Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu — Hotel in Hakodate

Wakamatsu is located in Yunokawa Onsen district, which is about 15 minutes drive away from the heart of Hakodate, or about 30 minutes by streetcar. Although there are many lodging in Yunokawa Onsen district, Wakamatsu is the only lodging that actually owns its own hot spring well on premise (which you can see see in the front courtyard, bubbling and steaming). All the other hotels in the district share a common well and many dilute the hot spring water. Wakamatu's well apparently goes below the coastline ocean floor and has some salt content along with other minerals, which leaves your skin super soft and smooth (or so I was told).||||The service you receive from the moment you drive up to the front until you leave is world class top notch, just in a very traditional Japanese fashion. Just like you pay for impeccable service at Four Seasons, you get the same level of courtesy and attention at Wakamatsu. Dining experience is also very high class, in a typical Kappo style.||||Pros:||- Absolutely top notch service||- Very nice in-room amenity (our room had espresso machine with Illy pods!!)||- Magnificent view of Straight of Tsugaru from your room, particularly during the summer months when you can see lights of squid jigging boats floating in the darkness. Dreamy.||- Very nice natural hot spring pools lined with ancient reclaimed cedar planks. Outdoor onsen looks over the ocean too - ultimate onsen experience.||- Very high quality Kappo meals, if you choose to have them||- Serenity. Wakamatsu has only 24 rooms, so it's quiet and calm. No worries of having to share the onsen with dozens of loud tourists. In fact, 2 times we used the onsen, we had it all to ourselves once and only another lady the other time.||||Con:||- Pricy. Think Four Seasons, Langham, Conrads...||- Distance from main part of Hakodate. Not a quick jaunt if you want to tour the town.||- Distance from Shin Hakodate Hokuto Station. It's far enough away from JR Hakodate station, so we decided to go directly to Shin Hakodate Hokuto station (current terminus of Hokkaido Shinkansen) by taxi, instead of going to JR Hakodate then catching a local train to Shin Hakodate Hokuto. Well, I didn't realize that it's about 30 minutes drive on a freeway, so it ended up costing us nearly 10,000...

It was recommended by Xiaohongshu and was priced at 2,500. The overall feeling is that it is not worth the price and is even a bit of a scam. The details are:1. When I made the reservation, I booked a twin room without breakfast and paid 2,500 (50,000 yen). However, I didn’t pay attention to choosing one person to stay in. When I got to the hotel front desk, I was told that if I wanted to add another person, I would need to add 30,000 yen (1,500 yuan). ), I was so confused at that time that I really thought it was my fault, so I agreed. When I went to the room, I saw that there was no difference in room type or service after adding money and without adding money. It was still an ordinary room type without a bath, and there was no breakfast or other additional services. So what does the extra 1,500 mean? ? ? Later, I came back to my senses and felt it was unreasonable. I went to the front desk to argue, and finally the hotel agreed that there should be no additional charges. Is it bullying tourists by charging a fee in the first place?2. The bed was uncomfortable and the quilt was too short. I kept waking up in the middle of the night. It was the worst night I slept in Hokkaido...3. The receptionist’s English is really poor, and they don’t prepare a translator. Don’t say anything, we should bring our own. If the charge is so high, we should have the necessary services.4. The location is not good, far away from Hakodate Station and major attractions5. The room facilities are very average. They are really old, not retro. If you can't accept living in an old house, don't consider it. Private baths are OK, but public baths are average and no one wants to use them.Advantages: The private soup is pretty good, and there is a delicious Ichimonji...

We were very confused by the lack of food at this ryokan. We booked our room and were told we could pay at the property for both breakfast and dinner. However, upon arriving for our 3 day stay we were told this would not be possible. There were no accomodations that could be made for us even with 3 days lead time to prepare a meal or even just breakfast for us. It was a sad feeling when other guests were jovially enjoying luxurious meals while we were sent out into the cold. There are not any restaurants nearby so this impacted our stay negatively as we had to go to hunting for food in blizzard like conditions.

Otherwise the property is stunning and the views from this traditional ryokan are remarkable. Especially during winter with calm snow falling on the beach, it's breathtaking. Certainly take advantage of the private onsen which is free for the first use only. The public onsen which overlooks the sea is well maintained and usually not very crowded.

The remodeled rooms are of the traditional style and true to the ryokans of old and the stay was very much appealing. We just wish there could have been a dining option available as we were the only ones without food while...