Hotel ＆ Spa Century Marina Hakodate

The front desk staff member was so kind and upgraded our room. Breakfast was the best I've had in Hokkaido, with unlimited chutoro. Go early, because it gets crowded and there might be a line.

The breakfast buffet had loads of choices, and the rooftop hot springs were a real highlight. They're new and clean, with a proper onsen feel and stunning city views. Right outside, there's a mini bar serving ramen, ice cream, and Hokkaido milk. Special thanks to Sato-san for the outstanding service!

The Bossa Nova piped through the hotel was SOOO relaxing, and the view from the rooftop was incredible, almost three-dimensional. On the last full day of our three-month stay in Hakodate, my wife and I used our Onsen Passports to visit this very chic waterfront spa hotel. It was the best rooftop onsen I've ever experienced. For $17.00 I went between the downstairs pools and sauna and the outdoor deck, where the 30 below winds cooled me down enough to go again. If you're in Hakodate, I highly recommend buying an Onsen Passport at the cashier's till in the bookstore on the 5th floor of Marui Imai. There are so many great sentos, day spas, and nice hotels between Onuma, Nanaehama, and Yunokawa that you could build a whole vacation around these day trips.

The room's wooden decor was beautifully done, with great workmanship, and breakfast was very good. Service could have been better. Not many staff members speak English, which is understandable in Hakodate, but one young receptionist handled a request poorly. I wanted to send my luggage to my next destination, a common service in Japan, and he told me to fill out the form myself. I'd never encountered that attitude at a hotel in Japan. He seemed to want to avoid helping and showed no empathy. A female colleague stepped in and sorted it out.