Hotel Parkway

The value for the price is incredible, and I’d highly recommend staying here. It’s a cute, old-school ryokan with indoor and outdoor onsen pools separated by sex, plus a mixed outdoor pool in a completely separate area. That one is very hot, but probably lovely in colder weather.

The food is genuinely good, and the beautiful lake is only about a 15-minute drive away, probably the closest hotel to it. That makes the stay worthwhile, though it is a bit pricey, perhaps because of the location. Nearby hotels all seem costly. Smaller hotels in Hokkaido often don't have air conditioning, but here the windows also lack insect screens, so we couldn't open them. The toilet and bath are shared too.

The staff were really nice, and breakfast was simple but good. Our room was basic, though it had what we needed. The onsen was calming and clean, but the shared outdoor bath was so hot that it was barely possible to dip your legs in.

We hardly had the outdoor onsen to ourselves in the evening, and the Japanese garden around it was lovely. Men and women use that bath together, and we really enjoyed it. We also upgraded dinner, which turned out to be a great call. The fish was incredibly fresh and tasty, deep-fried before being served with a delicious sauce. It may be the best dinner I've had at an onsen hotel so far. The hotel was better than I expected.