Ikutahara Onsen Hotel North King

The room was small, and the bathroom even tighter, but by Japan’s standards it was pretty good. The food was decent, the staff seemed very honest, and I had no complaints.

The room was clean and had no bad smell. I’d recommend this place for the soft-feeling hot spring water.

A nice hotel.

I often come here when work takes me to Engaru. The rooms are much like a regular business hotel, but amenities are sold separately. A toothbrush costs another 50 yen, and I wish it were included. Overnight guests can use the radium stone sauna for 300 yen per 60 minutes. Other listed options are 1,000 yen for 60 minutes, or 1,200 yen for 60 minutes with the hot spring and stone sauna together. For day visitors, entry is 600 yen, with shampoo and other items provided. The baths are open 6:00-8:00 AM and 10:00 AM-9:00 PM; the sauna and bubble bath only operate during the latter hours. There aren’t lockers in the changing room, so use the 100 yen refundable lockers in front of reception. Thursdays are couples’ day, when two people can bathe for 600 yen. A hot spring and meal set costs 1,300 yen. Bathing is free on your birthday, though the offer only applies to a person visiting alone, not to a party of two or more. The spring is cold mineral water at pH 9.0, clear, colorless, tasteless, and odorless. It may seem ordinary at first, but it feels remarkably slimy. Hot spring water comes through every tub and shower in the washing area, and the showers feel so slippery it’s like shampoo never rinses away. To me, it’s one of Hokkaido’s three slimiest hot springs, after Yumefusen in Onneyu Onsen and Kiraku no Yu in Shibetsu. There are low and high temperature baths, a jacuzzi, medicinal or aromatic baths, and a spring water bath around 16°C. No open-air bath, and the waterfall baths are closed for now. There are nine washing stations, a sauna for about ten people, and one plastic chair indoors plus a beach chair. I’m glad the baths open in the morning, and the hot springs are great.