Hotel Youroushi

Wildlife watching here was far beyond what I expected. You can watch endangered birds from behind glass without disturbing them, in a peaceful setting. I'm not even a big bird person, but I really enjoyed it. The endangered owls appear almost four times a day, mostly at night, and there are nearly ten kinds of other local birds. We also saw foxes and squirrels very close up. It made me not want to leave. For a room, I'd strongly recommend the river-view rooms in the new building. Ours was spacious, with a great layout and an unobstructed view from the bed over the couch. It isn't new, but it's well kept and functional, with a pleasing last-century feel. The whole hotel has underfloor heating, including our room. The private toilet was spacious too, not new but certainly not old, and comfortable to use. Dinner was amazing by hotel standards. The Kichi fish was fried or grilled so well that you could eat the whole head, bones and all, like potato chips. Breakfast was good, though there could have been more sashimi and local ingredients. I appreciated the local milk and dairy choices. The onsen was well designed and enjoyable, with good temperature controls in both the indoor and open-air baths. I could pick different temperatures. The outdoor baths have two levels. The lower one is right by the river and around 37 degrees, so I could lie there for a long time and enjoy the view. Getting down there on a cold winter night takes some nerve, but it's fine after warming up in the large upper bath. The service was warm and genuine, dinner was great, bird watching was fine, the onsen had a good view, and the interior was very clean with vintage rather than old-fashioned design. The onsen itself could be better, and it closed earlier than stated, at 10:50 instead of 11:00. The location is great for seeing wildlife, though a bit plain if I'm looking for something to criticize. This is my favorite stay in Hokkaido so far. I'd give it 4.8, but the rating only lets me choose 4 or 5.

A really nice indoor and outdoor Onsen, and a great spot for birdwatching and photography. The staff were lovely and very service-minded.

The food was all good, and there's free coffee any time. The onsen baths are amazing, with several outdoor ones right in the river. If you're lucky, you can see big owls from the main window. It's a higher-end place to stay and especially good for bird watchers and nature photographers.

I spent two nights here to photograph the Blackiston's fish owl, but unfortunately it never showed up. I did manage to photograph other birds, including solitary Snipe, Japanese tit, marsh tit, Eurasian Jay, and greater spotted woodpecker. The room was surprisingly large, the hotel's service was excellent, and I loved the meals. Both breakfast and dinner had lots of variety and tasted delicious.