Richmond Hotel Sapporo Ekimae

The rooms have a simple, clean look, and the food was nice. I’d rather have breakfast as a buffet than a set meal. For a three-star hotel, I think good basic amenities should be the priority. The water dispenser on every floor and the amenity area beside reception were handy, but after a long day of shopping the lobby had nowhere comfortable to sit, just two large sofas. With friends, I felt stuck in our tiny room with nowhere else to go. That was quite different from my stays at Richmond Hotel Tokyo Schole and Richmond Hotel Sendai Ekimae, which felt much more relaxing and comfortable.

We spent five nights here over New Year’s, and the staff were attentive and quick to offer help. The room was a reasonable size for a couple with two large suitcases. You could have it cleaned daily at no extra cost, and there were washing machines available whenever needed. The daily breakfast option was well worth it. Unused breakfast tickets could be exchanged for gifts like drip coffee packets and local treats. The windows open for fresh air, and reception has amenities such as toothbrushes, bath salts, tea, and mouthwash for guests to take as needed. On checkout day, reception was happy to keep our bags until around 1 p.m., when we came back to collect them.

This is a cost-effective, clean hotel with standard-size rooms and very good staff. Amenities are available to pick up each day at reception. It’s close to many Sapporo attractions, with JR Sapporo station only 300 meters away and the river about a 15-minute walk. Odori park is also around 15 minutes on foot. Trains and local buses are easy to reach, and the hotel is right in the center of some excellent shopping.

The staff were incredibly professional, and both check-in and checkout were easy. The rooms were extremely clean. You can see the care they take in cleaning the mirrors: they use a special formula that leaves part of the giant mirror clear and usable even when the rest fogs up.