UCHI Living Stay Otaru Suitengu

The rooms are surprisingly large for the price, and the toilet and shower area is spacious too. It’s well equipped with a washing machine, kitchen stove, and what looks like laundry detergent, so it seems the operators have taken earlier feedback on board. The main issue indoors is that you can’t run the room heater and water heater at the same time. I’d give it four stars, but the quirks held me back. There’s no on-site service, and check-in help is all by phone or video call. That can save costs, but if the video call fails, tourists may have trouble calling the local Japanese landline for help with issues or the room entry code. I had a SIM card and was able to call. Maybe a permanent Zoom or Google Meet option could help, though I’m not sure. The location is close to the main shopping area, but the hill is steep and parking on the lower floor isn’t great. People with mobility issues or no car may want to reconsider. I don’t see an easy way to improve that without moving the hotel.

The place had a lot of space and the amenities helped make our stay comfortable. Check-in was self-service, with clear instructions sent by email, and the staff member replying to my chat questions was quick to respond. They also let us come back to retrieve something we’d left behind. It’s walkable to the shopping street, and a drying rack was provided. There weren’t enough pillows, but we managed. The living room and bedrooms shown in the photos look modern and renovated, while other areas are quite old. It didn’t really feel like a two-bedroom: there were two rooms divided by a sliding door, and one room had no door. There was no bedside table. Each time we used water, a loud noise came from what sounded like a "generator." Parking took some effort because the access path was narrow and the space itself rather small.

It felt cozy and homelike, with plenty of space and a clean interior. We had a great stay and would recommend it. Check-in was straightforward for us; after filling in the guest information in advance, the whole process took about three minutes.

Room 202 is the first room on the main floor, close to the lift, so you can hear people coming and going. The accommodation itself was very tidy and clean. Check-in was simple: a video call with the host gave us the door code. The free parking was outdoors. The washer was useful, and there was a drying rack and plenty of hangers; the AC also has a mode for drying clothes.