Ten to Ten 04 Sapporo Station

It’s a small place with mixed dorm bunk beds, but mine was really comfortable and super clean. Everyone was nice, and people stayed quiet and respectful at night, so I could fall asleep easily even though sleeping somewhere unfamiliar can be hard for me. There’s a locker for valuables. Big bags can go in a small, open storage area, so it’s not locked; use a lock on your case if you have one. I’d expect theft to be rare even without one, but the property says it isn’t responsible for anything lost or stolen, so it’s at your own risk. The shower and bathroom stalls each lock from the inside. The bathroom has free small toiletries, including cotton swabs, toothpaste, and a toothbrush, plus a shared hair dryer. There’s a little caddy by the shower for your things. The common area has a decent number of comfortable seats, a small café, and free self-serve water. They sell curry that smelled delicious, though I didn’t get to try it because my visit was so short. It’s very close to the station and about a 15-20 minute walk from Odori park. Great for budget travel, and I’d definitely come back to Sapporo. I’m a smoker, and there’s no smoking indoors. There is a small ashtray and smoking spot right by the entrance, which was really handy when I got back late.

The clean beds and location right beside Sapporo station made for a wonderful stay. There’s no elevator, so I wouldn’t suggest it for families with kids. Reception is unattended, but at check-in you just verify yourself with staff over a video call. Both check-in and checkout went smoothly. I’ll definitely come back if I visit Hokkaido again.

The beds and small common area were clean and well kept, but the place didn’t look like the pictures. It has potential, yet feels like it’s being left unused. Check-in is online and there’s no staff on site, so there’s no supervision. I’m not sure how it got its rating. Your experience depends a lot on who you share the 20-person dorm with. We weren’t lucky: some people had poor manners, made lots of noise, and took calls on speaker. We were glad to stay only two nights. There’s no kitchen either, just a little coffee shop that’s open from 16:00 to 17:30.

I stayed at this hostel 10 years ago and liked it a lot, but it’s gone downhill since. Check-in through an iPad and a Filipino call center was difficult. I had questions and small requests they didn’t really understand, and having no staff on site takes away from the atmosphere. Giving the whole social space to a curry restaurant makes it worse. Why call it a hostel if you drop the things people expect from one? There’s also nowhere to make coffee in the morning. The curry shop opens late, there aren’t any convenience stores nearby, and it’s extremely cold here, so getting a warm morning coffee is a real hassle. Any other hotel or hostel in Japan would have thought of that.