the b sapporo

We found it easy to explore downtown Sapporo from here, with everything within walking distance. That came in handy for working off all the Hokkaido ice cream we couldn’t resist. The hotel staff were really friendly, too. The bus from Chitose Airport stops right across the street, and we’d like to try other B Sapporo branches around Japan.

The few things I appreciated were the hot drinking water, coffee, and tea available around the clock on the ground floor, plus complimentary biscuits each day. They were a nice little treat after a tiring day of shopping. The breakfast was awful, well below what I’d expect at a typical Japanese business hotel, and the dining room felt cramped. During my stay, a large group of elderly Korean guests seemed to smoke heavily. Whenever they came into the restaurant, the smell of cigarettes filled the place and made the meal even less pleasant. At the front desk, the male staff member always seemed in a rush, so there was basically no service. I can only give service one star.

Hina was a huge help when I was trying to sort out bus reservations, and went well beyond what I expected. The room was great, with a desk that worked well for getting work done and Wi-Fi that handled Zoom meetings. The coffee machine came in handy too, and the location was great.

The room felt cramped, especially in winter, and the shared sitting area was small. I didn’t see a proper luggage scale, either. There was no CCTV in the lift or corridor, and anyone could ride up with you after you tapped in, which felt unsafe. The location was okay, and honestly the only good point. Even the toiletries set out by the counter felt like they didn’t want guests taking them.