Sounkaku

How about Sounkaku, located in Sounkyo onsen(hot spring), close to Asahikawa, the central city of northern Hokkaido? This open-kitchen style buffet restaurant uses an abundance of seasonal Hokkaido ingredients, allowing you to enjoy as much freshly prepared food as you like, including grilled snow crab, steak, and freshly fried tempura. For breakfast, the "Kaisen Kattedon" (Seafood Bowl), where you can arrange your own fresh seafood, is also popular. If you choose the room type, you'll likely be able to stay within your budget, so be sure to consider it based on your travel plans.

There is a shuttle bus to and from Asahikawa Station. The twin room I stayed in was a Japanese-style room, with a table and chairs by the window, a typical Ryokan (Japanese inn) structure, but the beds were beds instead of futons. The open-air bath was covered, probably because it is a heavy snow area, so it seems like you can take bath to view the snow. Both dinner and breakfast were buffet style, and for breakfast I had a heaping serving of salmon roe, a Hokkaido-style bowl of rice.

Skiing at Mt. Kurodake is the best. The snow is powdery and the slopes are long, so it's a lot of fun to ski. It's also easily accessible from major tourist cities such as Asahikawa and Kitami. The inn has a large public bath and an open-air bath surrounded by nature, so I think it's popular with foreigners too.