Lakeside Villa Suimeikaku in Chitose

If you are ever in the Chitose area, or in Lake Shikotsu, this ryokan is the best place to be. To be honest, I don’t think 5 stars is enough. If I can give 10 stars without overinflating the rating scale, I would give Suimeikaku those stars.

First, exclusivity is top notch. This ryokan only houses about 12 rooms, I think. Maybe a bit more, but that’s about it. But, each room faces the lake, and it faces west, so each rooms have a chance to see the beautiful Shikotsu at sunset. Book it while reservations last.

Second, the engineering behind it. Both the wooden bath and the stone bath are facing west so you and your significant other can enjoy the outdoor bath and the sunset at the same time. Oh and did I mention that you get to have the whole bath to yourselves, and no one else for one hour.

Third, the staff are very friendly, very accommodating, and English speakers. I was able to speak Nihongo just fine, but there were some guests that can’t and I heard one of the staffers able to speak English just fine. They are quite the professionals both in the concierge area and in the dining hall.

Fourth, the food. Your stay includes both an 8 course luxury dinner and a Japanese style breakfast. Both are delicious and perfectly portioned that you will not feel empty or stuffed. Even the dinner, as it was an 8 course meal, was perfectly paced that we were able to enjoy our meal.

Lastly, the location itself. Very short walk to Shikotsu Lake proper and literally at the venue area for the Shikotsu Ice Festival. There are shops nearby and good hikes too.

The price we paid was well over $500. However, with everything I just said, the experience was worth every coin…and then some.

So come on over to Shikotsu Suimeikaku for a good weekend getaway romantic fling.

To be honest, I didn't have high expectations when I stayed here. I had heard that the building wasn't particularly new, and that Lake Shikotsu Onsen wasn't particularly well-known. However, after actually staying there, I found everything to be wonderful. First of all, the location is fantastic. As the name Lakeside Villa suggests, it really does face the lake, offering endless views of the majestic Lake Shikotsu. The rooms and building aren't particularly new, but they're well-maintained, and the massage chairs are brand new and comfortable. The hot springs were also very pleasant on the skin, and I enjoyed both the in-room hot spring and the private hot spring. The best thing about this place is the food, and the Italian course meal was delicious. The waiter was elderly, but his friendly and warm service made my stay even more enjoyable. It's a truly wonderful place, and I can confidently recommend it.

Very Nice food over there
We love the message chair in the room

Very Nice food over there
We love the message chair in the room

Each room has a hot spring bath. There are two private baths, and I chose the rock style one. The spring water is basically the same as the room, but the environment is large enough!

The room was normal, just enjoying the quiet feeling by the lake.

The waiter was very friendly. The dinner was French cuisine, which was delicious. It was right by the lake and the view was amazing. The hotel has only 8 rooms. The private bath is facing the lake. No Chinese people come here, so it is quiet and beautiful.

I stayed here with my son and his wife for a celebration. This is a rare inn located right next to Lake Shikotsu. It is a long-established inn, and although it is undeniably old, it has a total of 8 rooms, an open-air bath, and children under 13 years old are not allowed to stay. It is a quiet and relaxing inn. You can spend time looking at Lake Shikotsu from your room and restaurant. There is no large public bath, but there are two private open-air baths. There is a terrace on the lake in front of the inn, and sparkling wine and oolong tea are available for free. After the bath, we cooled off slowly with wine. The food at this inn was the best. It was an Italian course, and everything was delicious, including Hokkaido sea urchin, beef, asparagus, etc. Breakfast was a Japanese meal, and each person was served rice in a pot. This is the best inn for those who want to spend a quiet and relaxing time.

The service is excellent! The room is very comfortable and we enjoyed the room onsen bath and massage chair in our room. The food is fabulous too, I really enjoy the French dinner and the Japanese breakfast. It was a quiet and wonderful experience in Lake Villa Suimeikaku and we'll come back again.

Comfortable, Japanese style comfort
It snowed just now, it’s really great
The hot spring water is the kind that feels like essence
feel it for the first time

Great view, service and location.
Dinner is Italian style course with the variety of local ingredients from Hokkaido. For the breakfast you’ll have freshly cooked rice😋

Dont miss the private terrace with free champagne, ask at the reception to get the access.

For the access, there is a public bus from Shinchitose airport or Chitose station. They can come to pick you up at Shikotsuko bus station if you give them your arrival time in advance.

We took a flight from Shinchotose airport the next day. We took a bus to Shinchitose airport (57mins), great destination before or after your stay in Sapporo.