TLDR
Key Takeaways
- Fenix Furano is a luxury condominium-style hotel located in the Kitanomine area, providing easy access to skiing and summer alpine activities.
- The hotel features modern suites with rustic furnishings, equipped kitchenettes, and luxurious bathrooms, ideal for families or groups.
- Breakfast at Fenix Furano offers Western and Japanese options, with a self-serve beverage bar.
- Visitors can explore Furano’s flower fields, participate in the Hokkai Heso Festival, and enjoy local attractions like the Shirogane Blue Pond and Furano Winery.
- Fenix Furano makes a great base for outdoor adventures, though renting a car is recommended for exploration.
Hokkaido is Japan’s northernmost island and the breadbasket of the country. Renowned for its fresh produce and culinary delights, the territory also boasts vast wilderness and a cool climate, making it a favourite for adventure travel. Home to many world-class ski resorts, Hokkaido is usually a top destination in wintertime, but Fenix Furano offers a cooler alternative for travellers visiting in summer.
Design & Interiors
About 2 hours from New Chitose Airport by car, Fenix Furano is a luxury condominium-style hotel resort located in the Kitanomine area of the Furano Valley. Across the street from Kitanomine Gondola, this serviced apartment complex is extremely well-placed for ski-in ski-out access in winter. In summer, it serves as a good base for a wide range of alpine activities offered in the area.
Built in 2020, Fenix Furano is managed by The Luxe Nomad, one of Asia’s largest luxury vacation rental and property management companies.
Our stay at Fenix Furano was spent between two connecting rooms styled as a two-bedroom premier suite, featuring separate bedrooms and bathrooms across adjoining hotel rooms. One unit was a smaller, more intimate master-bedroom suite with a full bath, while the connecting unit featured a spacious living area, a kitchenette, a tatami-style bedroom, and a larger bathroom.
Fenix Furano leans into rustic modern furnishings; warm wooden tones throughout, paired with large windows that let in plenty of natural light. The rooms also weave in elements of traditional Japanese design, best seen in the intricately woven tatami floors and sliding washi paper screens of the bedroom space.
The king-sized beds were plush, comfortable, and fully equipped with bedside power ports for all our charging needs. Having a large living area with a smart TV allowed for evening downtime after a day out.
The second unit’s kitchenette was equipped with an induction stove, oven, toaster, full-sized fridge, rice cooker, and even a Nespresso coffee machine, with pods replenished whenever the room was serviced. Dining utensils, pots, pans, and serving ware were stored in cabinets and drawers, while one alcove held an all-in-one washer-dryer, making these suites well suitable for longer-term stays.
The bathrooms were stylish and modern, with the second unit featuring a full-sized tub for enjoying a long, relaxing soak. Both suites featured rain-style shower heads and heated towel racks for drying off damp towels quickly and keeping them toasty year-round.
Breakfast at Fenix Furano
Fenix Furano also hosts a small restaurant on the first floor, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfasts are shokudo-style (set meals), coming in either Western or Japanese options depending on the day. A self-serve beverage bar offers coffee, tea, juices, and milk. Western-style breakfasts feature corn or potato potage, salad, some locally made pork sausages, scrambled eggs, and croissants. Japanese-style breakfasts offer rice, a slice of grilled Hokkaido salmon, a variety of sides, fruit slices, and miso soup.
What to do in Furano this summer
Furano is situated in the heart of Hokkaido, in a valley surrounded by the Tokachi and Yubari mountain ranges. Because of this, the locals call the city affectionately as the “navel” of Hokkaido. Each summer, the area holds the Hokkai Heso Festival, with light-hearted belly-dancing parades, food stalls, and carnival games. The greater Furano area is divided into four districts: Furano City, Nakafurano, Kamifurano, and Biei. Fenix Furano is located just west of Furano City centre, a short 4km (9-min drive) from JR Furano Station.
A visit to the Flower Fields
Furano is renowned for its numerous flower fields, located mostly in Nakafurano and ranging outwards into Kamifurano and Biei. Some of the most notable fields are Farm Tomita (about 11km, or a 20-min drive, from Fenix Furano), Flower Land Kamifurano (21km, 30-min drive), and Shikisai-no-oka (30km, 40-min drive). Lavender, a dry and temperate plant, thrives in the region, and is the official town flower and symbol for the entire valley. The best time to visit the flower fields is between July and September, as lavender peaks from mid-July through early August. Even so, a range of other blossoms, including marigolds, sunflowers, zinnias, poppies, and snapdragons, can also be seen during this time.
