Hotel New Ohte

The fish markets across the street are worth a look, and the hotel is close to Hakodate JR station, though that isn’t the Shinkansen station. It’s an inexpensive place with small rooms and beds, and it’s definitely dated. I didn’t have many complaints for the price. Fine for a night or two.

The room was clean, and the price was acceptable. The facilities feel quite old, and there was a tobacco smell even though we were in a non-smoking room. The location is handy, right by Hakodate morning market and about a five-minute walk from JR Hakodate Station.

I was so unhappy and disappointed with the service at Hotel New Ohte. It was the first time I’d received this kind of service from a Japanese hotel. We checked out just two hours after arriving and moved to Four Points Sheraton, one block away. The room I found online there was available, so I booked it right away. Before that, I’d asked my husband to see if we could move to a larger room at Hotel New Ohte, and the front desk told him they were fully booked, even though the internet showed a room available. I’d already been uneasy about staying at New Ohte, but hoped our room might be renovated and brighter. We’d booked a small double for two people, so I expected it to be small, but the old building and dark decor made me feel claustrophobic. There was also a smell on the way to the room. The hotel feels old throughout. The front desk and lobby furniture and decor are dark and dated, and the stairs and flooring are peeling. I checked online for a bigger room in the same hotel and was willing to pay extra, but ended up finding one at Four Points Sheraton instead.

The location is great, across from the morning seafood market and just a stone’s throw from the train station. The facilities are very dated, though, and the bathroom is so small that getting in and out was a struggle. It would be very difficult for young children or older people.