Tabist Kaihoro Otaru

A hidden-gem Hotel located up a steep hill from the famous Sakaimachi Shopping Street. The entrance makes a strong impression, as it uses a historic building. The guest rooms are in a newer four-story building, with a large public bath on the top floor offering great views. The rooms are spacious suite-style accommodations, with a separate bathroom (featuring a large bathtub) and toilet, plus a bedroom and a living area with a sofa. As this is an area that gets very cold in winter, there was also a large heater provided. One standout feature of this Hotel is the breakfast. They offer a Western-style buffet with carefully prepared dishes, and I also enjoyed the soup curry. A No Meals Included option is available, but I recommend adding breakfast if possible. It seems the restaurant can be used for dinner as well, and they appeared to offer an all-you-can-drink wine Plan for parties of two or more. I would like to stay here again when visiting Otaru.

I couldn’t believe the price for a Saturday, but I went ahead and made a Reservation at that rate. I didn’t know there was a large public bath until I arrived, so it was a pleasant surprise. It was great to soak in with such a nice view, but it was disappointing that I couldn’t find where the lights were and that the water temperature was set on the lukewarm side. I regret not adding breakfast… The Room, amenities, and front desk staff were flawless—full marks. It’s just a few minutes on foot to the Otaru Canal and shopping streets, and Hanazono isn’t too far either, so dinner options worked out fine and it was perfect for a walk. There are some slopes, so if you have trouble walking, taking a taxi or driving might be better. This will be my go-to Accommodation whenever I visit Otaru. Thank you very much.