{"schema_version":1,"citation_url":"https://www.loungefrog.com/news/new-chitose-plaza-premium-lounge-hokkaido-170-guests-2026","title":"Sapporo's airport is getting a Plaza Premium lounge with soup curry and soft serve","description":"Plaza Premium will open an 814-square-meter lounge for more than 170 guests in New Chitose's international departures area later this year. Access rules are still to come.","author":"Lounge Frog Staff","publisher":"Lounge Frog","date_published":"2026-11-13T16:55:41.243085Z","date_modified":"2026-11-13T16:55:41.243085Z","body_markdown":"Plaza Premium Group will open a lounge at New Chitose Airport, the main gateway to Sapporo and Hokkaido, later this year. The lounge will sit in the international departures area and hold more than 170 guests, [The Moodie Davitt Report said](https://moodiedavittreport.com/plaza-premium-group-to-open-new-chitose-airport-lounge-as-hokkaido-international-connectivity-expands/) on November 13.\n\nThe timing is aimed at ski season. Hokkaido's winter draws visitors from across Asia and beyond, and the airport is preparing for new direct flights to North America.\n\n## The lounge at a glance\n\n| Detail | What is known |\n| --- | --- |\n| Location | Airside, fourth floor, International Departures, near Gate 66 |\n| Size | 814 square meters (about 8,760 square feet) |\n| Capacity | More than 170 guests |\n| Opening | \"Later this year\"; no date given |\n| Hours and price | Not announced |\n\nThe square-foot figure is our conversion of the size Plaza Premium gave.\n\n## Food is the headline feature\n\nPlaza Premium is leaning on local dishes. The hot buffet will include two Hokkaido staples:\n\n- **Soup curry.** A thin, spiced curry broth served with vegetables and meat. It comes from Sapporo.\n- **Soft serve ice cream.** Hokkaido produces much of Japan's milk, and its soft serve is a regional draw in its own right.\n\nThe lounge will also have free Wi-Fi and what the operator calls ergonomic seating.\n\n## What it will look like\n\nThe design uses Japanese themes. The entrance has floral artwork and low lighting. The reception desk sits in front of a cherry blossom mural on dark stone. Inside, the lounge has timber finishes, lit shelving and a central counter.\n\n## Who can get in\n\nThis is the open question. Plaza Premium says final services and access arrangements will be confirmed before opening.\n\nAt its other lounges, the group usually offers three ways in:\n\n1. **Paying at the door or booking ahead** on its website.\n2. **Lounge programs and credit cards** that include Plaza Premium lounges.\n3. **Airline invitations**, where a carrier contracts the lounge for its premium passengers.\n\nNone of these is confirmed for New Chitose. Do not assume a card or membership that works at another Plaza Premium lounge will work here until the lounge is listed in that program's app.\n\n## Why it matters for travelers\n\nNew Chitose's international terminal has had few lounge choices compared with Tokyo or Osaka. A pay-per-use lounge changes that for travelers who do not have airline status.\n\nIt matters most in winter. Snow regularly delays flights at New Chitose, and a delay of several hours is easier in a lounge with hot food than at a gate.\n\nThe lounge is in international departures only. If you are flying a domestic leg, for example Sapporo to Tokyo before a long-haul flight, you will not be able to use it.\n\n## What the companies said\n\nSong Hoi See, Plaza Premium Group's founder and chief executive, called Japan a key market for the company and pointed to its more than 40 million foreign visitors a year. He described Hokkaido as a leading destination for visitors from around the world.\n\nMasaki Yamazaki, president of airport operator Hokkaido Airports Co., welcomed the group as a new partner. He said the lounge is an important step in making New Chitose an airport that people choose to fly through.\n\nThe lounge will be Plaza Premium's second in Japan. Its first is at Chubu Centrair International Airport near Nagoya.\n\n## What to do now\n\nIf you are flying out of Sapporo this winter, check [Plaza Premium's website](https://www.plazapremiumlounge.com/) for an opening date before you travel. We will update this story when the group publishes hours, prices and the programs it accepts.","link_base":"https://www.loungefrog.com/news/new-chitose-plaza-premium-lounge-hokkaido-170-guests-2026","citation_guidance":"Cite citation_url. Preserve source links, dates and qualifications. date_modified is an edit date, not proof that every claim was rechecked. Third-party images and quoted material retain their own rights."}