Hakodate Kokusai Hotel

I liked the breakfast, onsen, and service during my two-night stay. The station isn’t especially close, though the walk didn’t bother me, and there’s a bus option. My room, however, was extremely hot. I’m from a tropical country and this was my first winter, so I wasn’t sure whether that was normal. The AC kept blowing hot air whatever setting I tried. The lobby, corridors, restaurant, and even the onsen area all felt cooler. Now that I’m at another hotel in a different area, the room temperature is pleasant and a bit chilly, so maybe it was just my room, or perhaps all the rooms are like that.

I loved the hotel as soon as I came in. It’s spacious, the lobby smells nice, and I liked the interior design. It’s a short walk from Hakodate station, though hauling luggage through snow was a little tough. My room was very large, with the bed facing a window overlooking mount Hakodate. The top-floor onsen was a favorite, with views of mount Hakodate and the bay. There were free popsicles in the lounge outside, and the milk one is highly recommended!

Breakfast came with a 30-minute wait because of the queue system, and vegetarian choices were limited. We enjoyed the Twilight Drinks and the hot onsen. Our room was a little warm, but someone fixed that quickly. We had a very good stay.

Our trip had been very enjoyable, which made what happened at the front desk especially upsetting. At 8:51 a.m. on January 15, we asked for assistance. The male staff member on duty looked displeased, pouted, and seemed extremely impatient. We stayed polite and thanked him while asking for help, but he didn’t respond and kept showing his impatience. It left us very uncomfortable. We couldn’t help wondering if he had misunderstood our nationality. If he thought we were Chinese and treated us differently for that reason, it would be very concerning. For clarity, we are Malaysian. Being left feeling discriminated against made us sad and disappointed. We sincerely hope hotel management takes this seriously and works to improve staff professionalism, service attitude, and awareness, so every guest is treated respectfully regardless of background or nationality.