Take a hot air balloon ride
In the summertime, hot air balloon rides are another way to take in the views of Furano’s vast countryside. The meeting point for this adventure is just down the street from Fenix Furano, so it’s an easy add-on for guests staying at the hotel. Though the aircraft is tethered to the ground, it still manages an altitude of six storeys (roughly 30m). While it doesn’t go high enough to grant views of the flower fields, it still provides a wide 360° panorama of the surrounding mountains!
Hot air balloon flights take place in the mornings between 6am to 7am in fair weather while evening flights are available between 6:30pm to 7pm. For more information, visit asobiya-summer.rezio.shop.
Visit the Shirogane Blue Pond
One famous sight in the Biei region is the Shirogane Blue Pond. Just 40–45km (a 45-min drive) from the hotel, and set amidst a beautiful white birch forest, Shirogane Pond is known for its striking cobalt-blue water, coloured by minerals from the Shirahige Waterfall just upstream. A man-made body of water, Shirogane Pond was an accidental by-product of construction work on the nearby dam, which was built to protect the area from volcanic mudflows after the 1988 eruption of Mount Tokachi. Even so, the contrast of the aquamarine waters against the surrounding greenery was striking.
Shop the local cheese at Furano Cheese Factory
Given Hokkaido’s reputation as the premier dairy region of Japan, Furano is highly esteemed for its cheese. The Furano Cheese Factory lets visitors observe how the local camembert-type cheese is produced. Located about 5km from the hotel (an 8-min drive), the factory has a restaurant that serves authentic Neapolitan pizza made with local mozzarella, plus a gelateria selling soft-serve ice cream and gelato made with locally sourced ingredients. The factory offers workshops where you can experience making butter, ice cream, and cheese. Afterwards, shop their local specialties: squid ink camembert, red wine cheddar, and a range of cheesecakes in various styles.
Join free wine tastings at Furano Winery
The Furano Basin shares a similar climate and topography with renowned European wine regions, which inspired locals to attempt wine making back in 1972. Using a blend of local Furano grapes and varieties imported from France and Germany, Furano Winery has spent decades refining their brewing and fermentation techniques. The winery now produces ten styles of white wines, three distinct rosés, nine reds, and even an additive-free, unfiltered grape juice made from 100% Furano grapes. Free wine tastings are available, and tours of the facility grant a peek at the production process and aging cellars where each wine is stored to mature. The winery is just 4km from Fenix Furano, or a 9-min drive.
Everyone knows Sapporo has Japan’s oldest brewing company, but if you’re a fan of craft beers, there are many smaller-scale breweries in Hokkaido, too. Furano is home to two that are locally famous: Nakafurano Brewery and Hop Kotan Brewing. Nakafurano is known for their hoppy IPAs, while Hop Kotan offers pilsners, pale ales, and a unique fruit ale. These brews and more can be found at local convenience stores and supermarkets throughout the Furano area.
Final Thoughts
Fenix Furano offers both common spaces and privacy, making this holiday accommodation a solid base for family travel or trips with friends. While Furano lies on a flat and walkable plain, due to its size and rural character of the area, it is best traversed by car. Luckily, parking is free at the hotel for guests, and at most places in the city it can be found at relatively low cost. Car rentals can be found near JR Furano Station or at New Chitose Airport.
For more information on Fenix Furano or to book a stay, visit theluxenomad.com.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Fenix Furano is about 2 hours from New Chitose Airport by car, located in the Kitanomine area of the Furano Valley.
The flower fields around Furano are in bloom from July through September, with lavender peaking from mid-July through early August.
Yes. The two-bedroom premier suites include a kitchenette with an induction stove, oven, fridge, rice cooker, and Nespresso machine, making them suitable for longer stays.
Furano is best explored by car given its rural layout, though car rentals are available near JR Furano Station and New Chitose Airport for guests without their own transport.
Yes. Its two-bedroom suites offer separate bedrooms and bathrooms with a shared living area, making it a practical option for families or groups travelling together.