Hotel Route Inn Tomakomai Ekimae

Right beside the JR station, with a few restaurants nearby. The room was clean and had all the essentials, and the WiFi was good. There’s a hot bath on Level 1, where the restaurant also has plenty of room for diners.

The staff were always helpful, and I’d stay here again on my next visit to Tomakomai. The room was very clean, and this Route-Inn has a small wardrobe, handy for keeping clothes from picking up cigarette smells since we chose a smoking room. It’s quiet despite being near the train station. Restaurants and a mall are within walking distance, and the famous fishing port area is about 20-25mins on foot or a 5-minute drive away. The public bath had enough room and was a little bigger than at some other Route Inn hotels.

The room was roomier than the ones I’ve had in similar hotels, and the price was reasonable. Breakfast was OK, though the choices were somewhat limited, as is generally the case at hotels in this category in Japan. I could bake my own bread. One of the reception staff spoke English pretty well and kindly called the ferry company to make a reservation for me.

A handy spot for the last day, with lots of shopping nearby. It’s right in front of the station, and there’s a bus stop for getting to the mall and around town. You can see Tomakomais industrial roots in the view of the paper factory. A good choice overall.