Just came back 2 days ago from a highly satisfying 4 days in Harbin. The cold is very tolerable when well prepared and shouldn't stop anyone from going. The ice and snow festival is really terrific, and the tiger park is well worth the visit, but the city itself doesn't present much interest though. Yabuli ski resort has very few pistes and the surroundings are less than breathtaking, but the facilities are very modern and it's not really crowded, so it was nice to spend a day snowboarding there, however it really doesn't feel anything like the ski resorts in Europe. In Harbin we stayed in Tianzhi hotel on Zhongyang street, because of the location, but at 368/night, I don't recommend it. If you don't particularly want to stay in the pedestrian area, where most of the attractions are within a walking distance, it's much cheaper to stay around the railway station, which is not too far from anywhere either. Don't miss the USA bar on Zhongyang street, just next to Tianzhi hotel, where every night you can meet the disguised owner.
All in all, it was great!