Hokkaido may be part of Japan, but in many ways, it feels like an entirely different world.
Even a quick look at Google Maps shows just how far north it lies and how close it is to Russia compared with most other parts of Japan. The region is especially famous for its long snowy season, with snow remaining part of the landscape for much of the year outside the height of summer.
It is also one of Japan’s most popular domestic travel destinations, attracting plenty of local visitors as well as international travelers.
Where Should You Stay in Sapporo?
I had already visited Osaka, Tokyo, and Fukuoka several times, so I had at least a rough sense of where the main districts were in those cities. Sapporo, however, was completely new to me.
At first, I vaguely assumed that staying near JR Sapporo Station would be the safest option. But naturally, hotels around the station were more expensive, and many of the rooms were extremely compact.
I started wondering whether there was somewhere reasonably priced with a room that actually felt spacious rather than like a tiny box.
After comparing several options, I eventually chose Fairfield By Marriott Sapporo. And I was pleasantly surprised.
Although officially positioned as a four-star hotel, the overall experience felt closer to a 4.5-star property.
I genuinely enjoy traveling around Japan, but if there is one thing I struggle with, it is the size of many Japanese hotel rooms. When a room is extremely small, I start to feel surprisingly claustrophobic. It may be manageable for one person, but sharing a narrow semi-double room with two adults is an entirely different experience.
For me, it becomes uncomfortable very quickly.
My Rule When Choosing Hotels in Sapporo
There are two things I check first. Price comes first, and room size comes second.
As a general rule, I would personally avoid anything below 20 square meters. Rooms around 18 square meters can look perfectly acceptable in photographs, but once you actually arrive with luggage, you may find there is barely enough floor space to open a suitcase properly.
Of course, if your only priority is keeping costs as low as possible and you are traveling in your twenties, it may be something you are willing to tolerate. Once you are in your thirties or beyond, however, I think the calculation begins to change.
If the difference is only around $30–$40, or perhaps KRW 50,000 per night, I would rather pay slightly more and actually enjoy the room.
After all, most travelers do not visit Hokkaido every few months. If you want the trip to remain a genuinely good memory, accommodation matters more than people sometimes expect.
Fairfield By Marriott Sapporo – First Impressions
On weekdays, rates were around the low-$120 range per night without breakfast. I was honestly surprised by how affordable Sapporo hotels were compared with Osaka, Tokyo, and even Fukuoka.
Weekends, however, are a very different story. Rates can easily jump to 1.5 or even twice the weekday price, so if your schedule is flexible, I strongly recommend avoiding Friday through Sunday.
Since it was technically a four-star hotel, I did not arrive with particularly high expectations. Instead, I found it noticeably better than the Fairfield property I had stayed at in Osaka.
The overall atmosphere felt closer to an upper-upscale 4 star hotel, occasionally even approaching entry-level 5 star territory in certain details.
The lobby is spacious, and there is also an interior garden area. When snow is falling outside, the combination creates a surprisingly atmospheric setting and gives the hotel far more character than I had expected from the brand.
👉 Fairfield By Marriott Sapporo – Check rates on Agoda
👉 Fairfield By Marriott Sapporo- Check rates on Expedia
Rooms – Much More Spacious Than the Typical Japanese Hotel
Room sizes vary depending on category. Thanks to my Marriott Titanium Elite status, I received an upgrade to a particularly spacious room measuring approximately 29 square meters. By Japanese city-hotel standards, that felt generous.
One feature I particularly appreciated was the proper table inside the room. We could buy food outside, bring it back, sit next to each other, and actually eat comfortably. That may sound like a very small detail, but having a usable dining table inside a Japanese hotel room is surprisingly uncommon.
The room was also equipped with a Nespresso machine, pajamas, slippers, a humidifier, and a generous selection of amenities. Even the disposable comb was unusually good quality. In fact, it felt almost wasteful to throw it away after one use, so I took it with me and ended up using it for roughly three months. That probably says more about the quality than anything else.
For a four-star property, the amenities felt surprisingly close to 5 star standards.
The bathroom was also properly sized rather than resembling one of those compact prefabricated bathroom units that are so common in Japan. The bathtub was not tiny either and was comfortably sized for an urban hotel.
Breakfast – Traditional Japanese Options and Complimentary Coffee
Breakfast focuses mainly on Japanese dishes, and complimentary coffee is available from the coffee machine. I originally booked a rate without breakfast.
