SOUNKAKU — Hotel in Kamikawa

We got a booking at this hotel from a Japanese travel agent (JTB) as part of our three-day flower viewing tour of Hokkaido. I think it was chosen for its proximity to the last stop in our tour (Ginga Waterfalls). I really hope JTB uses another hotel for future tours because Sounkaku was very unpleasant.||||Just to go over the good points, the hotel has relatively large Japanese style rooms with their own bathrooms. Basic amenities were provided; there was s decent amount of food for dinner and breakfast. There were onsen -- I tried the outdoor one on the fifth floor and it was reasonably clean with standard facilities and amenities.||||Everything else was problematic.||||1. Service was horrible, at least from the perspective of an English speaker. There was just one person at reception who could understand basic English. Others were mocking me as I asked for robes for the other people in our party: two for women and one for a man. "Fireman", he insisted, with a laugh. "Fireman". Instead of asking what I meant, everyone at reception was just laughing.||||I received this treatment for asking for items that are supposed to be in the room in the first place -- they had the sash and jacket in the cabinets but not the robe (yukata). Room preparation was clearly sloppy.||||2. Still on service, the lack of English communication skills made it difficult to order from the drink bar. They did not understand that I wanted to use the drink bar to get soft drinks (as only coffee and tea are included in the buffet). When I went back to refill (the drinking glasses are very small), they stopped me. It took them 15 minutes to decide to let me use the drink bar. By the time they brought the glass for the drink bar, we had finished eating dinner. ||||I spoke English and Japanese to them but the problem seems to be lack of training in responding to legitimate and easy requests from their customers.||||I felt that the staff of this hotel was too keen to prevent pilfering of robes and people avoiding payment for drinks a little too much. Perhaps, a hotel as bad as this attracts that kind of clientele. They end up inconveniencing other guests in their cheap crusade.||||3. The person at reception (Fireman) and at the drink bar were manning the rice balls table the following morning, so there was no way to know what was in the onigiri unless you Google it. If you have allergies, this can't be good. ||||4. They don't help with luggage at check-out time.||||5. The people at the gift shop were curt, mean-spirited people -- they spoke to us like we were bothering them by purchasing there.||||6. The gift shop was poorly stocked and mostly with cheap things.||||7. Drinking water is not free.||||8. This hotel was opened in 1923 and it looks like it hasn't been renovated in 50 years. ||||9. No wi-fi except at the shabby lobby.||||10. Our room was used by smokers at some point -- it set off my asthma overnight. Tells you something about maintenance.||||I will never go here again. And I will check with JTB next time I am in Hokkaido to make sure this is...

Sadly I’ve to write a not so good review while lying on their hotel room bed now, tossing and turning because unable to sleep. We requested for a non smoking room but the room stinks of cigarette smell. The smoking room is at the 1st level just beside the entrance and that’s the first thing u smell when enter the hotel lobby.||Worse is they even sell cigarettes over the counter to smokers and I believe some of them do smoke in the room.|I’m very sensitive to cigarette smell and this lingering smell in the room is keeping me very awake at this hour.||Other than that, the hotel facilities is quite old. Even the walkway for level 8 lacks of lighting hence it is quite dark.||The only few redeeming factors is that their staff is friendly even though they are clearly short handed , and that the buffet has free flow crab legs.||Will not be staying here again. Only the hotel lobby looks good. Everything else is quite old.||Air con also not working and room is very stuffy . Worst combination with the cigg...

Sadly I’ve to write a not so good review while lying on their hotel room bed now, tossing and turning because unable to sleep. We requested for a non smoking room but the room stinks of cigarette smell. The smoking room is at the 1st level just beside the entrance and that’s the first thing u smell when enter the hotel lobby.

Worse is they even sell cigarettes over the counter to smokers and I believe some of them do smoke in the room. I’m very sensitive to cigarette smell and this lingering smell in the room is keeping me very awake at this hour.

Other than that, the hotel facilities is quite old. Even the walkway for level 8 lacks of lighting hence it is quite dark.

The only few redeeming factors is that their staff is friendly even though they are clearly short handed , and that the buffet has free flow crab legs.

Will not be staying here again. Only the hotel lobby looks good. Everything else is quite old.

Air con also not working and room is very stuffy . Worst combination with the cigg...