Hakodate is one of Hokkaido’s most visited cities — famous for its night view, seafood, and mix of Japanese and Western historic architecture. If you’re looking for a hotel that puts you right in the middle of it all, with an ocean-view hot spring and an all-you-can-eat Hokkaido seafood buffet, Imagine Hotel & Resort Hakodate is an easy recommendation.
Why Imagine Hotel stands out:
- 10 minutes from Hakodate Airport — one of the most accessible hotels in the city
- Rooftop outdoor hot spring bath with open sea views
- Buffet dinner starring all-you-can-eat snow crab and Hokkaido seafood
- Salmon roe (ikura) breakfast buffet — a Hokkaido morning staple
Imagine Hotel & Resort Hakodate
Hotel Details
| Address | 3-1-17 Yukawa-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido |
|---|---|
| Phone | 0138-57-9161 |
| Official Website | imaginehakodate.jp |
| Day-use Bathing | Adult (13+): ¥1,000 / Child: ¥700 / Under 5: Free ※ Reservation required via Yunobura · Hours: 15:00–19:00 |
| Check-in / Check-out | 15:00–18:00 / By 10:00 |
| Credit Cards | Accepted (VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, JCB and others) |
| Price Range | Approx. ¥17,500 per person (dinner & breakfast buffet included) |
Getting There
The hotel’s location is one of its biggest strengths for international visitors. It sits in the Yukawa Onsen area on the eastern edge of Hakodate — a neighborhood known for its concentration of hot spring hotels along the coast.
✈ From Hakodate AirportThe airport is less than 10 minutes away by car or taxi — unusually convenient. For a large resort hotel with this level of facilities, that kind of airport proximity is rare.
🚃 From Hakodate StationTake the tram (streetcar) toward Yunokawa Onsen — around 30 minutes and very straightforward. The city tram system is easy to navigate even without Japanese, and a day pass is available for ¥600.
🚄 From SapporoThe Hokkaido Shinkansen connects Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station (~4 hrs). From there, a local train takes about 20 minutes to Hakodate Station. Alternatively, express buses from Sapporo run directly to Hakodate (~5 hrs).
Facilities — More Than Just a Hotel
Imagine Hotel is a large resort property with multiple wings, and the common areas are genuinely well-equipped. On arrival, complimentary drinks and cookies are available near the lobby — a small but welcome touch after a long journey.
Left: A free foot bath just outside the lobby, with Mount Hakodate visible in the distance. Right: One of several spacious lounges to relax in.
Other facilities include a kids’ play area (making this a solid choice for families), massage services, and multiple rest areas spread across different floors. The hotel is large enough that a map is provided at check-in — worth keeping handy.
The Room — Ocean View, Japanese-Western Style
| Toilet | Private (en suite) |
|---|---|
| Shower | Available in room |
| Refrigerator | Available (complimentary water included) |
| Air Conditioning | Available |
| Wi-Fi | Available |
| TV | Available |
| Towels & Yukata | Provided |
Rooms are wa-yo shitsu — a Japanese-Western hybrid style with both twin beds and a tatami mat area. Spacious, comfortable, and well-maintained. The room also includes a shower, so using the large baths is optional rather than required.
Daytime ocean view stretching toward Aomori Prefecture on the mainland. At night, the illuminated silhouette of Mount Hakodate — one of Japan’s top three night views — comes into frame.
💡 About Hakodate’s night viewHakodate is consistently ranked among Japan’s top three night views, alongside Nagasaki and Kobe. The city sits on a narrow peninsula, so lights spread out on both sides — best seen from the summit of Mount Hakodate (accessible by ropeway). Staying at an ocean-view room here lets you catch a version of it from your window.
Hot Springs — Four Baths, All Source-Fed
For a hotel of this size, the hot spring setup is impressive: all baths use gensen kakenagashi water — pure, undiluted spring water flowing directly from the source, with no recycling or additives. That’s unusual for a large resort, and a genuine mark of quality.
