Hotel Neuschloss Otaru

It’s a peaceful, lovely hotel, but you can’t really get there without a car. We slept very well in a spacious room, and the private onsen was clean and well maintained. Both dinner and breakfast were great. The restaurant staff were attentive and helpful, especially a waiter in a black suit, mask, and glasses. We’ll come back.

We booked the complimentary shuttle and found it super convenient. The half-board option is worth considering too, dinner was an experience and didn’t disappoint. This was hands down the best hotel we’ve ever booked. It’s perched on top of a cliff, and having a private Onsen in the room overlooking the Ocean was pure bliss. If you want to get away, I’d recommend it to anyone. We’d come back in a heartbeat!

The public baths were wonderful: towels were provided, and there was a sauna, cold bath, and indoor and outdoor baths looking out over the sea. We visited in late November and are hoping to return in warmer weather when the observing deck is open. The shuttle was easy to use and took about 15 minutes from Otaru station. Be sure to reserve ahead. Our room was clean, and we chose one with a hot bath in the room. It was a bit too hot for me, though my partner thought it was just right. The dining room was elegant and served local flavors. Chamara, our waiter, looked after us really well at dinner and breakfast. The hotel service was the best I’ve had in a long time.

The private onsen was great, and the service we received was also very good. Still, we came away with mixed feelings because of the food. We booked a decent room with dinner and lunch service, but the meals were the worst food of our ten-day trip. The dishes looked great, but I couldn’t enjoy the flavors. They seemed balanced, yet the quality was below mediocre. The strawberries were hard and sour, the coffee was terrible, and even the croissant was worse than one from an ordinary Japanese bakery. Given how high the general quality of Japanese food is, I was surprised to find food this bad in Japan.