House Rules & Booking Conditions

These House Rules and Booking Conditions form the agreement between you, the guest, and Japan Investments Pty Ltd (“we”, “us”, “the lodge”), the entity that operates Ramat Niseko and holds the accommodation licence for both lodges. We provide overnight lodge accommodation in Niseko Hirafu. Your booking is for accommodation at the lodge for the dates confirmed; no physical goods are shipped or delivered.

These terms apply to every stay, however you booked — directly with us, through a travel agent, or through an online platform. They cover both of our lodges, which sit next door to one another and share the same Ramat Niseko social environment:

• Ramat Lodge — 20-10, Niseko Hirafu 5-jo 3-chome, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido 044-0086, Japan
• Snowgum Lodge — 20-23, Niseko Hirafu 5-jo 3-chome, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido 044-0086, Japan

The rules are the same for both lodges. The only difference is that Ramat Lodge has a bar, covered in its own section below.

Your booking is secured when we send your written booking confirmation. All offers and prices may change until your booking is confirmed.

The payment and cancellation terms that apply depend on the rate you book (for example our Early Bird, Flexible or Non-Refundable rate). These are shown to you when you book, set out in your booking confirmation, and published at ramatniseko.com/booking-cancellation-policies. Bookings made through a travel agent are also subject to that agent’s own booking and cancellation terms.

How payment is collected

• Directly with us — you pay us directly, on the terms for your rate.
• Through most travel agents — your agent collects payment from you ahead of arrival, and nothing is payable to the lodge on arrival.
• Through an agent that settles on arrival — any balance owing to the lodge is paid directly to us at check-in.

How payments are processed

Rates are quoted and charged in Japanese yen (JPY). Payments are one-off card charges (a deposit and/or balance, depending on your rate) processed securely by our payment provider; they are not recurring or subscription payments. You authorise us to charge the balance, and any other amounts properly due under these terms, to the card used for your booking.

Refunds

Where a refund applies, it is made to the original payment method. Some rates are non-refundable, or are offered as credit toward a future stay, as set out in the policy for your rate at ramatniseko.com/booking-cancellation-policies. To request a refund or discuss your booking, contact us using the details below.

We will always try to accommodate changes to dates, room type or guest numbers, but changes are subject to availability and to the rates current at the time of the change, and cannot be guaranteed. A change may result in a different price. The amendment terms for your rate are set out in your rate policy at ramatniseko.com/booking-cancellation-policies.

All-inclusive pricing

The rates you are quoted are all-inclusive. They include Japanese consumption tax and the flat 3% accommodation tax (the Kutchan town and Hokkaido prefecture lodging tax, effective 1 April 2026), so there is normally nothing further to pay for tax on arrival.

One exception: where you booked through an online travel agent that does not collect the accommodation tax on our behalf (for example Expedia), the 3% accommodation tax is payable directly to us at check-in.

Late check-out

If you have not vacated your room by the 10:00 check-out time and have not arranged a late check-out with us, a late check-out fee of ¥10,000 applies.

Lost keys

A ¥10,000 charge applies if a key is not returned at check-out, charged to the card held at check-in.

Cleaning and other charges

Cleaning beyond a normal and reasonable level may be charged at cost. Any extra services you request during your stay, and any charges for damage or loss as set out below, are payable before departure.

We may offer extras such as airport transfers, lift passes, equipment hire and ski lessons. These are subject to availability and may be provided by third-party suppliers under their own terms.

• Changes or cancellations to a guest service item incur a ¥3,000 administration fee.
• Cancellation terms for guest service items vary by item and are advised at the time of booking.
• Where you do not use a service you have booked, we cannot refund it in whole or part.

• Check-in: from 2:00 pm.
• Check-out: by 10:00 am.

Rooms are not serviced daily; stays of 8 nights or more include periodic refreshes with fresh towels and linen.

A valid credit card is required at check-in for the security hold below, and check-in cannot be completed until card authorisation is provided.

Every guest is registered as required by Japan’s Ryokan Business Act (旅館業法). We record the lead guest’s name, address and contact details and the names of all guests in the party, and for guests resident outside Japan we record nationality and passport number and take a passport copy. Guest registration is completed on a separate check-in sign-off form that references these terms.

