Hakodate Onuma Tsuruga Resort EPUY

We enjoyed the resort's atmosphere in the middle of Ounuma national park, and the French dinner was good. The only issue was that the front garden was under construction.

The food was a highlight: spectacular French-Japanese fusion made with local ingredients, and they even tell you where each dish's ingredients come from. When my wife asked for a small plate to mark my birthday, the hotel went the extra mile and gave me a gift. We also loved the onsen. There's a public volcanic-water bath, and you can reserve one of the two private baths. After stargazing, my wife and I spent an hour in one to warm up. The hotel is right by Onuma lake and within walking distance of the park. Even in the cold and snow, we spent an afternoon walking the hiking path. Later, we went out onto the hotel's deck by the smaller part of the lake to look for shooting stars. A staff member kindly came out with us and pointed out the best spot to see the constellations we were looking for.

The whole stay felt wonderfully pampering, especially the meals, which were so well done. Everything was clean and provided for, and the room with its own outdoor bath was exactly what I'd dreamed of. I chose that room because I have a tattoo. We visited in winter, and the warm water felt lovely in the cold. Birds were chirping and flying all around. We also went birdwatching near the hotel, which was magical. The place looks like the manor of a very rich grand uncle from the 1920s. Getting there is easy by train from Sapporo Main Station to Onumakoen station, right across from the hotel. You do have to walk around the tracks, so it's about five minutes on foot.

The staff made a great impression. We arrived about an hour before check-in, and one person initially told us we could only check in after 3pm, so I left our luggage and headed out for a drive. A more senior staff member then ran after me to say our room was ready and handled the check-in. He carefully used a phone translation app to go over dietary restrictions, resort facilities, and meal times. Another staff member took us to the room and warned us not to lock ourselves outside when using the outdoor onsen. I appreciated their care and flexibility. We'd booked a room with a private onsen for our first trip to Hokkaido. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting some quiet winter time, soaking in the onsen and enjoying the weather. Stay for at least two or three nights. We'd definitely come back.