Hoshinoya OMO7 Asahikawa: Enjoy the hospitality of Hokkaido's animals

It has been eight years since my last visit to Hokkaido. The impression Hokkaido gave me was that of a kingdom of snow. This time I also chose to go in winter because my family has always wanted to go to Japan to see snow, and when it comes to seeing snow, Hokkaido naturally comes to my mind. In the past few years, I have also stayed at Hoshinoya Group hotels in various places for reporting, but I have never had the opportunity to report at the Hoshinoya Hotel in Hokkaido, so I seized this opportunity to feel and experience the local Hoshinoya Group hotels. We stayed in two Hoshinoya Group hotels on this trip, the first of which was OMO7 Asahikawa in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. Speaking of the OMO series, last September was the first time I stayed at OMO Otsuka in Tokyo for a reporting trip. This time left me with a very good impression of this brand. Different from other brands of Hoshinoya Group, OMO series is an urban tourism brand. In addition to hotels, it also allows you to learn more about and go on an in-depth tour of the area. OMO's bases are also in major cities. OMO7 Asahikawa was formerly the Asahikawa Grand Hotel and is the earliest hotel in the OMO series. During the reconstruction, the original red brick exterior walls and main structure of the building were retained, and only the interior was redecorated. The hotel was positioned as a hotel that combines the animal imagery of Asahiyama Zoo as its main axis, giving the old building a brand new look. Many people are also curious about the meaning of the numbers following OMO. In fact, the numbers at the end represent the hotel's facilities and types of services. The larger the number, the higher the level and the more services are provided. Currently, there are four levels in Japan, namely OMO1, OMO3, OMO5, and OMO7. The OMO7 Asahikawa where we stayed this time is also the highest level among them. As soon as you walk into the hotel lobby of OMO7 Asahikawa, your eyes will be attracted by these cute animals. It turns out that this design was created jointly by the hotel and Asahikawa Zoo. Every corner of the hotel is filled with traces of animals, perfectly interpreting the animal capital of "Asahikawa". OMO7 Asahikawa Hall is also known as OMO Base. The space is planned as: hall, counter, rest area, merchandise area, Go-KINJO MAP and book tunnel. OMO7 Asahikawa holds an Asahiyama Zoo lecture every night, sharing the history and little secrets of the zoo with children and adults in the venue. Seeing the children and even adults in the venue are very excited, the whole lecture is very lively! This time I came to Hokkaido with my family of five, and the hotel very carefully arranged two rooms for me. The first room is about 27-30.3m² in size and has 3 beds of 110×195cm in size. The room is equipped with a large sofa and a large locker under the bed. It is recommended for 2 to 3 people or families with children. The other room is a standard Studio Room, which is approximately 18m² in size and has two beds measuring 110×195cm in size, arranged in an L-shape. It is a small room that is full of delightful functions. OMO 7 Asahikawa has a large public bath and sauna. Once you enter the public bath, you will feel that there is plenty of space. The hotel also arranged for me to enjoy their buffet breakfast. I really like the design of the restaurant. The high ceiling and dark green design make it look very retro and high-end, with a full sense of space. From 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., this place will be transformed into a cafe and bar, and will also provide many special foods and desserts. This time the hotel also specially prepared their signature strawberry parfait for me, with marshmallows covering the strawberries and parfait, creating a very cute dessert, perfect for checking in! OMO 7 Asahikawa 𥚃 also provides OMO Ranger surrounding guides. In the OMO series of hotels, you will definitely see this nearby map GO KINJO, which is filled with recommendations for tourists to visit nearby specialty restaurants and shops. This time, the guide introduced the "Explore Local Food" route to my family and me. We explored an old restaurant called "Yakitori Senmon Ginneko" which opened in 1957 and is a skewer specialty store. Although the store is not very big, the staff are very enthusiastic. The guide recommended that we must try the Xinzi barbecue chicken, and it was indeed very delicious, with juicy and tender meat, which was unforgettable. In the store, we met an uncle who was a fellow diner and chatted with us. He also gave my father some of his sake. In addition to tasting the local flavors in these small stores, one can also experience the local people's humanity. The guide reminded us not to eat too much because there was a delicious ramen restaurant called "Hachiya" next door, which we certainly couldn't miss. "Bee House" has a history of more than 70 years. The store is filled with signatures of many celebrities, which shows that it is very popular. Located in a cold region, in order to prevent the soup from getting cold, the ramen is covered with a layer of lard to keep it warm, which has become the biggest feature of Asahikawa Shoyu Ramen. On the second day of the trip, we took a special car arranged by the hotel directly to Asahiyama Zoo (about 20 minutes drive from the hotel, free bus/reservation required). The ecology and behavior of animals that can only be seen here in winter is also a famous attraction in Asahikawa. The white zoo with snow and various animals is so cute. The entire Asahiyama Zoo is vast, and those who have plenty of time can spend a whole day there. The must-see activity here is the "Penguin Walk", which is held twice a day at (11:00 am/14:30 pm). You can watch the penguins walking at a very close distance, it's so cute! For dinner on the second night, the hotel arranged for us to have dinner at Robata no Yukara. The store's specialty is Robatayaki (炉端焼き). Robatayaki is a local Hokkaido dish where seafood, vegetables and other ingredients are grilled right in front of the customers. The fresh seafood from Hokkaido is grilled over charcoal fire to create a fragrant dish. Not only is the flavor excellent, but watching the grilling process is also a pleasure. This three-day, two-night OMO7 Asahikawa trip allowed me to get to know Asahikawa better. I have always liked the OMO brand of Hoshino, which provides excellent hotel services at an acceptable price. OMO7 Asahikawa is a city sightseeing hotel where you can experience the unique culture of Asahikawa and enjoy the atmosphere of Hokkaido. OMO 7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts 9 Rokujo, Asahikawa-shi, Hokkaido, Japan 070-0036 +81 50 3134 8096 Service hours 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. IG: hirokihong #Overseas travel#trip#Relax#Japanese food#Food tour#Hokkaido