Hakodate Hotel Heaven: APA Hakodate-Ekimae Awaits!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the (potentially) heavenly world of Hakodate Hotel Heaven: APA Hakodate-Ekimae Awaits! Let's see if this place truly lives up to its name, shall we? This is gonna be long, folks. Consider it a virtual coffee break. I'm gonna be REALLY honest.
First, the big picture, before we get lost in the details (which, let's be real, is where I thrive). This is an APA hotel, which, if you're familiar with Japan, means it should be clean, efficient, and… well, a little bit… business-y. Think functional over flamboyant. But hey, that's not always a bad thing, especially if you're prioritizing a comfortable base of operations while exploring Hakodate.
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1. Accessibility: Let's kick things off with something important. Accessibility. This is a major win if you need it. The description says "facilities for disabled guests," and that's usually a good sign. But I need specifics! Are there ramps? Wide doorways? Accessible bathrooms? Did the elevator actually work? (I swear, some hotels…). I did not see specific information on their website so I can't give you a definitive answer. Call and ask! It's your right, and it's critically important. If accessibility is a must-have for your Hakodate adventure, then verify, verify, verify directly with the hotel. Don't just rely on brochures.
2. On-site Accessible Restaurant/Lounges: Again, same advice as above. If you need this – which many people will, even if they don't identify as having a disability – check directly with the hotel! Ask about table heights, clear pathways, etc.
3. Wheelchair Accessible (and related): See above. I'm gonna be a broken record here. Check with the hotel directly. They may say "yes, we do!", then arrive to find a tiny, cramped stall that's not suitable. Don't assume!
4. Internet Access (and the Wi-Fi Saga): Okay, breathe. They boast Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! That's the kind of sentence that gets my digital heart racing. We're talking work-from-hotel-room levels of connectivity. The description says it also offers Internet [LAN]. Which, honestly, feels a little retro. LAN cables are so 2000s! Then, Internet services is there too. But in the modern digital age, "internet services" covers everything from setting up your phone to knowing how to get your smart TV working. The Wi-Fi situation is key. Reliability is crucial. I hate hotels with dodgy Wi-Fi. It makes me want to scream into the void. I'm cautiously optimistic here, but… test that Wi-Fi the second you get into your room. Don't wait until you're video-conferencing with your boss at 3 AM Hakodate time.
5. Things to Do & Ways to Relax (the Spa-tacular Section)
- Body scrub, Body wrap: Hmmm, interesting. But, probably not. Most APA Hotels, especially ones in a central location, tend to focus on the basics. They are not necessarily in the "spa resort" category.
- Fitness center, Gym/fitness: I HOPE for this! A little treadmill run can really help counteract all the deliciousness I'm about to eat in Japan. Hopefully, it's more than just a lonely elliptical machine.
- Foot bath: Ooh, now we're talking! After a long day of exploring Hakodate, a foot bath sounds heavenly. My feet are already picturing it.
- Massage: Again, fingers crossed. A decent massage is a must for post-travel recovery.
- Pool with view, Swimming pool, Swimming pool [outdoor]: I am highly doubtful. This is an APA hotel in an urban setting. Don't get your hopes up.
- Sauna, Spa, Spa/sauna, Steamroom: Again, possible but unlikely.
Verdict: The "Relaxation" offerings could be good, but don't go expecting a full-blown spa experience. It's a practical hotel, remember? Check the website photos, ask in advance, and adjust your expectations accordingly.
6. Cleanliness and Safety (the New Normal)
- Anti-viral cleaning products, Daily disinfection in common areas, Hygiene certification, Individua-wrapped food options, Physical distancing of at least 1 meter, Professional-grade sanitizing services, Room sanitization opt-out available, Rooms sanitized between stays, Safe dining setup, Sanitized kitchen and tableware items, Staff trained in safety protocol, Sterilizing equipment: Okay, this is reassuring. In today's world, these are essential. Big points to APA for highlighting this. It eases your mind the moment you step inside. The opt-out for room sanitization is a nice touch – shows they respect your choices.
- CCTV in common areas, CCTV outside property, Fire extinguisher, Front desk [24-hour], Safety/security feature, Security [24-hour], Smoke alarms, Soundproof rooms: All GOOD stuff. Makes you feel secure.
- Hand sanitizer: Always a plus.
- First aid kit, Doctor/nurse on call: Essential.
