Niseko is now equipped with the very best chairlifts and gondola cars in the world as Hanazono opens for the 2021/21 season today.
Hanazono President Colin Hackworth says the POMA 10-person Hanazono Symphony Gondola and 6-person Hanazono Lift One are the best money can buy – “the Ferrari of chairlifts”.
”There is no higher-spec chair or gondola car in the world
Colin HackworthHanazono Ski Resort President
Bubble Hood
Stay warm and dry on the way back up
Leather Seats
Designed with automotive-industry expertise
Heated Seats
The ultimate in chairlift luxury – warmth for your posterior
Individual Suspension
For totally smooth transition across over lift towers
“It’s a bit like buying a European car – you get the bare bones to start with at a base price, then you build on all the options.
“We optioned up as much as we could.”
Designed with automotive-industry expertise, seats are heated and covered with genuine leather, while each chair and car has its own individual suspension system ensuring a totally smooth transition over lift towers.
Panorama windows allow for better views and photo opportunities from inside the gondola cars too.
Fat-Ski Friendly
Wide enough for the fattest powder ski
Panorama Windows
Better views and better photo opps
Ultra Spacious
Huge cabin interior for comfort and ease of access
Photo Midtown Niseko
The new chairs are on the Hanazono Lift One which has been totally rebuilt, and the gondola cars are on a new lift line that has opened up a whole new slope for beginners.
The lifts are part of Hanazono’s grand $600 million masterplan, which includes the resort’s centrepiece Park Hyatt Hotel and branded residences.
A further expansion of the lift network is also planned with a 2km gondola to carry skiers across to adjacent Mt Weiss, which Hanazono also owns and currently operates cat skiing on.
All-Season Gondola & Lift Official Opening
The lifts were officially unveiled at a gala Opening Ceremony at Hanazono on November 30.
In introducing the new lifts, Hackworth emphasised they would not be just for skiing – they would provide experiences for visitors year-round.
”We have not just built 'ski lifts' – these are 'wonder lifts', specifically designed and built to deliver wonderful experiences for people across every season of the year.
“Our entire Hanazono project, of which these lifts are a part, will sit in perfect harmony with the four seasons of Niseko.
“It brings night skiing to Hanazono for the first time, it delivers Niseko’s best beginner experience with perfect terrain and a perfect lift to ride to the top.
“And most importantly, it delivers the first stage of what we hope will be an extension of the Hanazono ski field to Weiss Mountain.
“Next green season we will be operating Hanazono Lift One as an access lift to one of the largest zipline networks in the world, including the longest zipline in Asia, the ‘Black Diamond Superfly’.
“We will also be operating the Symphony Gondola at night to deliver guests to the top of our ‘Mountain Lights’ exhibition, a 1.3km ribbon of magic, with 180,000 points of light, designed by the world-famous artist Bruce Munro. These are indeed ‘wonder lifts’ for all seasons.”
Photos Aaron Jamieson
Hackworth said there was still much more to come in the evolution of Hanazono.
“These two magnificent, bright and shiny new ski lifts you see outside are yet another grand step forward in the delivery of our plan to you.
“Today you are seeing not the end of a plan, but the continuing evolution of a plan.
“We have always said, right from the very start, that we would deliver products, services and development of the highest quality. And here we are today delivering yet again on that promise, and with more to come.”
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