1st Annual Cornell Asia Ski Weekend

Thanks to Shawn Tripp for the information.

 

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1st Annual Cornell Asia Ski Weekend:  February 27 - March 1, 2009  Niseko + Japan

 

The response to our last mail has been excellent and we have a great weekend to which we can look forward.  Alums from Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Singapore have expressed interest in attending.  ITS OFFICIAL!

 

The core part of the weekend will start with cocktails from 8:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27th and culminate with a banquet dinner on Saturday, February 28th at Freedom Inn in the Hanazono section of the Niseko resort.   The days will be centered on enjoying Niseko's famous powder snow, snowmobiling, hot springs and other winter pleasures.  The hotel is a quick walk from the ski lifts and the brand new Hanazono 308 day center, which houses shops, restaurants and the Niseko International Ski School.   The basic package for the weekend will include 2 night's lodging, dinner on both Friday and Saturday and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.  Pricing will depend on room type and number of people staying together.  The main reference price is double occupancy in a Superior Twin/Double room, with the above package running at 29,000 yen / person.   For those planning to travel solo, please let us know if you would like to be paired up with another alumnus.  The hotel has only one single room.

Family plan options are available and children 6 years and under will carry no extra charge.  The hotel has a number of Japanese rooms which are ideal for family stays.   

 

A sample plan for a family of 4 (all children over 6) in a Family Japanese Room would be 66,000 yen for the entire family.

 

The number of rooms are limited and airfares are generally more favorable when made in advance, so we recommend making reservations early.  In the event that more alumni wish to attend than the available capacity at Freedom Inn, we will attempt to make alternative lodging arrangements nearby.  Prices may vary widely depending on the available supplemental lodging.

 

The hotel can arrange bus transfers to and from Chitose Airport (4,600 yen r/t, ski rental packages and special lift tickets at only 2,000 yen per day (advance purchase, usable only on the Hanazono and Hirafu lifts -- all mountain tickets can be purchased for 5,000 yen per day).

 

Some alumni have expressed a desire to extend their stay beyond the designated weekend, and we will be happy to accommodate any such request.  Currently, 15 rooms have been blocked out for the weekend.

 

Travel tips:  For those planning to travel from Tokyo, the best fares can obtained on SkyMark Airlines exactly (starting at 9:30 a.m.) 2 months in advance of the travel date, with some seats less than 10,000 yen each way to Chitose Airport.  These disappear very quickly.  The other airlines (ANA, JAL and AirDo) regularly have favorable fares just north of 10,000 yen if purchased 28 days in advance.

 

All reservation requests and inquiries should be sent to Bob Fernstrom '88 at CornellSkiAsia2009@freedom-inn.jp or by phone to 0136-22-3322.

 

We look forward to a great weekend and a new annual tradition.