7. Dining, Drinking, and Snacking (The Foodie Frenzy):
- A la carte in restaurant, Asian breakfast, Asian cuisine in restaurant, Bar, Bottle of water, Breakfast [buffet], Breakfast service, Buffet in restaurant, Coffee/tea in restaurant, Coffee shop, Desserts in restaurant, Happy hour, International cuisine in restaurant, Poolside bar, Restaurants, Room service [24-hour], Salad in restaurant, Snack bar, Soup in restaurant, Vegetarian restaurant, Western breakfast, Western cuisine in restaurant: WHEW! This is a lot. The sheer volume of options is promising.
- Room Service: 24-hour? Yes, please! This speaks pure luxury, especially when traveling.
- Breakfast Buffet: I'm a sucker for a good hotel buffet. This can vary wildly in quality. Fingers crossed for a decent one.
- Asian and Western Cuisine: Gotta love the variety! Japan excels at blending different food cultures.
- Coffee Shop, Bar: Good for casual, unplanned moments.
- Vegetarian Restaurant: Important.
8. Services and Conveniences (The Little Extras)
- Air conditioning in public area, Audio-visual equipment for special events, Business facilities, Cash withdrawal, Concierge, Contactless check-in/out, Convenience store, Currency exchange, Daily housekeeping, Doorman, Dry cleaning, Elevator, Essential condiments, Food delivery, Gift/souvenir shop, Indoor venue for special events, Invoice provided, Ironing service, Laundry service, Luggage storage, Meeting/banquet facilities, Meetings, Meeting stationery, On-site event hosting, Outdoor venue for special events, Projector/LED display, Safety deposit boxes, Seminars: That is a long list of services. APA Hotels tend to excel in the "convenience" aspect. The elevator is a must. A convenience store on-site is a lifesaver (midnight snacks, anyone?). Luggage storage? YES.
- Smoking area: sigh Still relevant. I'm not a smoker, but it's good for those who are.
- Car park [free of charge], Car park [on-site], Car power charging station, Taxi service, Valet parking: Free Parking? Score! That's a genuine perk in Japan if you're driving – and this hotel has a Tesla Charging station!
9. For the Kids (Family-Friendly Factor):
- Babysitting service, Family/child-friendly, Kids meal, Kids facilities: The description does not specify it if is suitable for families. Check with the hotel!
10. Access (Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty):
- Airport transfer, Bicycle parking, CCTV in common areas, CCTV outside property, Check-in/out [express], Check-in/out [private], Couple's room, Exterior corridor, Fire extinguisher, Front desk [24-hour], Hotel chain, Non-smoking rooms, Pets allowed unavailablePets allowed, Proposal spot, Room decorations, Safety/security feature, Security [24-hour], Smoke alarms, Soundproof rooms: All essential and thoughtful. Express checkout? Yes, please!
11. Getting Around:
- Airport transfer, Bicycle parking, Car park [free of charge], Car park [on-site], Car power charging station, Taxi service, Valet parking: See above. Very convenient due to its location.
12. Available in all rooms (The Room Realness):
- **Additional toilet, Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Bathrobes
Okay, buckle up, buttercups! This isn't your airbrushed travel blog itinerary. This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth (well, maybe a little embellished, because, let's face it, life's boring without a dash of drama!). My Hakodate adventure, centered around the glorious, if slightly-too-tight-on-the-budget, APA Hotel Hakodate-Ekimae. Here we go:
Hakodate Ramble: An Itinerary (with Absolutely No Promises of Smooth Sailing!)
Day 1: Arrival, Ramen, and the Existential Dread of a Small Hotel Room
14:00 - Arrive at Hakodate Airport (HKD): Okay, the flight was…fine. Surprisingly smooth, considering I was convinced the tiny propeller plane was going to fall out of the sky. My internal monologue, as always, was a symphony of anxiety and overthinking. "Did I pack enough snacks? Are my shoes actually comfortable enough for walking? Did I accidentally leave the oven on?" The usual hits.
15:00 - Taxi to APA Hotel Hakodate-Ekimae: The taxi driver was… efficient. He didn't speak much English, and my attempts at broken Japanese were met with polite, non-committal nods. Inside, I was thinking "I hope my card works, I was broke when booking this trip!"
16:00 - Check-in. The Room. THE ROOM!: Ah, the APA Hotel experience. Prepare for a room that makes a dollhouse seem spacious. Honestly, the bed took up 80% of the available real estate. I swear, I could practically reach across the whole room from my pillow. My first thought: "Oh, this is going to be a cosy few days." Second thought: "I hope I don't accidentally elbow myself in the eye while sleeping."
