Hotel Route - Inn Chitose Ekimae

The mattress felt quite hard to me, so keep that in mind if that's not your preference. The yakitori shop across the street was great for dinner and drinks. This is a basic, affordable place for a night near the airport. The hotel is dated, but everything was working and very well maintained. The free airport shuttle was a big help for getting to our international flight on time. Breakfast starts at 6:30 am, while the earliest shuttle leaves at 6:20. We asked if we could take some food, like bread, and were politely told no. Breakfast was free anyway, so we didn't lose anything.

That was a firm five stars for me. The breakfast buffet had lots of choices, and everything I tried was delicious. I especially recommend the marinated fish. You get a ticket from the front desk and put it in a basket before taking a tray. The room was spotless, the pillow was so comfortable, the bed firmness turned out to be fine, and the blanket was warm but still breathable. I checked in around 11 pm, and two counter staff were there. The staff member was kind, spoke English, and explained the public bath and breakfast setup clearly. Checkout was easy, I just handed over my room card. It's a very short walk from the train station. Google Maps sent me around the whole block, but luckily I spotted the entrance on the main road.

The location is great, and the service, upkeep, and general neatness were good too. But the bed was a box spring with a thin piece of foam on top, thinner than a hiker's folding seat pad. That was pretty rough, especially after a long flight if you're not used to very hard beds.

Check-in went smoothly, and the hotel is in an excellent location. I can handle Japan's firmer beds, but this one was extremely uncomfortable, basically just a sheet over a box spring.