HOKUTEN NO OKA Lake Abashiri Tsuruga Resort — Hotel in Abashiri

Whilst this is almost certainly the best lodgings that Abashiri has to offer, it is somewhat remotely located in a rural community at least a kilometre distant from the Lake foreshore and a good 10-minute drive to Abashiri city and any other sites of interest. Despite that, it’s a good hotel that was convenient and comfortable for our couple nights although there were a few irritations that deprived it of excellence in our estimation. || ||The good: the front door was welcoming and the front desk was polite and efficient with good English. Our Japanese Western non-smoking twin room #932 was clean, quiet, spacious, comfortable and well appointed. Everything expected was there and it mostly worked as expected. The décor was tasteful contemporary Japanese. ||The twin beds – indeed, two double beds on a raised platform – we comfortable and the linens plush. The pillows were also firm but comfortable. The bathroom ensemble was reasonably roomy and servicable. The included WiFi worked well on all our devices and parking on the hotel’s expansive grounds was included. ||We took the half board option which included an expansive, well serviced and good quality buffet dinner and breakfast taken in the hotel’s Cota Restaurant. || ||The not so good: the low-slung work desk & chair in our room is an acquired taste that I haven’t yet acquired. The bathroom has a vestibule affair with washbasin and vanity which has been agreeably renovated along with the guest room but the bath/shower/toilet suite is of considerably greater vintage and whilst it mostly worked OK was a very abrupt step down-market. On the bathroom subject, the hot water took ages to arrive so it was necessary to run the tap for many minutes before any sign of warmth was evident in the water supply. The room controls (AC etc.) have neither English nor any translation so are of the fumble thru variety or those absent...

Whilst this is almost certainly the best lodgings that Abashiri has to offer, it is somewhat remotely located in a rural community at least a kilometre distant from the Lake foreshore and a good 10-minute drive to Abashiri city and any other sites of interest. Despite that, it’s a good hotel that was convenient and comfortable for our couple nights although there were a few irritations that deprived it of excellence in our estimation. || ||The good: the front door was welcoming and the front desk was polite and efficient with good English. Our Japanese Western non-smoking twin room #932 was clean, quiet, spacious, comfortable and well appointed. Everything expected was there and it mostly worked as expected. The décor was tasteful contemporary Japanese. ||The twin beds – indeed, two double beds on a raised platform – we comfortable and the linens plush. The pillows were also firm but comfortable. The bathroom ensemble was reasonably roomy and servicable. The included WiFi worked well on all our devices and parking on the hotel’s expansive grounds was included. ||We took the half board option which included an expansive, well serviced and good quality buffet dinner and breakfast taken in the hotel’s Cota Restaurant. || ||The not so good: the low-slung work desk & chair in our room is an acquired taste that I haven’t yet acquired. The bathroom has a vestibule affair with washbasin and vanity which has been agreeably renovated along with the guest room but the bath/shower/toilet suite is of considerably greater vintage and whilst it mostly worked OK was a very abrupt step down-market. On the bathroom subject, the hot water took ages to arrive so it was necessary to run the tap for many minutes before any sign of warmth was evident in the water supply. The room controls (AC etc.) have neither English nor any translation so are of the fumble thru variety or those absent...

It was a much delayed but a much needed review. Our stay was in Feb 2025.

This was our first trip to Abashiri, and here’s my honest review of this wonderful hotel.

Pros: • Exceptional Customer Service. If I could rate their service higher than 5 stars, I would! On our first day, a staff member accidentally damaged our luggage handle. The team was incredibly apologetic. It was their first time encountering such an incident. They went above and beyond by purchasing a brand-new luggage that same night and delivering it to us by 8 AM the next morning! They even offered hotel goodies as an additional apology.

• Stunning Views – Since we visited in winter, we had the most breathtaking view of the frozen Abashiri Lake.

• Delicious Food – The hotel offered a great selection of breakfast and dinner options, all of which were absolutely delicious.

• Convenient Shuttle Service – The hotel provides a shuttle service to popular destinations, though the schedule varies by season.

• Onsen Experience – While we didn’t use the public onsen, we did enjoy the outdoor foot onsen. A special mention also goes to the cozy fireplace, it added to the overall charm.

Cons: • Remote Location – The hotel is quite far from the main road, so you will need to rely on the shuttle to get around. If you have an early morning train, I wouldn’t recommend staying here. It's just too much hassle (we learned this the hard way!).

• Slightly Dated Rooms – Given that it’s in a small town, the rooms do show some signs of aging. However, they are clean and very spacious, which helps make up for it.

Overall, this hotel provided an incredible experience, especially in terms of service and scenery.

If you don’t mind the remote location, it’s definitely...