Must-see hotels in Hokkaidō

  • SappoLodge

    Sapporo

    A little slice of mountain life a stone's throw from Susukino – you can use the climbing wall to get to the 2nd-floor dorms instead of the stairs –…

  • Pension Uni

    Hokkaidō

    Up the hill from the port, this immaculately clean pension with a big 'U-ni-!' sign has Western-style twin rooms. Meals include local seafood; rates with…

  • Daisetsuzan Shirakaba-sō

    Hokkaidō

    A cross between a youth hostel and a ryokan, this mountain lodge near the lower terminal of the ropeway offers comfortable Japanese- and Western-style…

  • Marukibune

    Hokkaidō

    This unique spot in the Ainu kotan at the southern end of Kussharo-ko is run by Ainu musician Atuy. It has just a handful of rooms decorated with…

  • AYA Niseko

    Niseko

    Not for the budget minded, the AYA Niseko is there when you need to splurge and pamper yourself. Parents will love the kiddie playroom, and heck, they'll…

  • New Tomakomai Prince Hotel "Wa~Nagomi~"

    Hokkaidō

    With a Zen-inspired entry and a breakfast that is worthy of spots several times the price, the Prince Nagomi is a true find. Though it has business hotel…

  • TOMAR Hostel

    Hokkaidō

    This new hostel offers great service, friendly staff, and dorm bunks that have solid privacy curtains and still smell like fresh cut wood. It's got a big…

  • Daisetsu Kōgen Sansō

    Hokkaidō

    Make the most of your foray into the mountains: this inn, only open 123 days each year, is like staying at a mountain hut without having to walk five…

  • Akan Yuku-no-sato Tsuruga

    Hokkaidō

    This old-style resort is the fanciest spot in town and sprawls over three buildings. The honkan (main hall) rooms are the cheapest but don't have lake…

  • Kushiro-shitsugen Tōro Youth Hostel

    Hokkaidō

    This hostel, run partly on solar power, was designed with birdwatchers in mind. A porch (partly glassed in) looks directly over the marshes and there are…

  • Maruzen Pension Rera Mosir

    Hokkaidō

    Run by local adventure guide Watanabe Toshiya, Rera Mosir is the best place on the island for active types – whether you're here to climb Rishiri-zan in…

  • Alpine Backpackers

    Hokkaidō

    Conveniently located just a few minutes' walk from the Kitanomine Gondola, this is a great spot for skiers and active types. Backpackers are well catered…

  • Shūchō no Ie

    Hokkaidō

    The standard Japanese inn-style rooms are basic, but what you're here for is the chance to spend some time learning about the Ainu, the indigenous people…

  • Momoiwa-sō Youth Hostel

    Hokkaidō

    Part Lost Boys hideaway, part loopy summer camp, Momoiwa-sō is a very special place, which you will either love or hate. It has very strict rules, but…

  • New Furano Prince Hotel

    Hokkaidō

    The nicer of the two Prince hotels offers comfortable, classy, though not terribly stylish, rooms, decent restaurants and efficient service – all at the…

  • Toipirka Kitaobihiro Youth Hostel

    Hokkaidō

    A great place to break for the night is this attractive log house with a hammock on the front porch and cosy sofas around a wood stove in the lounge. The…

  • Ino's Place

    Sapporo

    This is a popular backpackers' spot with all the fixings: friendly, bilingual staff, clean rooms with modern bunks, private lockers, free coffee and tea,…

  • Moiwa Lodge 834

    Niseko

    The world's only ski-in, ski-out capsule hotel, Moiwa Lodge 834, in front of the Moiwa lifts, is popular with powder hounds who have no patience for the…

  • Marumi

    Hokkaidō

    Marumi prides itself on its gut-busting seafood banquets, making this a good choice if you've worked up a calorie deficit in the mountains. The Japanese…

  • Nakamuraya Ryokan

    Sapporo

    Located on a side street near the entrance to the Hokkaidō University Botanical Garden, a 10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station, this charming Japanese…

