La'gent Stay Sapporo Oodori Hokkaido

I don’t hand out five stars easily. To me, three means the hotel met the bar and was perfectly acceptable, with whatever caveats it had. This one earned five. It was such an easy place to stay that the room, service, and location all came together. The location puts you right in the heart of Sapporo, next to a subway line. There’s even a Family Mart entrance straight from the lobby, so you can pop in without going outside. The rooms had great temperature control, a good bathroom, a smart TV, and welcome water. Each one also had its own private WiFi. The hotel onsen was convenient and really nice. The TV showed its opening hours and how busy it was. It wasn’t a focus of our trip, but we ended up using it because it was so easy to get to. I felt right at home, and the whole stay made a great welcome to Sapporo. Every other hotel I stayed at during this Japan trip left me thinking I might look around next time. At La’gent, I’ll stay here every time I’m in Sapporo.

The breakfast had a wide range of choices, including almost every Hokkaido specialty you could think of, and the hotel had plenty of coin-operated laundry machines. Its public bath isn’t huge, but the interior is distinctive and stylish. It’s in a great spot, just one street from Tanukikoji Shopping Street, with an airport shuttle stop nearby. A taxi from Sapporo Station is around 1,000 yen. The best convenience is the direct entrance from the lobby to a FamilyMart, handy for snacks and everyday essentials any time. With the location and amenities, it’s good value and I’d recommend it.

Our group of four booked a larger room with three regular beds and a bunk, so it could sleep five. Room 1111 also had a pretty good downtown view, and it felt like good value for money. I went to the onsen four times during our three-night stay, three times at night and once in the morning. The screen showing how busy it was came in handy. There are two onsens that switch between men and women from night to morning, and I’d recommend trying both since the interiors have different looks and moods. One has a big lantern and simple traditional details; the other has a high ceiling and sculpture art around the room. I also liked the free facial moisturiser and cleanser the hotel provides.

Having a FamilyMart right below the hotel was extremely handy. The stay itself was great and impressive, though the onsen area felt too small for all the guests. There weren’t enough showers, and the bath was small, so we had to wait in line to use the facilities.