Hotel S-Pal

The facilities are a little old, but you can tell they’re making an effort. The hotel is near Hakodate’s downtown area, with plenty of bars and a Lawson convenience store nearby. Breakfast comes with a boiled egg and a slice of toast. There’s a coffee machine at the front desk with about four kinds, including mocha, espresso, and Americano, and you can help yourself to as much as you like. It goes well with breakfast. There’s also a free ice machine, vending machines, and alcohol for sale in the building. The razors are easy to use, not the usual awkward kind that’s hard to shave with.

For a room-only stay, it costs just over 4,000 yen. The hotel is fairly old, but the location is great, very close to the Goryokaku tram stop and right behind an area full of izakayas. You can get free breakfast if you reserve it. It’s simple, just toast and a boiled egg, but a welcome treat. Parking is on the second floor of the multi-story building next door, and the front desk staff were very courteous.

The biggest issue was the internet. Wi-Fi was extremely unstable and kept dropping out, even while I was watching videos. It’s happened every time I’ve stayed here, so I hope they’ll improve the facilities. The room was old overall and not very clean. There was little desk space and not many outlets, which made using several PCs or smartphones inconvenient. The air conditioning is centrally controlled, so you can’t freely switch between cooling and heating in your room.

The staff were all kind and friendly, which I appreciated. The location is great if you want to go out drinking at night, with no shortage of places around. I also liked being close to the Lucky Pierrot Honmachi branch. The room’s construction is undeniably old. The bathroom felt small, and there weren’t enough electrical outlets.