5 Best Hotels in Hokkaido, Japan

Name: JR Tower Hotel Nikko Sapporo
Address: Kita 5 Nishi 2, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0005, Japan
Telephone: 011-251–2222
Price range: $$$
Location: Chuo-ku

Accommodations that are easily booked in English tend to be modern, characterless hotels built for Japanese tour groups. Gorgeous lobbies and sterile, cookie-cutter rooms are the norm, although more attractive hotels are appearing as Japanese seek out lodging with more personality. Guesthouses or pensions are a cheaper and friendlier option, with welcoming owners who strive to impress guests with the catch of the day or wild vegetables on the dinner menu. Many (but not all) guesthouses have Western-style beds and regular sit-down toilets. Although booking in Japanese is the norm, simple emails via a website can work, too. Although you might not normally consider one, a youth hostel is also a decent alternative in Hokkaido, both for price and for the sense of spirit and camaraderie that you will not find in the more sterile hotels. However, some do not allow male-female couples to sleep in the same room. Hostels in towns and cities are usually clean and modern, and in the national parks, although in older buildings, they can be excellent touring bases.

Outside Sapporo and Hokkaido, most hot-spring hotels (onsen) charge on a per-person basis and include two meals, excluding service and tax, in their rates. If you don't want meals and wish to eat convenience-store food, you can often renegotiate the price (the word in Japanese is sudomari). Just remember that those hot-spring hotels and guesthouses are your best bet for dinner in remote areas. Also note that with Japan’s prolonged recession, some hotels may actually be cheaper than listed here. Some onsen offer combination rooms, a Western-style room with a tatami section where you could also sleep on futon. If you're interested in trying out a Japanese-style room but still want to sleep in a Western-style bed, this is the perfect option.

JR Tower Hotel Nikko Sapporo

$$$ | Kita 5 Nishi 2, Sapporo, 060-0005, Japan Fodor's Choice

In a skyscraper looming high over the main train station, this hotel puts the city at your feet. The rooms are located on the 23rd to 34th floors, so they have magnificent views of the city. Unlike many Japanese hotels, this hotel has double rooms with king-size beds rather than only twins. The "moderate single" rooms are a little cramped, but other rooms have more space and larger windows. The 22nd-floor spa (extra charge) has deep pools and big windows, so you can enjoy views of the city skyline as you soak.

Cross Hotel Sapporo

$$$ | Kita 2, Nishi 2--23, Sapporo, Japan

At this hip-design hotel in central Sapporo rooms tend to mix natural or dark woods with neutral tones and artistic accents for a much more youthful vibe than many of the larger Western-style hotels nearby.

Otaru Furukawa Hotel

$$$ | 1–2–15 Ironai, Otaru, 047–0031, Japan

Dark wooden beams, shadowy corridors, and well-chosen antiques transform a modern canal-side building into a comfortable, old-fashioned Japanese inn—a rarity in Otaru. The traditionally clad staff bow low on the raised straw matting in the reception area, and the first-floor restaurant has seating with a canal view. The charm of the public areas continues into the newly renovated lounge area, where reading materials are available, adjacent to the lobby. The eighth-floor Japanese bathroom has several indoor and open-air onsen baths as well as a sauna. The hotel's breakfast includes up to 40 different options made by their chefs with ingredients from Hokkaido.

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Shiretoko Daiichi Hotel

$$$ | 306 Utoro Onsen, Shari, 362-0003, Japan

Plush interiors, hot-spring baths, pool, play area for kids, excellent dining options—as far as Japanese resort hotels go, it doesn't get much better than this. Located at the very top of Utoro's hotel zone, Daiichi offers sensational hot-spring sunset views. Mountain-facing windows look over small vegetable fields, where bear and deer can be spotted chowing down at dusk. Hotel guests do the same at over-the-top buffets. English speakers are on duty in the evening at the tour desk. The west wing was renovated in 2022.

Sounkyo Choyotei

$$$ | Soun-kyo Onsen, Kamikawa, 078-1795, Japan

Popular with tour groups, this is not a place where you will find a lot of alpine serenity, but if you are looking for a good, full-service option at a reasonable price point, you'll find it here. Perched on a bluff halfway up one side of the gorge, this hotel has the best views in the park. The hotel has sumptuous baths to take in all the nature. Rooms at the back overlook the parking lot, so those facing the gorge merit the higher prices. There is a free shuttle bus from JR Sapporo Station, four hours away. Dinner and breakfast are usually included in the room price.

Hokkaido

Hokkaido

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