Hotel Beach di Hokkaido, Japan

The hotel is certainly up to the standard and conveniently located right by the cruise tour for whale watching. Price I paid is on par with the service received. Nothing to critique about the buffet and they are cooked to order. What I really like the most is their lounge with many drinks and snacks options available and I am quite surprised in a good way about that. Only thing I would suggest is, for those who want more privacy in the bath, book yourself a room with private onsen as the open air public bath is rather small and can be filled up very quickly. Having an onsen in the room can resolve this issue completely. The seafood don in the breakfast is very good and nothing to complaint. I would certainly come back next time in the winter.

The rooms were reasonably spacious and clean. However, the breakfast selection was quite limited. At checkout, I repeatedly mentioned that one of the rooms had an 11-year-old child. According to the rules, if they charge 100 JPY per person per day for the hot spring and 200 JPY for accommodation, then the child should be exempt from the hot spring fee for all three days of our stay. Unfortunately, the staff completely ignored my explanation.

If you are looking for a truly authentic ryokan experience, Spa Shiosai is an absolute gem. From the moment you arrive, the level of care and attention to detail is world-class. The Highlights Exceptional Dining: Each meal was a work of art, prepared with incredible precision and seasonal flair. I especially appreciated the front desk’s proactive service—they consistently checked in to coordinate my preferred dining times, ensuring every meal was served perfectly fresh. Spacious Public Baths: The onsen facilities are fantastic. The public area is expansive and never felt crowded. Having both a sauna and a serene outdoor bath (rotenburo) made for a deeply relaxing experience. Comfortable Living: Unlike many traditional stays, the room here was very spacious and exceptionally well-heated, which made for a cozy retreat after a day of exploring. The Verdict This isn't just a place to sleep; it’s a place to be looked after. Between the thoughtful staff, the gourmet catering, and the top-tier bath facilities, Spa Shiosai offers the perfect balance of tradition and comfort. Highly recommended!

Facilities: The hotel is quite old, and while the facilities are in good condition, they aren't exactly modern. Surprisingly, there's a vintage audio system that plays music with a great ambiance from a bygone era. The sound quality also has that classic feel, which I loved. It's definitely worth experiencing this unique charm that other hotels don't offer. Service: Standard hotel service, but they upgraded my room without me even asking, which was a nice touch! Transportation: Even though the hotel is on a mountaintop, they offer a shuttle service to the nearest JR station, which is a huge plus. The Otaru Aquarium is just a few steps away, and the dolphin show is fantastic, plus the penguins are adorable. Scenery: This hotel probably boasts the most unique coastal cliff views in Otaru. It's truly postcard-worthy, and the best part is being able to enjoy it while soaking in the hot spring during the day. The scenery is beautiful and enjoyable. At night, however, you can't see anything. Hygiene: Standard hotel cleanliness. Food: I only stayed overnight and didn't try the food.

The hotel staff were very welcoming, and the dinner and breakfast were plentiful. I visited both the private and public hot springs. The private hot springs were very popular; they were almost fully booked by 6 PM. Experiencing an open-air hot spring on a snowy day was quite an experience.

Had a nice comfortable stay! Room is spacious, staff really polite and helpful. They're is a very nice lobby space with free drinks for guests of the hotel. I happened to have the greatest view, ships in the bay Location is great! Very close to the station and morning fish market. Area around has lots of restaurants and cafe.

The hotel is a bit dated, and the room I booked was on the smaller side. My companions booked a triple room, which was much more spacious. I had booked this hotel just for a quick overnight stay while visiting to see the drift ice, not expecting much, but it turned out to be surprisingly good! The breakfast buffet had fresh ingredients, with a decent variety of sashimi – the raw scallops were delicious. And the Hokkaido milk was a definite highlight! Plus, the public bath also had an outdoor pool with a very comfortable water temperature.

March 21, 2026 This is a stunning little seaside hotel. It's about a 20-minute train ride from Otaru Station to Shioya Coast. There are really no restaurants nearby, so when I contacted the hotel in advance, they highly recommended I book their special Japanese-French dinner. The basic price was 8,800 yen per person. Since I was already there, I decided to go all out and ordered the premium set with two extra appetizers for 14,300 yen. I also added two glasses of wine, one Hokkaido-produced and one American, for a little over 2,000 yen. The restaurant, with its breathtaking ocean views, truly delivered an amazing emotional experience. The wind and waves were incredibly strong and it was super cold that evening; the weather was a bit overcast. Our room had a small balcony where we could open the door and sit to watch the sea. The room itself was quite spacious, with a sofa. The pillow was half soft and half buckwheat, so I ended up only using the firm buckwheat side. The mattress was just right, not too soft and not too hard, which was great for my back. Since it was my birthday month, after contacting them in advance, they gave me a beautifully handwritten birthday card. It was a truly touching experience.

The hotel is not in the city center, but it is very easy to get to the hotel by bus. The room is relatively small and the windows and doors cannot be opened. Since it is centrally air-conditioned, the heating is very warm (hot). If you are not used to the heating opening, it will be a bit The baby is hot and toasty, but if you turn off the air conditioner, there will be no air circulation. So after I communicated with the staff, he gave me a fan. The service was very attentive and the price of the hotel was very affordable. I will definitely stay again. The staff’s sincere and thoughtful service is highly recommended!

The road from the tram stop at Yajito was quite steep and difficult because of the good scenery.