Shikaribetsu Lakeside Onsen Hotel Fusui

“Hotel makes the best out of ageing property”

There used to be two hotels here at Lake Shikaribetsu, but when the Fukuhara shuttered a couple of years ago, the Fusui was the last one left standing. It is an old property that doesn't look like it has seen much investment in the past decade or so, but it is well maintained. Service is pretty go… Mais

There used to be two hotels here at Lake Shikaribetsu, but when the Fukuhara shuttered a couple of years ago, the Fusui was the last one left standing. It is an old property that doesn't look like it has seen much investment in the past decade or so, but it is well maintained. Service is pretty good. There was someone hanging around the front door observing if guests are coming in, so that he can jump in to assist. A cute touch at check in: the clerk will bring out a little flag on the counter, indicating your nationality. We were escorted to our room and was shown how everything works. All rooms here are lake-facing, with a choice of the three-storey main wing or the newer (or rather, the not-so-old) eight-storey annex. For this stay, we splurged a little and picked the "special room" in the annex on the top level. This has a special entrance (the Japanese sliding door leads to little rock garden), takes up one corner of the floor, and comes with windows on two sides, offering 180-degree views of the lake. It's huge, maybe 50 or so sqm. One note: although this is a smoking room (I believe all rooms are) we couldn't detect any lingering smells. Our rate included two meals, both served in the room. The dishes were tasty, but quality isn't as top-notch as the more high-end ryokans. But what they lacked, they made up in quantity. We are used to kaiseki dinners, but the number of dishes served here is really something else. For the first time we had to leave food uneaten. The onsen is located on the ground floor of the main wing. The outdoor section is relatively small, and even with the -15°C temp that night, the water here seems to be hotter than the usual. There's a laundry area near the onsen with two washers and two dryers. So the reason we stayed here is, of course, to visit the Kotan ice igloo village. We were considering doing a day trip, but the ice bar and concert hall were only open at night and we wanted to see those. The hotel is conveniently located just steps from the venue; you can literally see it right outside your window. During this festival, you could also book a night in the igloo using the hotel's website, but the option is not easy to find. Bookings don't open till quite close in, if I recall correctly, and it's all in Japanese. Look under the "notices" section (use Google Translate). We toyed with the idea but didn't go for it in the end.

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“Traditional Japanese hotel with a great lakeview ”

Love the tranquility and beautiful lake. We had dinner in our room and the food is great and in large portions. Staffs are very professional. Noted that apart from the lake and the boat trip, there is not much to do there. The other hotel across the road looked abandoned. Hope this hotel can keep… Mais

Love the tranquility and beautiful lake. We had dinner in our room and the food is great and in large portions. Staffs are very professional. Noted that apart from the lake and the boat trip, there is not much to do there. The other hotel across the road looked abandoned. Hope this hotel can keep its business.

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“Very enjoyable stay, nice lake views, tasty meals”

We were a party of three and booked online for an overnight stay. Chiba-san literally ran out to greet us upon arrival as we drove towards the hotel. Check-in was smooth and we were upgraded to a lakeside view room. The view was marvellous with the lake spread out in front and mountains circling th… Mais

We were a party of three and booked online for an overnight stay. Chiba-san literally ran out to greet us upon arrival as we drove towards the hotel. Check-in was smooth and we were upgraded to a lakeside view room. The view was marvellous with the lake spread out in front and mountains circling the lake. Dinner was served at the restaurant and breakfast was buffet style. Nice views of the lake from the restaurant. Service was friendly and meals were delicious. Outdoor onsen had nice views of the lake. Nice lakeside walks around the hotel. Very peaceful and quiet hotel with friendly and attentive service with lovely views for those keen to get away from the hustle and bustle of busy lakeside towns/resorts. Room wifi was good. No convenience stores around except in hotel. I was pleasantly surprised that the hotel wasn't busier considering its good location/views, delicious meals and excellent service. One of the better kept secrets I guess...I will return if I visit the area in future. Thank you Chiba-san for your thoughtfulness.

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“Adequate but expensive”

At ~A$325 for an overnight Dinner, Bed and Breakfast stop it delivered only to an average standard. The food for both dinner and breakfast was okay, but nothing special. The third floor room did have a nice view though, and the Onsen was good with again nice views over the lake. The room was a trad… Mais

At ~A$325 for an overnight Dinner, Bed and Breakfast stop it delivered only to an average standard. The food for both dinner and breakfast was okay, but nothing special. The third floor room did have a nice view though, and the Onsen was good with again nice views over the lake. The room was a traditional Japanese style with plenty of room for up to 4 people. The bathroom was basic.

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