Doppy

I'm looking for a hotel in Sapporo for the night of July 26. Everything within an hour or two of Sapporo is sold out on all the normal hotel booking sites.

Is there some Japanese booking site or other secret I can use to get a room in the city that night?

O Sora

How about the following?
Rakuten Travel from Japan .
Agoda from Thailand.

Scifience

Within the city limits of Sapporo, the only thing I can find is the Sapporo Prince Hotel for 46,200JPY. While summer is a popular season in Hokkaido, there must be some sort of special event going on to sell everything out.

Link

abmj-jr

Yeah, I checked the ones I have used or know of with similar results.

Looks like the Jazz Festival, the Art Festival and a huge fireworks show. I wouldn't think those would sell everything out but you never know.

https://www.city.sapporo.jp/keizai/k...2014-2015.html

Might want to check Otaru or Tomakomai. Otaru is closer but likely expensive. Tomakomai between 45 min - 1 hour but has more choices. I know there is a Comfort Hotel that is reasonable. EDIT: Oops. That one shows not available. Others had the same idea.

O Sora

OP must be lucky. The big event is a fireworks festival in central Sapporo.
http://seesapporo.com/event/toyohira...orks-festival/
English info

I would stay in Chitose or Tomakomai city which are in commutable distance by train.

Expedia is showing availability on a single room at Route Inn Tomakomai Ekimae for about 6000 yen. Last two rooms they are having in these two cities on that night!

armagebedar

It happens quite a lot during the peak summer weekends, regardless of special events. This weekend was also booked fairly solid, though availability opened up quite a lot from about Wednesday. The uncertain path of the typhoon probably helped, but I advise the OP to make a booking somewhere in the general vicinity of Sapporo/Otaru/Chitose, then keep checking daily on Rakuten Travel, etc. to see what opens up as people cancel.

beep88

You keep checking the hotel sites, especially those based in Japan. Cancellations happen all the time, such as at any of the Toyoko Inn's.

I ran into the same problem during the autumn festival, kept checking daily, snapping up single rooms, and eventually got a twin.

Using Japanese booking sites rakuten or Jalan, double/twin rooms currently available at Prince (46200, prepaid - unusual requirement)

Using the last resort: travel.navitime.co.jp novotel sapporo available via nta.co.jp . On the English version of nta.co.jp , you can get Hashimoto (a very budget place) - 5 rooms available. Bookings with nta is prepaid. I had to use them when I tried to book Sapporo, but cancelled and got full refund after I found a room at Toyoko Inn.

Doppy

Thanks for the suggestions. I've managed to secure a place outside of town for Saturday night and will keep checking the sites you recommend. I have three nights there and right now it's three different hotels.

mosburger

Sapporo and Hokkaido in general has rather good public transport. Don't shy away from planning your accommodation based on train minutes instead of actual distance.

RichardInSF

I stayed at a Route Inn in northern Hokkaido recently -- they are cheap and definitely basic. Another reason why I should never trust Trip Advisor! Wonder if it is worth posting some reviews here of the Hokkaido hotels I stayed at?

MSPeconomist

I'd be interested in seeing the comparison between what Trip Advisor said and the reality you experienced.

abmj-jr

Couldn't hurt. I think your perspective will be a bit different from mine and some others.

I have used the Route Inn network several times over the years, including a couple in Hokkaido - Abashiri and Sapporo Eki-mae. They are right in my wheelhouse, cheap, clean, on-site coin laundry, wi-fi and close to the stations. I realize others have somewhat higher expectations of their hotel choices.

jib71

Definitely not the place to take your sweetheart for a romantic getaway but perfectly serviceable for a route-inn trip.

(Sorry).

abmj-jr

You should be. Ouch!

RichardInSF

Did the reviews in the Hokkaido thread I started, which seemed the logical place to put it:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ferrerid=14479