Shikotsuko Daiichi Hotel Suizantei

There's a shuttle bus from Sapporo Airport to Lake Shikotsu, and the hotel is less than a five-minute walk from where you get off. The private onsen was excellent, though the view was limited as it's on the first floor and basement. Dinner and breakfast were quite substantial, and the dinner wine list was good, with full bottles of Aramasa sake available.

Extremely satisfied, exceeded my expectations.

Staying here for one night with two meals, featuring Kaiseki cuisine, is a perfect short escape for those who love natural hot springs. My skin felt incredibly smooth for days after soaking! Having a room with a private open-air bath on the balcony was super convenient, though the public baths are also great. In the evening, you can relax in the lounge with complimentary fruit, red wine, or tea. The next morning, I loved getting up early to enjoy a hot tea on the reading room's balcony, watching the gentle dawn light.

Here's a review/guide: 1. Honestly, the location is quite remote. The last bus from Chitose Station is at 4 PM. If you're coming from central Sapporo, you'd probably need to leave by 2 PM. I left at 3:30 PM and missed it, ending up paying 14,000 JPY for an Uber. 2. The service, however, was excellent. Upon arrival, they inform you of dinner times, and for breakfast, you can choose between 7 AM or 9 AM. 3. There's also a 9:30 AM shuttle bus to the airport for 1,300 JPY, but it's annoying that they only accept cash. So, I took the free 11 AM shuttle that dropped me off at Chitose train station instead. 4. You can see a picture of the dinner menu (Photo 1). Breakfast is similar to dinner, just without sashimi and with tofu instead. 5. They mentioned a beautiful sunset, but I didn't get to see it. It's probably best to arrive early. 6. There's a pretty lake nearby. I took a quick look in the morning, and I personally think it would make for great photos, especially if paired with the sunset the hotel mentioned. 7. The onsen (hot spring) is private. I didn't try any others, so I can't comment on them. 8. There really are deer nearby! I saw them twice when they drove me to the station in the morning, but unfortunately, the car was too fast for me to get a picture.

This is a very Japanese-style onsen hotel. I could communicate with the staff using simple English for work-related tasks. The traditional Japanese service was excellent, and it was incredibly quiet. The tatami mats were very comfortable, and I slept wonderfully. During the day, coffee, tea, and snacks were available in the first-floor cafe. The second-floor tea room offered a wide variety of tea bags. I thoroughly enjoyed the serene snowy landscape. The only thing I couldn't quite get used to was the food (personal preference). Almost all the shops nearby closed by 7 PM, so eating out was practically impossible. Also, since I booked a lake-view room with an open-air bath, the bath and shower were on the balcony, which felt a bit cold.