Noboribetsu Sekisuitei

The buffet was the one bright spot. The rest of the hotel needs urgent renovation. It’s old, the facilities are worn, and the lights are dim. Mold and a funky smell were everywhere, from the room to the corridor and onsen, and we saw lots of bugs around the lift waiting area. I really wouldn’t recommend coming here.

The staff were friendly and helpful, which was the one saving grace. But the room was filthy, with a musty, mouldy smell, stained curtains, a dusty cupboard, and dirty, mouldy toilets. At over 300 SGD per night, it felt overpriced and overrated. I don’t understand why Agoda rates it 4 stars. We felt cheated when we got to the room. The buffet breakfast and dinner menu repeated throughout the 5D4N we stayed.

If you’ve never seen sulphur springs, perhaps the trip and inconvenience could be worthwhile. But if you live somewhere with sulphur springs, this stay isn’t worth the time or money. Yellowstone would be a much better all-around experience, or you could choose another onsen location for a better onsen visit. Honestly, I can’t say we got good value for what we paid. I was here with my family, and the food was mediocre at best for the prices, even by American standards. It was comparable to an Asian version of Best Western. We also encountered quite a bit of what felt like xenophobia toward tourists. For instance, couples and families can book a private onsen for an hour through the front desk, but we were offered different, less desirable times than other people.

I booked a stay at Noboribetsu Sekisuitei in a “Japanese Style” tatami room. The first impression on our floor was the nauseating cigarette smoke smell, which was also in the room. I don’t smoke and have lived with smokers before, so I know tobacco and nicotine smells. This was different. It seemed like cigarette oil had built up on every corner, and even the enclosed shower area was pungent. The soundproofing seemed destroyed by acidic cigarette fumes too. We could hear things in the corridor and neighboring rooms, even faint footsteps, with both room doors shut. We asked reception if another room was available and were told there was. We came back with our luggage six minutes later, and then they said the hotel was fully booked because many visitors had checked in while we were away. It was only 16:30, and more tour buses were still arriving. So I had to stay in the smoky room. I’m an experienced traveler who has stayed in hotels and resorts in many countries, and I don’t usually write public reviews about subpar accommodation. I’m East Asian in appearance, speak basic Japanese, and have visited Japan several times, so I know the usual mannerisms. We’d paid for a “Ryokan Dinner,” only to discover it was a buffet. The drinks from the dispenser were watered down and served in small glasses, so getting refills meant frequent trips. Once, while I was in line to refill my drink, a waiter confronted and lectured me about how Japanese people usually sit down to eat and drink, making strange squatting motions in the hallway. Then he confronted and visibly mocked a foreign guest who couldn’t find the “Water” button because it was written in Japanese without a translation. He waited around to see if he could do the same to me when it was my turn. We booked a private onsen while checking in. The receptionist offered 6pm or 8pm, and we chose 8pm explicitly. When we arrived for that booking, we were shown to a private room and started undressing. A staff member soon knocked loudly and told us to leave. Two Japanese guests were ushered in after us. A different receptionist said our booking was at 6pm and the onsen was now full. I don’t know how this mix-up happened, since we’d booked with staff who spoke decent English. They wouldn’t let me speak to a manager or get a refund. The reception clerk offered a free session at 11pm, while a colleague in a nearby room complained loudly to him in Japanese. There were plenty more problems, including yellow liquid stains on the quilts, jaded staff, dark corridors, and crying babies on the floor below that we could hear through the shower drain. The contrast with everything else Hokkaido has to offer was jarring. Discrimination, lies, and deteriorating hardware were what I found after paying to stay here. If you’re considering a booking and want to find out how far your sanity can be pushed in a Japanese-themed xenophobia horror funhouse, I gladly invite you to stay at Noboribetsu Sekisuitei.