Noboribetsu Sekisui Tei

Let's talk about the location, which I know everyone cares about. We took the hotel shuttle directly from New Chitose Airport, and I have to praise this bus – it was only 1000 JPY per person, such a bargain! You just need to book it with the hotel in advance. We booked a Japanese-style room, but the hotel ended up giving us a room with two beds and two futons. The room was quite spacious and very clean. Even though it was near the elevator, there was hardly any noise. The hotel is a little bit away from the onsen town, about 800 meters, but since Noboribetsu isn't hot, it was actually a pleasant walk. The most important thing (here's the highlight!) is that the Ogre Family statues and the natural footbath are right behind the hotel, just a few minutes' walk away. So, there's no need to deal with crowds during the day. We went in the evening and had the entire natural footbath to ourselves – it was incredibly relaxing! We booked a package with two meals. The dinner was amazing, especially the fish roe and sashimi, and the salmon mixed with shrimp paste was divine. There was also grilled meat. Alcoholic drinks need to be ordered separately; a 330ml glass of plum wine was about 30 RMB (approx. 4.5 USD) and was mixed really well. We drank it for two consecutive nights and also tried Hokkaido sake. Both buildings have hot spring pools on their rooftops. If you don't want to use the public pools, you can also rent private ones. I particularly loved their outdoor bath. One morning it was raining, and I went for an outdoor soak around 6 AM. There wasn't a single soul there – the experience was fantastic! They also have a cold plunge pool and a sauna. All the toiletries are DHC, which are quite good. Plus, the bath area is open 24 hours, except for a cleaning period from 2 AM to 3 AM. The lobby is spacious, and although the staff don't speak English, they are very enthusiastic. I only know some basic Japanese, but we could still communicate. On the day we left, it was raining, and the hotel staff walked us out with umbrellas. We took the hotel shuttle to Sapporo Station, and the driver was an older gentleman who was incredibly kind. I really love this hotel. If you go to Noboribetsu, you absolutely must stay here. The value for money is exceptional, and best of all, it's not too crowded.

This was one of the worst hotel experiences I've had in Japan; I absolutely do not recommend Noboribetsu Onsen Hotel Sekisui Tei. On the day of check-in, I repeatedly confirmed with the front desk staff whether I could store my luggage after check-out, specifically stating I needed to store it until 1:00 PM the next day. After communicating clearly in English and showing a Japanese translation, the staff member meticulously checked their records and consulted with colleagues. They then gave me a definitive affirmative, stating that I could store my luggage on the day of departure, free of charge. This means it wasn't a casual inquiry or a misunderstanding on my part, but a clear commitment made by the hotel staff after due diligence. However, upon check-out the next day, a different front desk employee completely contradicted what I had been told. I was informed that after the 10:00 AM check-out, luggage could only be stored until 11:00 AM. If I exceeded that time, my luggage would be directly thrown out the door and disposed of. This statement was outrageous and incredibly irresponsible. What was even worse was their extremely poor attitude; they showed no willingness to resolve the issue whatsoever and completely disregarded the commitment the hotel had made to the guest the previous day. They simply displayed a sign indicating that luggage couldn't be stored past 11 AM, otherwise it would be discarded. This hotel has serious management and training issues! There's inconsistent information among front desk staff, chaotic service procedures, and a lack of basic professional ethics among employees. As an onsen hotel that hosts a large number of tourists, the front desk's poor English proficiency, poor communication skills, and poor problem-solving abilities mean their service quality falls far short of what a hotel should offer. The room facilities were equally disappointing. The air conditioning had almost no actual temperature regulation capability; it could only adjust the fan speed, making it impossible to effectively control the temperature. Even with the AC set to maximum cold and running continuously all day, the room remained very hot, making it impossible to sleep at night. This isn't a minor flaw; it's a fundamental facility issue that severely impacted the stay experience. I will never stay here again, and I strongly advise other travelers against choosing this hotel. There are many onsen hotels in Noboribetsu; there's no need to spend money just to be mistreated here.