Onsen Ryokan Yuen Sapporo

TRIED & TESTED SAPPORO HOTEL

- Ravi Lalwani

BACKGROUND Ryokan is a Japanese traditional inn for travellers to rest and eat meals. The name of this Ryokan, Yuen, means origin, and it plays an important role in providing traditional Japanese hospitality. A modern northern inn that reconfigures the basic components of a ryokan is created by combining local Hokkaido materials with traditional Japanese design aspects, attracting tourists and locals to the area. This is the second Onsen Ryokan Yuen, after the one in Shinjuku.

WHAT'S IT LIKE Yuen Sapporo is well located in the centre of Sapporo. The big full-length automatic timber doors open to welcome guests to the contemporary hotel after they pass through the noren curtain entrance and a walkway to the main front lobby. Hot spring baths and contemporary Japanese décor serve as a meditative break from the city. The emphasis is on nature, relaxation and fully detaching oneself from the outside world.