Kushiro Century Castle Hotel

We only planned one night in Kushiro, but the hospitality at Kushiro Century Castle Hotel made us wish we could stay longer. The room was spacious and had a lovely view of Kushiro River. There were lots of complimentary extras, including 12 kinds of pillows, bath salts, an aroma bar, and tasty venison curry served in the lounge. It was great value for money, and we'll stay again if we come back to Kushiro.

The staff were welcoming, and the hotel is close enough to Nusamai bridge to walk there. In the evening, the lounge serves complimentary wine, soft drinks, and venison curry rice. Breakfast has four choices: seafood bowl, beef steak bowl, Japanese cuisine with shabu or steamed beef, and Western cuisine. There's also a small buffet with fresh vegetables and salad, milk, yogurt, soup, cereal, desserts, and drinks including wine. We chose the roasted beef steak bowl. The beef was lean, a little dry and not chewy, and the garlic sauce tasted great. Our room was large, with a relaxing area and a sea view, though the style felt a bit old and traditional. The hotel was inexpensive for the room size, services, facilities, and location. It had everything we needed, including shampoo, conditioner, bath salts from around the world, and aroma oils to choose from in the lobby.

Our rooms were great, and the location made it an easy seven-minute walk to the restaurant district. Kowdi at reception was amazing, so helpful and understanding of our dining requirements, and her English was excellent. She's a credit to the hotel. This was the best hotel of our 21-day tour of Hokkaido. We loved it.

The complimentary drinks, coffee, and hot soup were nice, and venison curry was served from 7:30 to 9:00. Breakfast is a set meal, and you have to choose it when checking in. The television was a good 40 inches, larger than the usual 32-inch sets in traditional Japanese hotels, but there's no public bath with soaking facilities. The hotel is old but fairly well maintained, with traditional room keys. The internet was extremely slow and frustrating.