At check-in we take a credit card pre-authorisation (a temporary hold, not a charge) as security against any damage, loss or extra charges during your stay. If nothing is owed, the hold is released after departure once your room has been checked. If amounts are owed under these terms, we may charge them to the card. We will tell you before charging anything beyond the cost of your stay.

We are a friendly, social lodge and we ask every guest to help keep it that way. You agree to treat the property, our team and other guests with respect, and to follow reasonable instructions from our staff.

You are responsible for the conduct of everyone in your party. You are liable for the cost of repair or replacement where you or a member of your party cause damage to, or loss of, lodge property beyond fair wear and tear, whether deliberate or through negligence. Your own belongings, including lift passes and hired equipment, are at your own risk during your stay. We will always discuss any charge with you first.

Many of our guests start early on the mountain, and both lodges share lounges, kitchens, drying rooms and other common areas. To keep things comfortable for everyone:

• Quiet hours run from 10:00 pm at both lodges. Please keep noise considerate after this time, indoors and outside.
• No Party Policy. We do not allow parties in either lodge. Guests who disturb others may be required to leave without a refund.
• Please keep shared spaces tidy, and be considerate of others using them and of anyone sharing your room.

Ramat Lodge has a licensed bar, which is part of what makes the lodge so social. A few conditions apply:

• The bar closes at 9:00 pm.
• Alcohol is served only to guests of legal drinking age in Japan (20 and over). We may ask for proof of age.
• Our staff may refuse or stop serving alcohol to any guest at their discretion, including where a guest appears intoxicated or where service would affect the comfort or safety of others.

• No smoking indoors anywhere in either lodge, including vaping. Smoking is permitted outdoors only, away from entrances, and not at the rear/back door by the bar at Ramat Lodge.
• No pets, unless we have agreed otherwise with you in writing before arrival.
• Cleaning or damage costs arising from smoking indoors will be charged under the provisions above, and continued smoking indoors after being asked to stop may result in being required to leave without a refund.

In line with Japan’s Model Accommodation Terms (モデル宿泊約款, as revised 13 December 2023), we may decline a booking, refuse check-in, or require a guest to leave in the following circumstances:

• Where a guest is reasonably believed to be a member of, or connected to, organised crime or other anti-social forces (暴力団排除 — anti-organised-crime grounds).
• Where a guest makes violent, abusive or unreasonable and repeated demands on our staff beyond what is socially acceptable (customer harassment / カスタマーハラスメント).
• Where a guest has, or is reasonably suspected of having, a specified infectious disease (特定感染症).
• Where a guest endangers, threatens or seriously disturbs other guests or our staff, or repeatedly breaches these House Rules.
• Where accommodation cannot be provided due to natural disaster, facility failure or other causes beyond our reasonable control.

Where we end a stay because of a guest’s conduct under this section, charges already incurred remain payable and are not refunded.

We take reasonable care to provide safe, comfortable accommodation and to meet our obligations to you. Where we fail to do so and you suffer loss as a result, we accept responsibility to the extent the law requires.

Nothing in these terms removes or limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded. Consistent with Japan’s Consumer Contract Act (消費者契約法), we do not exclude all liability for our own negligence, and we do not impose cancellation charges or penalties beyond a reasonable estimate of the loss we actually suffer.

Some services may be provided by agents or third-party suppliers, and those bookings are subject to their terms. We recommend all guests hold their own travel insurance covering cancellation, medical costs and personal belongings.

We collect and hold the personal information you give us — such as your name, contact details, payment details and the registration information required by law — only to manage your booking and stay, to meet our legal obligations, and to contact you about your reservation.

• We keep your information secure and retain it only as long as needed for these purposes or as the law requires.
• We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with parties involved in your stay (for example your booking agent or payment provider) or where the law requires.
• You may ask us what information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it, using the contact details below.
• Information about how our website handles data is in our website privacy policy.

We are responsible for resolving any issue relating to your booking or stay. If something is not right, please contact us and we will work with you to put it right. For cancellations, booking questions, or any request about your personal information, contact us at:

These terms are governed by the laws of Japan, and your stay is subject to the Ryokan Business Act, the Consumer Contract Act and other applicable Japanese law. The English version of this document is the binding version; a Japanese translation is available on request.