Hanabishi Hotel — Hotel in Hakodate

Tradition meets modern comfort in this treasure tucked away in Hakodate. The service was impeccable and the people who work there went above and beyond to make our stay pleasant and special. ||Ours was the traditional/western room replete with two twin beds and a tatami (straw mat floor covering) room with futon bedding. The bath was small but rustically traditional furo-style, which made the experience all the more authentic.||The extensive breakfast buffet was beyond expectation, where much of the regional cuisine was featured.|There was someone for everyone, whether it was western-style eggs or homemade tofu (soybean curd), there was no possibility of disappointment. Photos speak for themselves.||There were two separate onsen, and both were spacious and clean. One onsen featured a cold dip that was extremely refreshing. ||Facilities were exceptionally clean, including the changing areas and showers (all guests are required to take a thorough shower before entering the onsen). Traditional no clothing rule applies while inside the baths). ||There's a well-stocked gift shop in the hotel lobby with everything from a wide variety of skin care products (many of which are in-room and in the onsen) to food items and thoughtful souvenirs.||Massage services are available for nominal fees, but for this traveler it will have to wait until next time.||The hotel underwent a major renovation just a few weeks after our stay, and one can only imagine it must be even...

Tradition meets modern comfort in this treasure tucked away in Hakodate. The service was impeccable and the people who work there went above and beyond to make our stay pleasant and special. ||Ours was the traditional/western room replete with two twin beds and a tatami (straw mat floor covering) room with futon bedding. The bath was small but rustically traditional furo-style, which made the experience all the more authentic.||The extensive breakfast buffet was beyond expectation, where much of the regional cuisine was featured.|There was someone for everyone, whether it was western-style eggs or homemade tofu (soybean curd), there was no possibility of disappointment. Photos speak for themselves.||There were two separate onsen, and both were spacious and clean. One onsen featured a cold dip that was extremely refreshing. ||Facilities were exceptionally clean, including the changing areas and showers (all guests are required to take a thorough shower before entering the onsen). Traditional no clothing rule applies while inside the baths). ||There's a well-stocked gift shop in the hotel lobby with everything from a wide variety of skin care products (many of which are in-room and in the onsen) to food items and thoughtful souvenirs.||Massage services are available for nominal fees, but for this traveler it will have to wait until next time.||The hotel underwent a major renovation just a few weeks after our stay, and one can only imagine it must be even...

This ryokan hotel was comfortable enough for a one night stay. As a city hotel, the view was nothing to speak of. We were better off with the sliding windows of our tatami room shut throughout. It was spacious enough and made for a comfortable sleep especially with additional pillows we had chosen from the pillow corner in the lobby downstairs. They do have some modern rooms which one of our travel mates had to move to because of a bad back. Another spoke of a sinus attack in the morning and she wasn’t sure if it was due to lying in close proximity to the tatami floor. For sure a tatami room is not for everyone, so be sure to ask for a western room if in doubt. ||The onsen on the first floor for the ladies was conveniently fronting the lift lobby of our wing, so it made for very convenient visits both before dinner and after breakfast. Though not big, it was not crowded or busy like some other bigger onsens, which suited me fine, ||Buffet breakfast was between 7 am to 9 am, somewhat shorter than what we were used to, but then again, because it is not a mass travellers’ hotel, duration and the size of its dining room were quite adequate, ||Next time however, I would check out another hotel just for...