Otaru Hostels

Book a dormitory on my Navi Travel. １night ２１００ yen. Pay at T point. Location is the intersection of Sun Mall shopping street and Bank of Japan Street. Lawson is in the building. ３ There is a reception on the floor and you can get up by elevator. It has just opened in ２０１８ years １０ months and the facilities are new. ３ The shared space on the floor is large. The explanation of the inn at the reception was polite. Especially, I forgot the password number of the key of the door of the room, and I was strongly told that I would not put it in the room because there was no staff after ０ in the morning (when I lost the paper written). Towels and toothbrushes are paid. Kitchen and refrigerator can be used.

A delightful hostel run by students from the local Otaru University of Commerce. I had originally imagined this place to be a shabby student dig but the property, a newly renovated house once lived by the CEO of a local company, was better equipped and maintained than some of the hotels I stayed in the centre of this town. As I felt tad too old for a dormitory experience (I had enough of that at school) I opted to stay in a single room. Even in the coldest of seasons the room was warm and cozy, and the bed was comfortable and clean. If you are safety-minded you could ask for a room key, though I found this totally unnecessary as there was always someone looking after the house. There is a large kitchen you can use to prepare food, and unless you are looking to indulge in heavy cooking the facility is more than adequate, and in the living room there was a low table and a kotatsu, a Japanese table with the under-the-table heater and a blanket. You can’t experience this in a hotel normally but it is a traditional winter fixture in Japanese homes. An added bonus of staying here was the chance to speak to the students about their life in Otaru. It was a welcome change to the bland experience I had gotten used to staying in a hotel, and a priceless experience spending time with the young local entrepreneurs.

The whole room is said to be a hundred years of renovation, so some places feel very old traces, fortunately the bathroom beds are also completely renovated, living is still quite comfortable. The first floor has a living room and a fully equipped kitchen filled with retro furnishings and appliances, but the toilet door on the outside is a glass-lined door so the light can be seen clearly when it is opened. There are service staff who can speak Chinese, English and Japanese with the parking lot, which is closer to Nanxiao Temple Station than Otaru, and there are many restaurants nearby.

Nice location very easy to find. Staff was friendly and efficient. Craft beer and food were delicious. Besides having four beers on tap they also have a fridge with bottles and cans of craft beer. Food menu had many selections to choose from.