Hotel WBF Grande Asahikawa

We were lucky to get a spot in the hotel car park, though we waited about five minutes for someone to leave. Parking cost another 2,000 yen for our two nights, and spaces aren’t reserved for hotel guests since outsiders can use them too. If it’s full, the alternative lot is across the road, about a five-minute walk away. With two weeks’ worth of luggage, that would have been a pain to carry. The rooms were tiny and old, as we knew in advance, but at around 17,000 yen a night they felt completely overpriced. Doing laundry was a nightmare too. The washing machine and laundry area were very dirty, and the dryer barely worked. Even after almost 80 minutes, our clothes were still wet. If you’re on a long holiday, I’d avoid this place. For a one-night stop while passing through town, I guess it might be fine.

There’s a good variety at breakfast, and it was pretty decent. The hotel is large, with a spacious onsen that includes indoor and “outdoor” baths and a jacuzzi, plus one complimentary drink. Parking costs 1,000 yen a day and the spa tax is 100 yen. You can walk to 7/11 and nearby ramen places.

I was ready to rate this place higher until I went to shower and saw hair all over the bathing room wall. It clearly hadn’t been cleaned. Disgusting. I’m checking out in the morning, so I’ll just wait and shower at my next hotel.

The room was clean and the onsen was good. It’s near the railway station, aeon shopping mall, and restaurants, though the bed was on the small side. Parking is 1,000 yen a day, with free in-and-out access. Check your booking carefully to make sure your baby or toddler is included, and keep the receipt details handy at check-in. They asked me to pay for my child again, even though I showed that my booking covered two adults and one child. It took 20-30 minutes to sort out with the booking agency.