Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, Japan
Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, gets more snow than any ski destination in the world. Fittingly, it played host to the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympic Games. It is also one of the hotbeds of Japan’s gourmet scene, famous for its seafood, Wagyu beef, dairy products and is home to multiple whisky, beer, sake and craft gin producers. Fortunately, skiing and all of these local specialties—as well as first-rate golf in the summertime—pair perfectly with cigars.
Japan is at the top of bucket list destinations for avid skiers and snowboarders. Niseko is the nation’s most popular resort. But in an area full of great restaurants, shopping and lodging, only the new ski-in/ski-out Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono has a cigar lounge.
The Bar & Cigar Lounge, with its living-room feel in the middle of the ground floor, is the heart and soul of the resort. The bar is split into two sections: one with a parlor vibe and live music most nights; the other houses its towering shelves filled with premium spirits products including about three dozen coveted Japanese whiskies that are so popular they have become hard to find even in Japan.
The Cigar Lounge is an intimate enclave adjoining the bar with comfy leather armchairs surrounding cocktail tables. A floor-to-ceiling glass humidor takes up one wall. The bulk of the lengthy menu hails from Havana, with entire pages devoted to Cohiba, Montecristo, Hoyo de Monterrey, Partagás and Romeo y Julieta, along with off-menu additions such as Trinidad.
The vibe is relaxed, welcoming and fun. The bar has twice daily half-price happy hours as well as a two-hour, all-you-can-drink Gin & Tonic session—“Gin O’Clock”—featuring dozens of craft gins.
Guests have a choice of nine different bars and restaurants, serving just 100 oversized luxe guestrooms (starting at $1,370). The hotel also has an extensive spa, Japanese hot spring baths (called onsens), state-of-the-art fitness center and more.
In warmer weather, the Park Hyatt also operates the golf clubhouse and the cigar-friendly Hanazono Golf sits immediately outside its doors, with stay-and-play packages. Mountain Lights, a nearly mile-long summertime installation on the ski slopes, delights guests who view it from a gondola ride. There are few more interesting places to enjoy a smoke.
