Toya Sun Palace Resort & Spa — Hotel in Sobetsu

This hotel was my best experience during my Hokkaido trip.

The hotel lobby’s scenic view was phenomenal with nice wooden bridge set up for photos. The lobby has a small fire place that was pretty cool but not very affective as it did not at all helped keep its surroundings warm 😅🥲. However, the lobby had a nice welcome drink/refreshing drink bar where customers (idk what to call people visiting the hotel so let’s just call them “customers”) can feel free to grab a drink. The drink bar contain multiple and rare drink choices such as corn tea, after onsen drink, green tea, and mixed fruit juice. The lobby also has a fairly large gift shop area with many Japanese snacks, drinks, and Souvenirs. The hotel lobby and style was overall quite modern and contemporary however some aspects of the hotel are quite old.

The breakfast was amazing with delicious steamed eggs which I highly recommend. The hotel dinner buffet was part of my room and it included has a Hagandaz (don’t mind my spelling not sure if it’s correct or not) Ice cream corner where you can scoop as much as you want. The buffet was in a big and spacious room with many seats which is good for tours or tourists who came in a big group.

Conveniently there were many activities to do inside the hotel that was on the same floor B1 for example the water park, onsen, and game arcade. The arcade staff was extremely nice, helpful and very attentive. He really made my arcade experience more enjoyable. A big thanks to him who was on duty on the 12 of April 2023. The arcade had various and unique games ranging from traditional claw machines, gem pusher, basketball, and the Taiko drums. They also have a very unique horse racing game too! There is also a ping pong and piano center too.

The water park was very big and had warm heated water. It includes a wave 🌊 pool with FREE floaties . Multiple fun water slides and a hot pool. They also have lockers, changing rooms, shower place that is separate for both respective genders of male and female. They have a swimsuit rental right when you walk inside the water park so that those who don’t want to or forgot to pack their swimmers such as myself can rent for a cheap price of 400-1000 yen depending on the amount and what you rent. The water park was however quite old and some of the big slides were closed. If you wish to bring a large donut like floaty onto the big slide you would have to pay 500 yen per donut but as many people that can fit the donut can go on it. You get to play with the big slide and donut for a limited time of 50 minutes for as many times as you want. Just to be clear, this big slide is exclusively restricted for those who have paid for the donut only.

There onsen is one of the best parts. It is very big with cold drinks inside the lockers so that you won’t faint. Inside the onsen are many hot spring choices, from massaging chairs inside the tub to outdoor ones and even a sana. Highly recommend. Just note that you have to be fully naked in the onsen (separate genders). After the onsen you can take a shower there with soaps, face wash, lotion and hair dryer provided free.

The room and bed was very cozy and comfortable! Great staff and really recommend it. Create for people with teenage...

Rooms and the water park (Water Land) were extremely run down.

the first room we were put in, Western style had a huge cigarette smoke smell (even though it's a non smoking room and we definitely couldn't stay in it since we had a 4 month baby) Took a long time to get another room, they didn't have another western style and wouldn't give us a better room without us having to pay extra, ended up giving us a japanese room which was also run down (they told us beforehand the tub paint was chipping but we didn't want to wait any longer). The room was missing hot water pot (we had to ask for it), also no cold water carafes like usual (I saw other rooms had it when they were cleaning)

We also asked for crib and water tub for the baby but they don't have anything. Surprised given this is a large resort and many tour buses.

We went to the water park after checking in since it only opens mon to Fri from 2pm to 8pm (opens at 10am on Sat/Sun but check out is at 10am) . The water park ceiling was rusty and dripping water, in the men's changeroom, they sectioned off part of it because the ceiling had fallen through. Couldn't take any photos at the Waterpark since it was prohibited.

We were a bit late for the dinner buffet since we wanted to go to the water park and there was no line up, but they still made us wait for a table. Ended up not giving us a specific table and just told us to go inside and pick our own (there were sooo many empty tables available). The buffet ends at 8:30 pm but they started packing up around 8pm and no food was refilled by then, and there was a waitress that was a bit rude in telling us the buffet closes at 8:30pm like we were in their way of finishing their work day.

At check out, they charged us extra 2700 yen for child even though our prepaid reservation already specified it included the child, we told them we have a 4 month old and it took a while of back and forth to get them to remove it. They told only after the charge is for 1 year old plus.

Yes, the price of the hotel is cheap but I rather they offer less for a more acceptable quality. Also the photos were very misleading, it showed a better quality.

The only positive is the onsen which had a great view and was modern, and the lobby which also had nice windows looking...

Three stars overall, because this resort is quite unbalanced in terms of how it has chosen to update and upgrade its amenities.

The good: the hotel lobby is gorgeous, with warm wood vibes and an unbeatable view of Lake Toya. Service is very attentive and hospitable as soon as you roll up to the driveway. Vehicle parking is across the street and about 30 seconds away. You can tell they spent all their money in recent years on the onsen and lobby. The onsen is clean, modern, spacious, and features a fantastic view of Lake Toya. I opted to go late in the evening and essentially had the place to myself, further enhancing the experience. You can make out the island in the middle of Lake Toya, and the stars above, on clear nights, in the outdoor bath. Definitely worth checking out.

The bad: We stayed in a Western style room for two nights, and the room is extremely dated. The size is okay but the air circulation is very poor, with the complete inability to regulate the room temperature. There's a rotary knob in the centre night stand which only influences airflow, but not temperature. The big windows which are great for a daytime view of Lake Toya, are sealed shut and cannot be opened to help regulate temperature. The room also faintly smelled of cigarettes, despite being on a "non-smoking" floor. The small air purifier provided does nothing but make noise. The beds are very old, as is the washroom. There were dark specks on the mirror, unsure if it might be mold.

The hotel restaurant buffet was included with our booking, and most of the food is average at best. Selection is good but quality is not remarkable in any way. The food appeared to be almost identical everyday, for both breakfast and dinner, which may matter if you are staying multiple nights. It does the job if you're looking to load up on food, but it's not the best tasting food. There also didn't seem to be very many restaurants in the area for lunch.

I did not try the pool.

In conclusion, this hotel is fantastic for its onsen and lobby as a hang-out spot. The rooms desperately need a complete renovation and update, and this aspect negatively affects my review of the resort. It's a good value and they seem to have a lot of capacity for the area, but "needs work" is my...