From the moment I got here, I felt welcomed. The owner / operator Rhys and his crew are super accommodating and passionate about what they do.

This is a lodge, which means it isnt a five star hotel. It's a place where people who love what niseko / annupuri has to offer can get together and share great memories. Furthermore, it's a place where a bunch of likeminded riders who love chasing powder can have a great time and meet other great people. Certainly the experience the crew I came with and I had.

Bonus: the ramen thats cooked up in the kitchen is some of the best I've had.

Steps to the Annupuri lifts.

Best stay I've had in Hokkaido hands down.
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Had an incredible stay at Lodge 401. The accomdation was great! Rooms were clean and tidy for myself and my family and the amenities perfectly suitable for us. The lodge itself has a great atmosphere with a communal/dining/bar area. One of the few places ive stayed in Japan with a functioning drying room which is a big tick in my opinion.

The staff were incredible with a big hats off to Rhys who went above and beyond even getting out for a morning to guide us around the mountain. Not to mention his incredible cooking with some of the best ramen I've had in Japan!!!!

Location of the Lodge is only a minute or so walk from Annupuri Gondola which makes getting to and from the slopes very easy.

All in all 10/10 stay and would highly recommend to anyone!
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What a find! This is absolutely our sort of ideal accommodation. Rhys and Ai and their team were amazing hosts and they went to a lot of effort to make sure we and other guests had all the required information for a great time in Annupuri.

Breakfast was pretty extraordinary, especially considering the price of the lodging package. In addition to the usual suspects for breakfast, there was different cooked fare each morning that was beyond gourmet! Rhys is an amazing chef!

We also partook in some of the bar appetizers/light meals and these were truly amazing! The little bar and communal lounge had a nice convivial ambience to share stories of the day.

We stayed in an ensuited room and the room size was adequate without being large, and storage and hanging space has been well thought out. In addition to the effective drying room downstairs, there were plenty of hanging spots in the room, and it was easy to dry smalls on the heated towel rack in the ensuite bathroom.

The location was great, being only a very short walk to the gondola and close to a few restaurants.

Lodge 401 is a small friendly lodge, which sure beats staying at a big hotel.
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My girlfriend and I just spent over a week at the beautifully renovated Lodge 401 in Annupuri village. I’ve been a regular to the Niseko area for over 20 years, this will be our new lodge of choice.. hands down.

It’s the closest accom to the gondola. Flawlessly appointed, spotlessly maintained with massive, restaurant quality breakfasts. The storage and drying rooms are great and well laid out, with a tuning bench (even wax and tools) and full laundry facilities (no cost).
Bedrooms are bigger than most, with storage and real comfortable bedding. You won’t be able to ignore the tasteful styling, and beautiful prints of local shredders all over the walls. Guest fridge if you want to store some goodies, tea and coffee facilities.

There are other lodges that tick some of these boxes, but this lodge has something special… it’s run by Rhys Hartigan. He’s an Aussie chef and hell snowboarder who’s been in Japan forever, knows everyone and every run. He’s THE host to have if you want to really experience the area. All of his staff are snow crazy and ever happy to help with the managers living on site. Rhys’ wife Ai runs another lodge nearby, between them, there’s not much they can’t get sorted out.

Lodge 401 isn’t for everyone though. There was an unusually low ratio of dickheads to humans at 401 for our entire stay, and I can’t help but think Rhys is a bit selective on who gets to stay. If you want to shop all day and party all night, probably anywhere in Hirafu would suit better. If you’re after room service and bell hops, then hit the Hilton. But if you want to be given access to the best snowboarding this sleepy part of Niseko can offer, with a host that genuinely wants you to have an epic time, then try to get a room at 401.

Warning though, the bar is magnetic and can be hard to leave. Plug your tunes in, have a few bevvies and some incredible snacks. Can’t wait to be back.
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Lodge401 is a wonderful newly renovated lodge with 6 rooms (max 12-14 people at one time).
It is literally a ONE minute walk to the Niseko Annupuri Gondola, which is where the famous Gate #2 is situated.
Seriously. I timed it. It's gotta be the closest lodge at Annupuri base at Niseko United Ski resort!!
Rhys and Ai, the owners, are excellent hosts, full of local info, even helped us make restaurant reservations a month before.
The friendly staff: Jameel, Yuki, Brent made us delicious & beautiful breakfasts from 7am to 9am each morning, and they kept the entire lodge spotless.
We were a group of 6 ski-bunny friends, we shared 2 rooms, one with an ensuite, one without. All bathrooms were spotless. For us without the ensuite, there were 2 huge private showers for women and 2 for men, and more than enough toilets and sinks (for the 8 guests that don't have ensuites).
Lodge401 has gorgeous huge windows with fantastic views of the mountain.
Each room has it's own control over the heat. The beds are brand new, sooo comfy, even the sofabed for the 3rd skier in the triplet rooms was comfy. The duvet cover, the sheets, the towels were changed every 3rd day, which was a pleasant surprise, (compared to other similar lodges in the area).
Downstairs, there is a big equipment storage room, a drying room, washer/dryer.
And don't forget the full bar on the main floor for that Apres-ski, to discuss all the fluffy "fuwafuwa" Hokkaido powder discovered daily.
There are onsens and great restaurants within a short walk, but we had a rental car, so very easy to get around.
Many places prefer to take cash, so bring lotsa Yen! There are ATMs in Niseko-town, and in Hirafu.
Rhys helped us order equipment rentals, which were delivered promptly and picked up by the rental company.
Rhys also offers discounted lift tickets for Annupuri, and Niseko United.
It is a 4km drive to Niseko Village (for when you want Gate #11 but the upper lifts are closed),
a 2km drive to Moiwa (for when you want Gate #6),
a 10km drive to Hirafu (lots of shops and restaurants),
and a 16km drive to Kutchan (Daiso!!! and the Sushi conveyor belt restaurant Yoteimaru).
Thank you Rhys for an Excellent week in Niseko. We will be back!!
See our video here