There are four baths in total across two floors, rotated between men’s and women’s by time slot — meaning guests can access all four over the course of a stay.
| Spring Source | Yukawa Onsen (mixed from wells 1, 2 & 3) |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Sodium-Calcium Chloride Spring |
| Source Temperature | 57.1°C / 134.8°F |
| pH | 7.2 (neutral) |
| Color / Scent | Clear, odorless — slightly salty taste |
1F Large Communal Bath — with Sauna
The 1F bath — two tubs side by side at 41°C and 42°C. The jacuzzi-style tub is the more relaxed option.
Two tubs at slightly different temperatures (41°C and 42°C), plus a cold water plunge pool and a sauna. Amenities in the changing area are by POLA, a well-regarded Japanese cosmetics brand — a nice detail. Free ice cream is available just outside the baths after your soak, with multiple flavors to choose from.
8F Rooftop Bath — Views of the Sea and Mount Hakodate
Left: The rooftop outdoor bath — sea breeze, open sky, and a view of the coast. Right: The 8F indoor bath with ocean views through the window.
Take the elevator from the 1F bath area up to the 8th floor. The indoor bath here faces the sea through large windows, and the outdoor bath beyond it is open to the sky and the ocean breeze. On a clear day, Mount Hakodate is visible from the water. The shower heads throughout are ReFa brand with four adjustable settings — a premium touch.
♨ What is gensen kakenagashi?Pure spring water flows continuously from the source into the bath and drains away — no reheating, recycling, or added chemicals. The gold standard in Japanese hot spring culture, and genuinely rare in a hotel of this scale.
The Buffet — Hokkaido Seafood, All-You-Can-Eat
This is where Imagine Hotel really delivers. Both dinner and breakfast are buffet-style at the restaurant Coucou, and the seafood lineup is exceptional even by Hokkaido standards.
Dinner — Snow Crab and More
Piles of snow crab (zuwaigani) — all-you-can-eat. This alone is worth the stay.
The dinner buffet centers on Hokkaido’s finest: snow crab (zuwaigani), tuna, salmon, sweet shrimp, yellowtail, and squid — all arranged in generous portions. Fresh-grilled meat and tempura are prepared to order at live cooking stations. Hokkaido specialties like zangi (Hokkaido-style fried chicken) and jingisukan (lamb) round out the spread.
Desserts include a chocolate fondue station, multiple cakes, and ice cream. Soft drinks are included; alcohol (beer, cocktails, and more) is available as an add-on for ¥1,650 per hour.
🍺 Sapporo Classic BeerThe draft beer on offer is Sapporo Classic — a Hokkaido-only lager that’s lighter and less bitter than standard Japanese beers. It’s only available in Hokkaido, making it a worthwhile try even for those who don’t normally drink beer.
Breakfast — Salmon Roe on Rice
Piles of snow crab (zuwaigani) — all-you-can-eat. This alone is worth the stay.
The breakfast highlight is the ikura (salmon roe) station — scoop as much as you want over steamed rice. The roe is briny and fresh, and this is genuinely one of the most distinctly Hokkaido experiences available in a hotel breakfast. Freshly grilled salmon, dashimaki tamago (rolled omelette), white-broth udon, steamed Hokkaido potato, and crab-topped rice porridge fill out the rest of the spread.
Final Thoughts
Imagine Hotel is not a traditional ryokan — it’s a full-service resort hotel, and it delivers on that promise. The airport access is exceptionally convenient, the facilities are well-maintained and family-friendly, and the buffet is genuinely one of the better hotel dining experiences in Hokkaido. The fact that all hot spring baths use pure source-fed water is an unexpected bonus.
At approximately ¥17,500 per person including both buffet meals, it sits at a reasonable price point for what’s included — particularly the crab dinner.
This hotel is a great fit if you:
- Are flying into Hakodate Airport and want an easy first or last night
- Want to eat your way through Hokkaido seafood without leaving the hotel
- Are traveling with family — kids’ facilities and buffet-style dining make it easy
- Want ocean views and a rooftop hot spring without a remote, traditional inn setting
If you’re visiting Hakodate for the first time, this is a comfortable, well-rounded base — and the crab buffet alone will make the stay memorable.