The stalled New World La Plume development in Niseko is set for a new chapter under J-Will Partners, with Fairmont planning to open a redesigned 165-room resort on the site in early 2028.
The Accor-owned hospitality brand has signed an agreement with Tokyo-based investment company J-Will Partners for the development of Fairmont Niseko. It will become Fairmont’s second property in Japan, following Fairmont Tokyo, and represents the latest stage in the recovery of one of Niseko’s most prominent unfinished hotel projects.
The resort is planned for a nine-acre forested site between Mount Yotei and the Niseko Annupuri mountain range, with panoramic views towards Mount Yotei and access to the wider Niseko area, including Niseko Village and Hirafu. Japanese architectural firm Daiken Sekkei is responsible for the design, while Hong Kong-based Steve Leung Design Group is leading much of the interior work.
Plans include two restaurants, onsen facilities, a spa and wellness area and a children’s club. The resort is being positioned for year-round use, combining access to Niseko’s winter activities with golf and other outdoor experiences during the green season.
The site was originally being developed as New World La Plume Niseko Resort, a major hotel and residential scheme to be operated by New World Hotels & Resorts, part of Rosewood Hotel Group. The earlier plan proposed 219 hotel-style residences and five private villas, with construction beginning before the project ran into financial difficulties.
Work stalled in 2024 after the main contractor reportedly went unpaid, and the special-purpose company behind the development was subsequently placed into bankruptcy proceedings by the Tokyo District Court in April 2025. Uchi Japan reported at the time that the unfinished project had become one of the most visible examples of the development and financing risks facing large-scale construction in Niseko.
A new chapter began in July 2025 when Niseko Resort Hotel, a special-purpose company established by J-Will Partners, agreed to acquire the property from the bankruptcy estate for approximately ¥4.43 billion. The acquisition cleared the way for the stalled site to be restructured under new ownership.
The Fairmont announcement confirms that the property will now be repositioned rather than simply finished according to the original La Plume plan. The revised concept reduces the accommodation count from the earlier proposal and introduces a different international hotel operator, while retaining the same broad resort setting and a strong emphasis on nature, wellness and year-round recreation.
Fairmont has considerable experience in mountain destinations, including established resorts in Banff, Lake Louise and Whistler in Canada. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts CEO Omer Acar said the company intends to draw on that background in Niseko while respecting and protecting the area’s natural environment.
The revival is particularly notable at a time when several large Niseko developments have been paused, redesigned or reconsidered because of financing pressures, higher construction costs and changing local regulations. Rather than representing an entirely new project, Fairmont Niseko shows how an unfinished development can be acquired, recapitalised and returned to the pipeline with a new owner, operator and commercial direction.
Increasing international access to New Chitose Airport should continue to support overseas demand for Niseko. The planned Hokkaido Shinkansen extension will eventually provide another connection through Kutchan, although the completion timetable has moved back substantially and is currently expected around 2038.
Fairmont Niseko is scheduled to open in early 2028. Its progress will be closely watched, both as a major new international hotel for Niseko and as the long-awaited revival of the former La Plume development.