Fairfield by Marriott Hokkaido Minamifurano

The hotel is stylish throughout, with rooms that feel especially suited to adults, and we appreciated the coffee service and frozen bread and other items, which Naganuma didn’t have. I did notice guests with small children and wondered how they managed the showers, since there isn’t even a place to sit. I stayed here on the way back from Kamifurano. It felt like a long drive through the mountains, and the hotel was a bit farther away than I expected, but the nature around it made for a relaxing stay.

There’s barely anywhere to put your things in the room, with no wardrobe or sensible storage. The bathroom setup is awkward too: the mirror makes the toothbrush and tissues hard to reach, and the hand soap is a long way from the sink. The room itself is very new, but the design doesn’t seem to have paid much attention to practical details. Even with soundproofed windows, we could hear cars roaring past at night. Drivers seemed to ignore the speed limit, so the noise was worse at night than during the day.

We came with family for a summer Hokkaido road trip and stayed here so we could drive to the Unkai Terrace gondola in the morning. It’s about 30 minutes away, and the location worked perfectly. We even got back and had a two hour rest before checkout. The hotel feels luxurious and is very comfortable for the price and location, with a great bed, views of the misty mountains, and wonderful staff. At check-in, we got a full tour in perfect English. There’s no restaurant, but there’s a coffee machine and microwave downstairs, and a nearby Seicomart has ready meals, snacks, and drinks.

The room was thoughtfully laid out, with the toilet separate from the shower. We slept comfortably, the water pressure was good, and it was very quiet. The hotel is brand new and spotless, with plenty of parking and friendly, efficient staff. There’s no restaurant, but you can buy food at the hotel or at the nearby Seicomart, my favourite Hokkaido kombini, then reheat it using the facilities there. The app operated laundry costs JPY 300 for a wash, detergent included, and drying is JPY 100 for 20 minutes.