JR Inn Asahikawa

The Aeon mall and hotel are in the same building, which made it easy to get groceries and food. Our room was big enough to open two 29-inch suitcases with room to walk around, though there was no USB charger. You can pick a pillow from the storage beside reception. We stayed one night on the drive from Furano to Sapporo. Check-in was fine, but staff had limited conversational English, so we used Google Translate. Parking is inside the Aeon mall garage, which keeps the car out of the snow in winter. It cost 800 yen for 24 hours, paid when leaving. I’m not sure whether you can enter and exit freely during that time, since we left the car there until checkout.

The bedding was the main problem during our stay at JR Inn Asahikawa. The sheets and linens smelled strongly old and damp, and I didn’t feel comfortable using either the sheets or the quilt. I also found a long, curly hair on the bed, which made the hygiene concerns worse. It was a disappointing experience. Cleanliness is a basic expectation at a hotel, and housekeeping and linen care need improvement.

The room felt new, was clean, and had fast wifi. The service was pleasant, and the hotel is conveniently beside the JR. I also liked the lounge with free coffee and tea. Even the bidet had a blow dryer. The large public bath was great. Tip: grab a bath cloth from the amenities at reception so you can wash easily in the shower area first. Shampoo and body soap are already there. I’d happily stay again.

The location made getting around easy: the hotel connects directly to JR station, so you can stay dry when it rains, and Aeon mall nearby has restaurants and a supermarket. I had a clean room on a high floor with a nice view, strong hot shower pressure, and fast WiFi. The whole hotel is smoke-free, which meant no smoky room smell. You can ask at reception for extra pillows, and there’s a laundry room with five washers and dryers by reception. My only real drawback was that the windows don’t open.