Yunokawa Prince Hotel Nagisatei

We were close to shops and food, with a 7-Eleven across the road, a Lawson a short walk away, and a few restaurants nearby. Free guest parking made it easy to drive to Hakodate’s main attractions, about 10 minutes away. In the lobby, there are self-serve toiletries, tea bags, sweets, and plenty of yukata to choose from. You can also borrow different pillows for free if you prefer posture pillows to the traditional Japanese kind. Our two-night stay was relaxed and comfortable. We had a tatami room with a private hot spring bath overlooking the ocean, and could even see the Hakodate mountain ropeway from the bathroom. The futons were put away each morning and laid out again between 7-8pm. Breakfast was lovely, with a good mix of Japanese and Western food and amazing desserts. Making our own kaisendon at the station was a fun highlight, and the food was all great quality. Dinner buffet can be added on the day, but we missed the teppanyaki because it needs to be booked three days in advance. I wish that had been mentioned when we booked. Luckily, there was a great Gengiskan grill nearby. We’d happily come back.

We wished we’d gotten up earlier for the lovely breakfast spread. Dinner at the hotel restaurant was exquisite, and our ocean-facing room had a semi-outdoor bath and a towel heating rack in the bathroom. Yunokawa Prince Hotel is a charming onsen resort with everything needed for a quiet day of rest and recharge.

The onsen was great, and the service was top tier. The only snag was the centrally controlled A/C, so we couldn't adjust the room temperature ourselves. It felt a little too warm at first, though it cooled down after midnight and we had a great stay. This hotel was so good that I'm already looking forward to coming back to Hakodate and Japan. I hope it gets its 5-star rating, and I'll see you again next year!

We used it as a base for day trips around Hakodate, and it worked perfectly for that. The rooms were spacious, the staff were wonderful, and the views were lovely. There was a great range of tasty food, along with excellent amenities and top tier onsens and saunas.