17:00 - Ramen Rescue Mission: I needed food. Desperately. Jet lag was hitting me like a ton of bricks, and the tiny room was starting to feel… stifling. A quick Google search led me to a ramen place a few blocks away. It was a revelation! The broth was rich, the noodles were perfect, and the pork belly was…well, it was practically a religious experience. I inhaled it so fast I think the waitress was slightly concerned.
19:00 - Stroll around the station and surrounding area: I needed to see some sun. The place around the station was a little bit too much, some people were looking at me like I was an alien, I could swear that I could hear them giggle. Still, all of this was an amazing experience.
20:00 - Back to the room, and to sleep. Hopefully. The bed felt hard
20:30 - Wide awake
Day 2: Morning Market, Mount Hakodate, My Photographic Failures, and a Moment of Sweet, Sweet Freedom
- 07:00 - Wake up in a Mild Panic: I had an internal clock set to "overthinking." I woke up early, expecting to be behind schedule. The reality? I was ahead of schedule.
- 08:00 - Hakodate Morning Market: This was supposed to be the highlight. Seafood galore! I was determined to try everything. I tried the squid (which, let's be honest, was…interesting. A bit chewy, perhaps?). I sampled the uni (divine, worth all the pennies). I even pointed at a live crab I wanted and, through a combination of gesturing and mangled Japanese, managed to order it.
- 09:30 - Photographic Fails: Armed with my trusty (and slightly temperamental) camera, I set out to capture the market's vibrant chaos. The result? A series of blurry shots of seafood, a photo of my own hand holding a fish, and approximately zero usable images. I'm pretty sure the camera was actively mocking me. The light was off, the settings were wrong, and I was just… inept. Lesson learned: I am not a photographer.
- 12:00 - Mount Hakodate - The View (and the Thrill of Conquering Queues): The cable car ride up Mount Hakodate was…crowded. Let's just say I got very close to a lot of strangers. The view, though? Absolutely breathtaking. And I mean, breathtaking. The city sprawled out below, the twinkling lights reflecting on the Tsugaru Strait. It was genuinely stunning.
- 13:30 - Lunch at the Foot of Mount Hakodate
- 15:00 - Escape the small room for a walk around. The place where I booked my hotel was amazing!
- 19:00 - Sleep, hoping the hotel doesn't collapse on me overnight.
Day 3: Onsen Bliss, a Bittersweet Farewell, and the Promise of More Adventures (Eventually)
- 09:00 - Onsen – The moment of pure joy: One of the perks of the APA Hotel (well, aside from the questionable space) was the on-site onsen. This was my moment of zen. Slipping into the hot water, letting the steam envelop me… pure bliss. The world, the tiny room, the photographic failures – all momentarily forgotten. I actually achieved a state of complete relaxation.
- 11:00 - Breakfast and check out: I can't believe how fast those days flied!
- 12:00 - Train back to the airport.
- 18:00 - Home.
The Bottom Line:
Hakodate was an experience. It was messy, imperfect and at times chaotic. The APA Hotel, while cramped, served its purpose. The food was amazing, the people were friendly (even when they were politely confused by my existence), and the views were spectacular. I didn't conquer photography, my Japanese skills are questionable, and I'm pretty sure I accidentally overpaid somewhere along the line. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. It was a reminder that travel isn't about picture-perfect moments, it's about embracing the chaos, laughing at yourself, and maybe, just maybe, finding a moment of pure, unadulterated joy.
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So, is this place actually a "Heaven" like the name implies, or is that just marketing fluff? (Because I swear, half these hotel names are lying.)
Alright, alright, let's just say the name is *ambitious*. Heaven? Nah. More like…Purgatory with a decent view and a slightly suspect breakfast situation. Look, I’m a simple gal. I want clean, comfy, and maybe a sunrise view to make me feel like I'm at least *trying* to be a fancy traveler. APA Hakodate-Ekimae… it delivers on some of that. But, and it's a big but, don't go expecting the Pearly Gates. Expect… efficient. Japanese efficient. Which, honestly, is often all you truly need. But Heaven?
Location, location, location! Is it actually *near* the train station? Because I've been burned before… lied to, even.
