Hotel Tokeidai

I found the rooms clean and spotless, with comfortable beds and linens. I stayed in two rooms through Agoda, one non-smoking and one smoking. In my experience, the smoke smell mentioned in some other reviews wasn’t there, so check which room type you book. The rooms are small, though, with little room to open a large suitcase, and the shower area is tight. You get the basics like shampoo, body wash, a toothbrush and conditioner. There’s a small dining space, but I never saw anyone eating there. Getting around was easy. I walked from Sapporo station through the snow with a big suitcase in about seven minutes, and Odori park and subway stations are also an easy walk away. The room next to the elevator was quiet, with good soundproofing. I met three male staff members and one woman, and all were kind and willing to help. Check-in was easy, though the lobby and reception are up a winding flight of stairs, which could be awkward with luggage. You have to leave your key whenever you go out, and the doors still use regular knobs. There’s a coin washer and dryer, but you need 100¥ coins. The washer costs 200¥ and runs for 36 minutes. The instructions mention 50¥ for detergent, though I think detergent was already included in the washer price. Drying cost 300¥ and took an hour and a half, but my clothes were still damp afterward. The laundry instructions weren’t clear even with Google Translate, and I kept having to ask staff what to do. I wish they were in English. There’s no bottled water, so I asked the counter for tap water to drink. A microwave is available in the lobby.