  • Eki-no-yado Hirafu

    Niseko

    This is Japan's only train station minshuku (family-run guesthouse) and it is wonderfully eccentric. It's literally part of tiny JR Hirafu Station: to…

  • Hilton Niseko

    Niseko

    The Hilton enjoys the best location of all – it is quite literally attached to the Niseko Gondola. Spacious Western-style rooms are complemented by a…

  • Furano Hostel

    Hokkaidō

    Six minutes' walk west of JR Naka-Furano Station (not JR Furano Station) at the top of the hill, this hostel occupies a big farmhouse overlooking the…

  • Untapped Hostel

    Sapporo

    This is one of Sapporo's new hipster hostels – think raw wood and concrete – inside an old unagi (eel) shop a minute's walk from the subway. The rooms,…

  • Sapporo International Youth Hostel

    Sapporo

    This oddly upmarket youth hostel – which looks like a modern apartment building – is great value, though it's a little out of the way. Both Western- and…

  • Capsule Inn Sapporo

    Sapporo

    If you're a man of simple needs who doesn't get scared easily by small spaces, this XY chromosome–only capsule hotel offers your standard berth plus a…

  • Biei Potato-no-Oka

    Hokkaidō

    Among the fields of Biei's pretty Patchwork Road, charming Potato-no-Oka, though small, has a big variety of accommodation, including dorm rooms, private…

  • Sōunkyō Hostel

    Hokkaidō

    Expect a warm welcome at this humble wooden hostel, a 10-minute walk uphill from the bus station. There are bunk-bed dorms and a few private family rooms …

  • Rausu Dai-Ichi Hotel

    Hokkaidō

    This is a cosy place in Rausu Onsen, just a few kilometres inland on the road to Utoro. The Japanese-style rooms with private facilities are spacious,…

  • YHA Niseko Fujiyama Karimpani

    Niseko

    In an 80-year-old converted schoolhouse, former classrooms now house dorms and concerts are held regularly in the gymnasium. Friendly owners Max and Yūko…

  • Resort Pension Yama-no-ue

    Hokkaidō

    This friendly, family-run place is in the middle of the village, straight down from the ropeway terminal. There are nature photos everywhere and the meals…

  • Onsen Minshuku Mako

    Hokkaidō

    The owner of this simple, family-run place is a keen traveller and extends a warm welcome to foreign guests. Rooms are tatami or Western, with shared…

  • Sapporo Grand Hotel

    Sapporo

    Established in 1934 as the first European-style hotel in Sapporo, this grand old dame now occupies three adjacent buildings that lie at the southeast…

  • Hotel Niseko Alpen

    Niseko

    This utilitarian block is in need of an overhaul and we hope it never happens – because this is currently the most economical ski-in, ski-out option left…

  • Clione Guesthouse & Campground

    Hokkaidō

    Named after the area's celebrity mollusc, this lovely campground and guesthouse offers an inexpensive overnight on the outskirts of Shari. It is quite…

  • B&B Pension Hakodate-mura

    Hokkaidō

    This long-running traveller favourite has a great location near the harbour, and is within walking distance of Motomachi. The owners speak English and are…

  • Oyado Kiraku

    Hokkaidō

    A short walk from the Utoro Michi-no-eki road stop (and one bus stop before the Utoro Onsen terminal), Kiraku is a good deal with tatami rooms, shared…

  • Niseko Annupuri Guest House

    Niseko

    This friendly mountain lodge, which sees many repeat customers, is constructed entirely from hardwood and sits conveniently within a five-minute walk of…

  • Minshuku Yumoto-kan

    Hokkaidō

    This popular spot has a mountain-lodge vibe, Japanese-style rooms to accommodate different sized groups and an onsen bath (which nonguests can use for …

  • Log Bear

    Hokkaidō

    Log Bear is right in the middle of Shikotsu-ko Onsen, and is run by a real character called Robin. There are only two simple rooms: one twin and one quad…