I spent a couple nights at 4P Hakodate, and overall was very impressed.

The hotel is located right next to JR Hakodate station, making it very easy to access by train and airport shuttle bus. The check-in agent spoke limited English, but we sorted everything out rather quickly. I was upgraded to a room on the top floor. You wouldn’t expect it after seeing the lobby and public spaces --which are a feast of 1980s browns -- but the rooms are recently remodeled and in very good shape. My room was fairly large for a hotel of this kind (280sqft/26sqm), with windows that open a little, and generally enough space to not feel completely claustrophobic. Unfortunately, my room faced north (toward the station); I would have preferred a view of Mt Hakodate. Ask for a south-facing room, if possible.

The breakfast (in lieu of points) was spectacular for a 4P. I very rarely stay at 4Ps, but I’d take this breakfast any day over what’s offered by Sheraton Yokohama or Westin Nagoya or numerous other full service hotels. There are some oddities (chicken wings, hamburg(er) steak, and wine), but everything is plentiful and top notch: egg/waffle station, great selection of Japanese items (including sashimi), some western stuff (pretzel rolls and sausages), and delicious pastries. Make sure to ask at check-in to be given one Platinum breakfast card for each day of your stay – the restaurant staff will collect them when you arrive.

The hotel is located next to the morning market, a short walk from the historic warehouse district and Motomachi, and right by a tram stop that takes you to other attractions.

During the peak season and especially on weekends, the hotel is great value on points. During my stay, revenue rates were upward of 25k yen/nt, making this a steal at 3k points for a weekend night. I won’t be rushing back, though: I found Hakodate pretty depressing. I had imagined it to be comparable to Nagasaki, which is one of my favorite cities in Japan, but the decline is much more visible in Hakodate. The overall population has dropped over 20% since the 1980s (with many young people gone and elderly remaining) and despite the tourism, the economy is weak and there are many abandoned stores and decaying buildings.