Hotel Mahoroba

The private-onzen room was clean and spacious, though its bath could have used more cleaning. Breakfast and dinner buffets were average and repetitive. The one clear plus was unlimited snow crab legs at dinner. Some staff were friendly, and I might have rated service higher if not for what happened at the front desk. The night before checkout, we asked two male staff to reserve three seats on the shuttle to Sapporo. They rudely said it was full without checking. We then asked for help booking a taxi, since taxis here can't be reserved through Uber or Booking.com, and they immediately refused. When we asked the next morning, the shuttle wasn't full, but by then we'd bought bus tickets to Sapporo. We explained what we'd been told, and the woman at the counter seemed confused and repeated that the bus wasn't full. It was disheartening. The two men's attitude made it seem as if they didn't want to help foreigners. In a hotel that sees many foreign guests, I hope they show more professionalism and patience.

We chose Mahoroba for its reasonably priced stay and good online rating, since this time we mainly needed somewhere to spend the night after visiting the aquarium. Its location worked well, just a five-minute walk from the shopping street. Though it hosts lots of tour groups, this large onsen hotel kept things running smoothly. The baths are a real strength, with several mineral pools including sulphur, iron, and salt, a variety that seems less common among Noboribetsu onsen hotels. That's a big draw if the baths are what matters most to you. Dinner had a wide range of choices, including crabs. Breakfast could have offered a better selection.

We wanted to try a private onsen, and the room delivered. There was a special door, a large room, and a lovely view over the noboribetsu area. The minibar was free and had beer, cider, and dessert. We took the train there instead of waiting for the shuttle, since the shuttle timing would have meant arriving at checkout and we wanted more time during our one-night stay. The train was easy, though you need to take a bus from noboribetsu status, which might involve a wait. You can pay cash on the bus. From the onsen, the bear park, river, and other places are within walking distance. We booked the shuttle back to Sapporo and paid the hotel directly at check-in. There are some nice restaurants and a dessert shop nearby. Breakfast and dinner buffets were included, nothing special, but with everything closing early we weren't going to skip them. There are a few vegetarian dishes, though not many, and you can buy drinks like beer there. I'd recommend it for the experience.

The suite's private onsen gave us more room to rest and relax, and the minibar and drinks were included too. This nice hotel has the biggest onsen in Noboribetsu. Our package also came with good breakfast and dinner buffets. It was just right for a restful stay in the area.