Japan has plenty of excellent places to eat outside the hotel, and Fairfield properties are generally not part of the Marriott portfolio where elite members automatically receive complimentary breakfast. Unexpectedly, however, the hotel offered breakfast for two once during my stay as a welcome gift.
I was genuinely surprised. Complimentary elite breakfast is not traditionally a standard benefit at Fairfield properties, so I certainly had not expected it.
The buffet itself is not especially elaborate. I would describe the selection as perfectly adequate for a business-class hotel rather than something you would choose the property for.
There is a combination of traditional Japanese breakfast dishes and a few local specialties. You will find the usual items that are difficult to imagine a Japanese breakfast without: assorted pickles, umeboshi – which I personally enjoy – mentaiko, karaage, miso soup, tofu, and soup curry.
If the breakfast-inclusive rate is inexpensive, it is certainly convenient. If there is a substantial price difference, however, I would not necessarily pay extra for it.
About Hokkaido Soup Curry
One interesting item served at breakfast is soup curry. I am not sure whether most hotels in Sapporo include it, but in this case, you can at least try it without specifically going out to a restaurant.
Soup curry is one of Hokkaido’s best-known local dishes, and people often speak about it with enormous enthusiasm. Naturally, I also went out of my way to visit a popular restaurant to try it properly.
My personal reaction was rather more restrained. To me, it tasted somewhat like a very diluted Indian-style curry with considerably more broth.
I can understand why a hot, soup-based curry would become popular in a region with such cold winters, and I imagine that climate played a role in the dish’s development.
Still, I would suggest keeping expectations moderate if you are trying it for the first time. Personally, I enjoyed Sapporo ramen considerably more.
Location of Fairfield By Marriott Sapporo
The hotel is approximately 500 meters from Susukino, and this was another major reason I chose it. It is also conveniently located near one of the airport limousine bus stops. The airport bus drops passengers near the famous Nikka sign, and from there, the hotel is roughly an eight-minute walk. With a suitcase, 500 meters is still quite manageable.
That made the airport transfer considerably easier than staying somewhere that required changing trains or navigating stations with luggage.
The covered shopping arcade is only around 200 meters away, while Don Quijote is approximately 400 meters from the hotel. Popular soup curry restaurants, ramen shops, shopping streets, and many of central Sapporo’s dining options are also within easy reach.
This is one of the strongest advantages of staying here. You are close to the center without necessarily paying the premium charged by hotels immediately around JR Sapporo Station.
The Sapporo Beer Museum is slightly farther away, at approximately 2.5 kilometers. Walking takes around 30 minutes, while a taxi costs roughly ¥1,300.
Buses are available, but with some services running only around every 30 minutes, they are not always particularly convenient. Realistically, the choice is often either walking or taking a taxi. It may feel slightly wasteful to pay for such a short journey, but when there is heavy snow on the ground, saving both time and energy can easily make the taxi worthwhile.
Apart from the Beer Museum, most places I wanted to visit could be reached on foot. That said, during snowy periods, I would still recommend taking a taxi occasionally rather than trying to walk everywhere.
Snow-covered pavements can make even relatively short distances far more tiring than they appear on a map.
Marriott Elite Benefits
Marriott elite members can use the hotel’s coffee machine without charge, and in my case, my Titanium Elite status also resulted in a room upgrade.
As a welcome gift, I received two bottles of local beer. On top of that, I was fortunate enough to receive complimentary breakfast for two on one occasion during the stay.
I cannot say whether the hotel offers this consistently, so I would treat it as a pleasant extra rather than a guaranteed benefit.
Fairfield hotels are generally known for offering relatively limited elite benefits compared with some other Marriott brands. Considering that, I felt the benefits here were more generous than expected.
Final Thoughts
Fairfield By Marriott Sapporo turned out to be one of those hotels that exceeded my expectations precisely because I had not expected very much from it.
The rooms are considerably more comfortable than the ultra-compact accommodation commonly found in Japanese cities, the public areas feel more refined than the brand positioning might suggest, and the location works particularly well for sightseeing around Susukino and central Sapporo.
The relatively reasonable weekday rates are another major advantage. I would be more hesitant if the weekend price were twice as high, but at around $120 on a weekday, the value felt convincing.
Add the Marriott elite recognition, room upgrade, local beer welcome gift, complimentary coffee, and the unexpected breakfast benefit I received, and the overall package becomes surprisingly competitive.
For travelers who value room size, location, and comfort but do not necessarily want to pay luxury-hotel prices, this is a Sapporo hotel I would happily consider again.
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