Yumoto Ginsenkaku

“Great Comfort and Amenities”

We stayed at the Yumoto Ginsenkaku last November. This hotel is located in the small onsen (hot spring) town of Sounkyo Onsen, which is the largest and best equipped of the three or four onsen towns in Daisetsuzan National Park. However, it is still very easily walkable. Officially, this town is… more

We stayed at the Yumoto Ginsenkaku last November. This hotel is located in the small onsen (hot spring) town of Sounkyo Onsen, which is the largest and best equipped of the three or four onsen towns in Daisetsuzan National Park. However, it is still very easily walkable. Officially, this town is part of the city of Kamikawa. We did not rent a car during our time in Hokkaido and so we had to access Sounkyo Onsen from Sapporo by train and bus which is a bit of a travel and logistical exercise in itself (send me a message of you want details on that). Do note that during the off season and especially during weekdays, the town is very, very quiet. Some stores and restaurants will be completely closed. In fact, some hotels turn off all their lights during the day time so they don’t even look like they’re open. We arrived on a Friday afternoon and there was barely anyone inside or out and we thought the Ginsenkaku was closed. However, the woman at the front desk that checked us in was very nice and spoke decent English. Booking the hotel however was a bit more challenging. We booked in mid-October, which was less than one month from arrival and there was no availability through third party sites (Rakuten, Japanican, etc.), which would have been preferred for us being English speakers. Our only other option was to book direct. The hotel is part of the Breezebay Hotel Group and you may book the hotel on the Breezebay website. However, the website is only in Japanese and the booking information required is designed for Japanese residents in that it is only able to accept Japanese format address and phone numbers. I managed to make our booking on the website by using Google Translate and entering local address and number from the hotel we would be staying at the night before, since I don’t have a local Japan home address/phone number. I had also tried calling the hotel from home here in the States a couple of times but the man that answered the phone said he did not speak English. The hotel is quite nice with clean rooms and common areas and friendly staff. I definitely recommend booking a room with the included breakfast and dinner as there are not many dining options in the area, especially during the shoulder season. Breakfast consists of a buffet featuring western and Japanese foods. As for dinner, at the time of booking you will need to pick which meal you want from several different styles of hot pot. Regardless of which one you choose, you still have access to a buffet with plenty of selections. Another highlight of the dinner is the self-serve all-you-can-drink beverage area which includes a selection of tea, coffee, juices, milk, liquor, wine, and a very clever automatic beer machine. Another highlight of the Ginsenkaku is the onsen. There is both a men and women’s onsen similar to other hotels, but they also have a private onsen for couples and families that you can book. On the night of our arrival, Friday, there were plenty of time slots left but on Saturday night the sign-in board was completely full. There is also an entertainment room with ping pong and play area for children, as well as a karaoke room. Some highlights and points to consider: - This is a very local hotel. During our two days and two nights there we were the only non-Japanese travelers. We did not encounter any other westerners or tour groups. - The hotel appeared very family/children friendly judging by the many families there and the children’s play area downstairs. - The hotel is very fairly priced considering the dinner options, private onsen, and overall facilities. - When we visited in early November, the town was very, very quiet on the weekday. If you are not driving there and do not have a car, there is not much to do other than the ropeway up to Kurodake. However, on Saturday night the hotel was very busy and the dining room was full so perhaps locals come in for the weekend. - In the middle of the day many hotels turn off the lights so it may appear closed when it is not. - Yukata are not in your room but in in front of the gift shop near the lobby. You can help yourself to the yukata. - The private onsen is nice to have but make sure you sign up early on busy nights. You can use it for 50 minutes at a time. - At check-in you will need to select a seating time for dinner. Your time limit for dinner is 1.5 hours. - You will need to set up your own futon in your room. - Despite being predominantly Japanese, there are English instructions in the room and the woman at the front desk speaks English. - The bus stop is in front of the post office and tourist information center building and from there it is a fairly short walk to Ginsenkaku. - Sounkyo Onsen is a small town and Ginsenkaku is located in the heart of the main street. There are a few other hotels on the perimeter that require a longer walk from this main area. So if you are arriving by bus, this hotel is very convenient. We highly recommend this hotel and would stay there again if we should ever have a chance to visit the area.

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