Bourou NOGUCHI Noboribetsu - Adult Only

The meals were a real highlight during our two nights in Hokkaido, with some of the best dinners we had on the trip. The chef team prepared everything with care and made a cooked alternative for my special request to avoid raw seafood. The service was warm and thoughtful from the moment we arrived, and the relaxing onsen atmosphere made our family stay feel special. We have wonderful memories from this visit and would recommend the hotel to anyone coming to Hokkaido.

The hotel feels old inside, and I found the food pretty mediocre, so I don't think it meets five-star standards. More seriously, I became unwell shortly after eating the dinner provided here. Within a couple of hours I was vomiting severely and had diarrhea about every two hours through the night. The symptoms came on so soon after the meal that I strongly suspect it may have caused them. I know food safety problems can happen anywhere, but this was a very serious experience and management should look carefully into food preparation and hygiene to help prevent this happening to future guests.

This is an older, traditional-style ryokan, so it may not suit you if you're after something fresh or contemporary. Service was polite and okay. If you have dietary restrictions or foods you avoid, tell the hotel well ahead of time. They can't make changes at the last minute.

The dinner service completely changed my first impression. I'd stayed at many five-star hotels and eaten at Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, and on arrival I thought this might be the best hotel of my Japan trip. But one of the female servers at our table was impatient and indifferent. She gave little or no explanation for almost every course, and didn't warn us that the stone plate was extremely hot, so we burned our hands. When she did explain things, her tone was cold and impatient, as though we'd offended her. It was shocking and deeply disappointing. For a luxury hotel, I expected management to choose restaurant staff with more professionalism and consideration. A Japanese-French fusion restaurant should put real care into etiquette, attentiveness, and service, but I experienced none of that. This level of service is unacceptable for a high-end hotel.