fluctuate, so check the website) launched in December 2023 with 266 rooms across Superior, Deluxe and Suite categories. On paper, it’s the perfect Hokkaido ski trip, with everything you need supplied onsite.
The contemporary design of the resort is inspired by alpine forests, evident in the spacious and comfortable twin-bedded Superior room that we checked into. A wardrobe suitable for one’s ever-expanding winter wear, a separate bath, a standalone WC, and a humidifier completed the space. Shortly after arrival, we changed into our waterproof gear, then headed downstairs to “test” the snow.
Snowballs and angels ticked off the list, we got our things ready for the slopes the next day. Conveniently, ski passes and lessons are part of the Club Med cost of entry, along with meals, entertainment and kids’ club, with activities for toddlers up to teens. (Ski and snowboard rentals are extra.)
That evening, we feasted at the resort’s main restaurant, Yoichi, helping ourselves from its various open kitchens. Hokkaido snow crab legs were cracked, roasts dressed, and pastas twirled, alongside Asian noodle bowls, classic Japanese chirashi, a variety of salads, desserts, pull-your-own soft- serves, and everything in between.
Post dinner, we gathered at The Theatre, where the talented Club Med cast of “G.O.s” (Gentle Organizers) entertained us with music, dance and acrobatics. I believe it was at this point that I lost my enthralled eight-year-old to Club Med. The next morning, we had our sole civilised breakfast of the trip before I saw her off at the Mini Club, where she joined her ski group and promptly made friends.
For the rest of our ‘family’ ski trip, I saw my daughter only after 5 p.m. (Mini Club break). We’d get ready for dinner together, then she would disappear halfway through (to get the best seats for the performance) and dance the night away with nine-year-old Eden from Yokohama (while mama acquainted herself with the bar selections) before collapsing into bed at 10:30 p.m., then sleeping til 8:45 a.m., rushing off for the day’s ski lessons, munching on a cobbled-together minibar breakfast on the elevator ride down. And repeat. Abandoned, I would nurse a coffee, then make my way out to discover the ski runs of Kiroro.
The area is said to have an average snowfall of 21 metres—more than Niseko—due to its more northern location. And how glorious they were! Wide, sweeping slopes of that fresh, fluffy Hokkaido powder. Narrow, winding paths through fairy-tale forests, the branches frosted like glass witches’ fingers. Gliding down the slopes, I was startled at the revelation: suddenly I had time to for me, to think, to dream.
For lunch at Yoichi I’d opt for the local specialty of the day, such as my favorite Hokkaido soup curry. Some cheese and a mulled wine and I’d hit the slopes again, with fleeting glimpses of my offspring as her ski group darted by.
There were other activities of course: daily onsen soaks to calm the muscles after skiing; an afternoon in Otaru for some sightseeing; a trek through the countryside on horseback; a steamy hotpot feast at The Ogon.
What stayed with me most was the sheer ease of the Club Med experience, having it all taken care of: meals, ski passes, equipment, entertainment. It was a Hokkaido ski trip with zero fuss. As someone who has planned family ski holidays a dozen times, this is unparalleled convenience, especially travelling with (or, some days it felt more like near) one’s kids.
The other thing that stuck: those beautiful, uncrowded Kiroro slopes. I began dreaming up our return to Club Med Kiroro Grand almost as soon as we left.
www.clubmed.com.au/r/kiroro-grand
Images courtesy of Club Med Kiroro Grand, unless otherwise noted.
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
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