Surfeel Hotel Wakkanai

The staff gave us great attention, and the room had a wonderfully comfortable mattress and pillows, plenty of space, and an amazing sea view. Breakfast was the best I've had at a Japanese hotel so far. For the price of a three-star stay, Surfeel felt closer to four or five stars. It isn't luxurious, but it exceeds what I'd expect in its category and made my trip to the edge of Japan especially memorable.

I loved waking up to the sunrise over the harbor and seeing the port lights at night from my sea-view room. The rooms were the biggest I've had in Japan over the past 15 days, with a queen bed and four pillows of different firmness. The hotel isn't new, but it's clean and elegant, with a 90s feel that I personally like. I'm not sure why Google calls it three stars; to me, it's a classic four-star place. Breakfast was a fresh, filling buffet, mostly Asian food with some Western options too. I also had my first dinner at the in-house restaurant An-non, and the quality, freshness, and service were amazing. Thanks to Jessica-san for suggesting it.

The room was clean, with a great view of the sea, and the JR station is within walking distance. The WiFi was fast, the bed had four pillows, and the shower had strong hot water pressure. The hotel is large and keeps an old-fashioned design, but there's no onsen for guests. I wish the window opened so I could get some cool autumn air.

We spent three nights here. The hotel is quiet, just a few minutes' walk from the train station, and our room was clean and spacious. Nearby places to eat, especially for dinner, were hard to find, so we ended up buying food at the mart inside the train station. The hotel restaurant is open, but its prices are on the high side. There's no public hot bath area either.