Hotel Fūsui — Hotel in Shikaoi

There used to be two hotels here at Lake Shikaribetsu, but when the Fukuhara shuttered a couple of years ago, the Fusui was the last one left standing. It is an old property that doesn't look like it has seen much investment in the past decade or so, but it is well maintained.||||Service is pretty good. There was someone hanging around the front door observing if guests are coming in, so that he can jump in to assist. A cute touch at check in: the clerk will bring out a little flag on the counter, indicating your nationality. We were escorted to our room and was shown how everything works.||||All rooms here are lake-facing, with a choice of the three-storey main wing or the newer (or rather, the not-so-old) eight-storey annex. For this stay, we splurged a little and picked the "special room" in the annex on the top level. This has a special entrance (the Japanese sliding door leads to little rock garden), takes up one corner of the floor, and comes with windows on two sides, offering 180-degree views of the lake. It's huge, maybe 50 or so sqm.||||One note: although this is a smoking room (I believe all rooms are) we couldn't detect any lingering smells.||||Our rate included two meals, both served in the room. The dishes were tasty, but quality isn't as top-notch as the more high-end ryokans. But what they lacked, they made up in quantity. We are used to kaiseki dinners, but the number of dishes served here is really something else. For the first time we had to leave food uneaten. ||||The onsen is located on the ground floor of the main wing. The outdoor section is relatively small, and even with the -15°C temp that night, the water here seems to be hotter than the usual. There's a laundry area near the onsen with two washers and two dryers. ||||So the reason we stayed here is, of course, to visit the Kotan ice igloo village. We were considering doing a day trip, but the ice bar and concert hall were only open at night and we wanted to see those. The hotel is conveniently located just steps from the venue; you can literally see it right outside your window.||||During this festival, you could also book a night in the igloo using the hotel's website, but the option is not easy to find. Bookings don't open till quite close in, if I recall correctly, and it's all in Japanese. Look under the "notices" section (use Google Translate). We toyed with the idea but didn't go for...

I don't know how to begin really but I've only had amazing experiences in this hotel. The best part about Hotel Fusui is of course their large, spacious, and super relaxing rooms where you get a breathtaking view of Lake Shikaribetsu. I was there during the last day of the ice festival and was able to explore the igloo village built on the frozen lake. The staff are incredible! They are always smiling and willing to help, truly professional in their field. A green tea set is always brought in the room at night so you can make a lovely tea as you wake up. Sipping a hot tea while gazing at the frozen lake couldn't have been more relaxing. Food is totally delicious and more than enough to make you full. My package included breakfast and dinner and I'm always contented with every meal they serve at their restaurant which also has a great view of the lake. Around the lake there are numerous hiking trails and wildlife. The hotel has a huge indoor onsen and a medium sized outdoor onsen both for male and female. Relaxing relaxing relaxing! The outdoor onsen gives an unobstructed view of the lake. There's also a souvenir shop at the hotel lobby where you can buy Hokkaido chocolates and other products from Lake Shikaribetsu. I payed using credit card and had no problems. Lastly after check out, I was given a free ride to Shintoku so I could catch the bus to Asahikawa. I love this hotel and definitely recommends it to everyone. If you need a spot to relax in Hokkaido, you are looking at the...

We stayed at Hotel Fusui in February for one night for the Shikaribetsu Festival. The hotel is definitely dated and can use a lot of remodeling and updating. But considering they are right on the lake, I don't think they'll need to spend money since travelers are limited to the two hotels…. Hotel Fusui and Hotel Fukuhara.||||The bus transit from Obihiro Station was 1.5 hours but at least it’s free! There are only 4 bus schedules so we timed ourselves very well to catch the 11am bus ride. Got there around 12:30pm. ||||We had lunch at the nature’s café that’s across the street. View was fantastic and food was not bad! We then walked over to the festival to take pictures…||||The front desk was friendly and probably only the manager speaks English. Unfortunately, I was not aware that they were going to make our bed when we were having dinner so I had my lingerie hanging… That was a bit embarrassing and I wished the front desk told me earlier when I checked in!||||Dinner and breakfast are both served in the restaurant (not in room). The food was actually a surprise as it was tasty!!||||The hotspring was mediocre as it again needs some remodeling inside….The appearance of the bath was uninviting….||||There was not much to do at night during the festival so we went over to Hotel Fukuhara’s...