Sapporo
A little slice of mountain life a stone's throw from Susukino – you can use the climbing wall to get to the 2nd-floor dorms instead of the stairs –…
Must-see hotels in Hokkaidō
Hokkaidō
Up the hill from the port, this immaculately clean pension with a big 'U-ni-!' sign has Western-style twin rooms. Meals include local seafood; rates with…
Hokkaidō
A cross between a youth hostel and a ryokan, this mountain lodge near the lower terminal of the ropeway offers comfortable Japanese- and Western-style…
Hokkaidō
This unique spot in the Ainu kotan at the southern end of Kussharo-ko is run by Ainu musician Atuy. It has just a handful of rooms decorated with…
Niseko
Not for the budget minded, the AYA Niseko is there when you need to splurge and pamper yourself. Parents will love the kiddie playroom, and heck, they'll…
New Tomakomai Prince Hotel "Wa~Nagomi~"
Hokkaidō
With a Zen-inspired entry and a breakfast that is worthy of spots several times the price, the Prince Nagomi is a true find. Though it has business hotel…
Hokkaidō
This new hostel offers great service, friendly staff, and dorm bunks that have solid privacy curtains and still smell like fresh cut wood. It's got a big…
Hokkaidō
Make the most of your foray into the mountains: this inn, only open 123 days each year, is like staying at a mountain hut without having to walk five…
Hokkaidō
This old-style resort is the fanciest spot in town and sprawls over three buildings. The honkan (main hall) rooms are the cheapest but don't have lake…
Kushiro-shitsugen Tōro Youth Hostel
Hokkaidō
This hostel, run partly on solar power, was designed with birdwatchers in mind. A porch (partly glassed in) looks directly over the marshes and there are…
Hokkaidō
Run by local adventure guide Watanabe Toshiya, Rera Mosir is the best place on the island for active types – whether you're here to climb Rishiri-zan in…
Otarunai Backpackers' Hostel Morinoki
Otaru
While the sights of Otaru can be done in a day, if you're looking for somewhere to hole up for a few, this is a fantastic choice. Morinoki is an old,…
Hokkaidō
Conveniently located just a few minutes' walk from the Kitanomine Gondola, this is a great spot for skiers and active types. Backpackers are well catered…
Otaru
When Ginrinsō was constructed in 1873 it was among the most lavish of the herring estates. In 1938 it was relocated to a bluff overlooking Ishikari Bay…
Hokkaidō
The standard Japanese inn-style rooms are basic, but what you're here for is the chance to spend some time learning about the Ainu, the indigenous people…
Hokkaidō
Part Lost Boys hideaway, part loopy summer camp, Momoiwa-sō is a very special place, which you will either love or hate. It has very strict rules, but…
Hokkaidō
The nicer of the two Prince hotels offers comfortable, classy, though not terribly stylish, rooms, decent restaurants and efficient service – all at the…
Toipirka Kitaobihiro Youth Hostel
Hokkaidō
A great place to break for the night is this attractive log house with a hammock on the front porch and cosy sofas around a wood stove in the lounge. The…
Sapporo
This is a popular backpackers' spot with all the fixings: friendly, bilingual staff, clean rooms with modern bunks, private lockers, free coffee and tea,…
Niseko
The world's only ski-in, ski-out capsule hotel, Moiwa Lodge 834, in front of the Moiwa lifts, is popular with powder hounds who have no patience for the…
Hokkaidō
Marumi prides itself on its gut-busting seafood banquets, making this a good choice if you've worked up a calorie deficit in the mountains. The Japanese…
Sapporo
Located on a side street near the entrance to the Hokkaidō University Botanical Garden, a 10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station, this charming Japanese…
Niseko
This is Japan's only train station minshuku (family-run guesthouse) and it is wonderfully eccentric. It's literally part of tiny JR Hirafu Station: to…
Niseko
The Hilton enjoys the best location of all – it is quite literally attached to the Niseko Gondola. Spacious Western-style rooms are complemented by a…
Noboribetsu Onsen
This sprawling onsen hotel, with its escalators and kiosks and constant buzz, feels a bit like a gaily decorated airport terminal. That's not meant to be…
Hokkaidō
Six minutes' walk west of JR Naka-Furano Station (not JR Furano Station) at the top of the hill, this hostel occupies a big farmhouse overlooking the…
Sapporo
This is one of Sapporo's new hipster hostels – think raw wood and concrete – inside an old unagi (eel) shop a minute's walk from the subway. The rooms,…
Sapporo International Youth Hostel
Sapporo
This oddly upmarket youth hostel – which looks like a modern apartment building – is great value, though it's a little out of the way. Both Western- and…
Noboribetsu Onsen
Not many temples look like an office building, but this one does! The entrance is on the ground floor, the temple rooms are on floor two, and the priest's…
Sapporo
If you're a man of simple needs who doesn't get scared easily by small spaces, this XY chromosome–only capsule hotel offers your standard berth plus a…
Hokkaidō
Among the fields of Biei's pretty Patchwork Road, charming Potato-no-Oka, though small, has a big variety of accommodation, including dorm rooms, private…
Hokkaidō
Expect a warm welcome at this humble wooden hostel, a 10-minute walk uphill from the bus station. There are bunk-bed dorms and a few private family rooms …
Hokkaidō
This is a cosy place in Rausu Onsen, just a few kilometres inland on the road to Utoro. The Japanese-style rooms with private facilities are spacious,…
Niseko
In an 80-year-old converted schoolhouse, former classrooms now house dorms and concerts are held regularly in the gymnasium. Friendly owners Max and Yūko…
Hokkaidō
This friendly, family-run place is in the middle of the village, straight down from the ropeway terminal. There are nature photos everywhere and the meals…
Hokkaidō
The owner of this simple, family-run place is a keen traveller and extends a warm welcome to foreign guests. Rooms are tatami or Western, with shared…
Sapporo
Established in 1934 as the first European-style hotel in Sapporo, this grand old dame now occupies three adjacent buildings that lie at the southeast…
Niseko
This utilitarian block is in need of an overhaul and we hope it never happens – because this is currently the most economical ski-in, ski-out option left…
Clione Guesthouse & Campground
Hokkaidō
Named after the area's celebrity mollusc, this lovely campground and guesthouse offers an inexpensive overnight on the outskirts of Shari. It is quite…
Hokkaidō
This long-running traveller favourite has a great location near the harbour, and is within walking distance of Motomachi. The owners speak English and are…