Okay, this is where APA Hakodate-Ekimae actually *shines*. And believe me; I was READY to be disappointed. I trudged off the train, bags weighing me down like my hopes for ever achieving inner peace (another story!). And BOOM. There it was. Right there. Like, practically *in* the station. Okay, maybe a quick five-minute walk. But after lugging my suitcase through Tokyo's subway system, five minutes felt glorious. Seriously, if proximity to Hakodate Station is your main concern (and let's be honest, it should be), you've hit the jackpot. Seriously. Consider it a win. A big, glorious, baggage-handling win.
The rooms. Spill the tea! Are they shoebox-sized like everything else in Japan? And, related – am I going to be able to *breathe*?
Ah, the rooms. Prepare yourself. Yes, they're compact. Tiny. Cozy. Fill-in-the-blank-adjective-for-small. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. My first impression? "Wow, okay. This is…efficient." My second? "Where did the bed *go*?!" They've got this whole thing down pat, utilizing *every single square centimeter* efficiently. Everything is well-organized… as someone who thrives on disorganization, I felt slightly judged. But, can you breathe? Yes. Mostly. Open a window if you need some air. And for the love of all that is holy, pack light. You’ll thank me later. And maybe bring a book to leave behind… I think I left one in my room haha.
Breakfast. The make-or-break moment. Should I bother? Is the food actually edible?
Okay, here's where things get…dicey. The breakfast. Let's just say it's…an experience. It's a buffet. That much is undeniable. (Buffets are a minefield. And I always take the first step in.) The food itself is…mixed. Some days it's surprisingly good; other days, well, let's just say I'm pretty sure I saw the same sad-looking scrambled eggs languishing on the warmers for three days straight. (They were so sad. I almost felt bad *not* eating them.) There's usually a decent selection of Japanese options – rice, miso soup, some fishy things I couldn’t identify but ate anyway because, when in Rome, right? The coffee is…coffee. Drinkable, but not life-changing. My advice? Lower your expectations. Bring a snack. And if you're feeling particularly adventurous… go for it! You might be pleasantly surprised. Maybe. Possibly. Perhaps.
What about the view? You mentioned a sunrise… Was it worth it?
Oh, the view. Okay, this is the redeeming factor for me. Book a room on a higher floor, facing the bay, and prepare to be *stunned*. Seriously. Hakodate's a beautiful city. The sunrises from that hotel room? Absolutely breathtaking. I'm not a morning person, I’m more of a “snooze button” kind of lady, but even *I* was dragged out of bed to watch the sunrise over the water. Gorgeous. Worth the price of admission, honestly. That view alone almost made me forget about the slightly-too-small room and the questionable eggs. Almost.
Okay, let's talk amenities. Free Wi-Fi? Gym? A pool where I can contemplate the meaning of life? (Just kidding…mostly.)
Wi-Fi? Yes! Free. It worked most of the time. Sometimes a bit spotty, but hey, it’s free. The gym? Nope. The pool? Are you kidding me? This isn't the Four Seasons, people. This is a functional hotel. It’s got the basics covered: comfy beds, clean bathrooms, and a somewhat questionable breakfast. Honestly, I didn’t really need a gym. I was doing enough walking to burn off the questionable breakfast. And I found a nice park nearby if I wanted to clear my head. So, yeah. It's good enough. Don't go expecting the Ritz, and you won't be disappointed.
The overall vibe? Is it relaxing or chaotic? Are the staff friendly? Any horror stories?
Okay, the staff. Japanese hospitality is legendary, and APA Hakodate-Ekimae mostly lives up to the hype. The staff I encountered were always polite, efficient, and helpful, despite my terrible attempts at speaking Japanese. They weren't overly chatty, but they were always there when needed. The vibe? Efficient. Quiet. Functional. Not exactly "relaxing spa retreat," but hey, it's Hakodate. Most people are probably out exploring. The worst experience I had? Honestly, it was trying to figure out the TV remote. (Seriously, those things are like puzzles!) They're usually pretty good. Overall, no horror stories. Mostly just…efficiency. Which, again, isn't a bad thing.
Let's talk about the details: the vending machines, the bath. Were they a joy?
Oh, the vending machines! Okay, those are worth a mention. Vending machines are a national treasure in Japan, and APA Hakodate-Ekimae does a solid job of upholding that tradition. Drinks, snacks, even ramen! (Don't ask, I haven't tried that one, though) And the bath? Standard Japanese hotel bath. Small, but clean and functional. Not a luxurious onsen experience, but perfectly adequate for a good soak after a long day of sightseeing. Just… make sure you know how to operate the water controls before you unleash a tidal wave upon yourself. I almost did that. Twice.
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