9C Hotel Asahikawa

Stayed here for 3 nights recently as part of a trip with my teenage daughter. We used Asahikawa as a base for some actvities in the central part of Hokkaido. The hotel 9C is close to the central station and some of the main shooping and entertainment districts are also within easy walking distance. So, let's be clear this place is very much a half way between a hotel and either a hostel or a cabin hotel. If that's not your bag then don't try it, however, if that doesn't put you off then I think you're in for a treat. The staff were all friendly and supper helpful, even if there was a language barrier between us at times. The set-up is pretty good and despite the small rooms and firm bunk beds, the place actually has some handy facilities; washing and drying facilities, etc. There is a fun vibe to the place which we enjoyed. However, the was not much noise during 'dark' hours, which was nice. A small Japanese breakfast is provided (rice, egg and miso soup) and there are also some ramen available in the evenings as well (free of charge), should you wish. There is a cafe/bar open for a good part of the day, and a vending machine in the foyer which included beer. The bathrooms are shared but clean (there are like 10 or so rooms per floor), so there was never any competition. There are separate shower rooms with communal sinks. If I had to be picky, then the bed were are on the hard side, which is fine for me, but my daughter struggled a little. The pillows weren't great either. To stress again, the rooms are small and we had to do a bit of a shuffle of things every time we wanted to open one of our big suitcases. None of these really caused any major bother and we really enjoyed our stay. I'd go back again, If was staying in the area, especially if I had a smaller case.