Hotel Mahoroba

I stayed here in early March, the first time in several years. I think it was about the fifth time. I think the service and announcements after arriving by car had gotten a little worse. There was no help unloading our luggage from the car (it may be unavoidable, but they should have at least told us where the cart was). It was my first time in a minivan, but we were directed to the second parking lot, and we wasted so much time there (this way always leads to the other way). The check-in process was pretty average. The hot springs were acidic (alum springs), sulfur springs, simple sulfur springs, and saline springs. The water quality was not bad, with the indoor bath being hotter and the outdoor bath lukewarm. The international guests were also well-mannered and quiet when they drank. We booked the Green Terrace restaurant for meals. The food was delicious, and they had small portions available, so we enjoyed it. However, it may have been because it was March, but there were no seasonal dishes, which was disappointing. My partner is allergic to crab, so he enjoyed the crab, but thought it was a little watery. Local food included wasabi pickles from Fujisaki Wasabi Farm in the morning. For dinner, we had something like grilled and sauteed quail (I'm not sure if it was from Muroran Uzuraen).

There are just too many foreign customers. If you don't mind that, it's reasonable. Also, the guy grilling the steaks has a really rude attitude.

When it comes to hot springs in Hokkaido, Noboribetsu Onsen comes to mind, so my husband and I visited Mahoroba for the first time on a weekday. This hotel is located about halfway through Noboribetsu Onsen town. The building is old, but the lobby is clean and lovely. The parking lot seems to be in various locations depending on the congestion, but the doorman in front of the hotel was there to guide us, so we were able to park without any worries. The service in the lobby was smooth and we never had to wait long, but it seems like it might take longer if there were a lot of international guests. The room also feels old, but it was well-maintained and clean. One thing that bothered me was that there were few amenities in the room, and only the bare minimum was provided, so you might need to be careful. There were a variety of cosmetics in the large public bath, but the room only had the bare minimum, like shampoo. It wasn't like the modern hotels where you can find a variety of cosmetics next to the lobby and ask people to bring what they need. One other thing that bothered me was that there were no laundry bags or anything, which I'm sure is a cost-cutting measure, so it would be fine if you had your own to put wet clothes in, but if you don't, it might be a bit of a hassle. The large public baths are located on the first and second basement floors, and are alternated between men and women depending on the time of day. As you'd expect from Noboribetsu, the hot springs are of excellent quality. While people who don't like the smell of sulfur probably won't come, the hot springs have a "quintessential hot spring" feel, with several different types of spring and plenty of open-air and indoor baths, so even when it's crowded, you can still relax. However, on the day I stayed, I noticed a lot of people with full-body paintings, tattoos, or back paintings. (They weren't causing any trouble or shouting, though.) Dinner and breakfast were buffet-style, and while I thought they were delicious, the selection seemed a little lacking, with many dishes geared toward adults and few children's options. However, I was surprised to see an all-you-can-eat crab option, which is typical of Hokkaido, especially considering the current high prices. While there was a lot of seafood on the menu, the variety was a bit off, making it feel less Noboribetsu (Iburi, Funka Bay)-esque. There weren't many live-kitchen-style dishes, so while it was great for crab, it was lacking for other options. Perhaps because dinner was entirely seafood-based, there wasn't much seafood at breakfast, and the menu was mainly Japanese, with no seafood bowls like the trendy "make it with as much sashimi as you like" type of trend. Also, although it may have depended on the time of day, the menu wasn't replenished often, and many dishes were empty. With the Chinese New Year over and the fighting between China and China having occurred, there should have been fewer Chinese tourists, but I'm not sure if it was just a group tour, but about half the dining area was Chinese (and I'm not exaggerating), and their poor manners were particularly notable, making it difficult to enjoy a relaxing stay. If possible, I recommend checking with the front desk to decide on a meal time that won't overlap with a group (from China). Maybe it was just because of the special day we stayed, but given the excellent hot springs, it was a disappointing stay. I've stayed at several hotels in Noboribetsu Onsen, and I think this one is on the cheaper side. The hotel's service, food, and hot springs themselves are not much different from other hotels in Noboribetsu Onsen, which made my stay even more disappointing.