Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening

Fairmont is opening its second Japanese hotel in Niseko, and the 165-room resort will rise on one of the town's most talked-about stalled development sites.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, part of Accor, announced the signing of Fairmont Niseko in partnership with Tokyo-based J-Will Partners. The property is slated to open in early 2028, which puts it in play for the 2027/28 ski season if the timeline holds. It won't be slopeside, but it sits close enough to both Niseko Village and Hirafu for skiing, and come summer, guests get easy access to nearby golf courses along with hiking and biking trails.

Fairmont hasn't released much beyond the basics. Two sit-down restaurants, a spa and wellness area, a kids' club, and onsen bathing are the amenities confirmed so far.

Built on the bones of a failed project

This isn't a hotel starting from scratch. The nine-acre forested site between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri previously housed the New World La Plume Niseko development, a residential-style project planned for 219 hotel-style units plus five private villas. Construction stalled, and the company behind it filed for bankruptcy in April 2025. J-Will Partners picked up the site out of the bankruptcy estate for roughly ¥4.43 billion through a special-purpose company, clearing the way for Fairmont to reposition it entirely rather than pick up where La Plume left off.

Architect Daiken Sekkei designed the new build, with Hong Kong-based Steve Leung Design Group handling interiors. Guests can expect panoramic views toward Mount Yotei from much of the property.

Fairmont's growing footprint in Japan

Fairmont Niseko will be the brand's second hotel in the country, arriving a little over a year after Fairmont Tokyo opened. Fairmont is a Canadian-born luxury brand under Accor, with well-known properties including the Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City.

There's a longer-term transport angle too. The Hokkaido Shinkansen extension is due to reach the region in 2038, which would connect Kutchan Station to Sapporo in around 25 minutes - a full decade after Fairmont's planned opening.