Richmond Hotel Sapporo Ekimae

Richmond Hotel Sapporo Ekimae is always my first choice in Sapporo I have been with Richmond Hotel for long time and everytime I travel to Hokkaido, I would stay a few days with them. Over the decade, I witnessed and experienced their continuous improvements no matter in terms of room facilities, staff service, and breakfast options. Cant fault on anything with them. Once again, they have exceeded my expectations and I will definitely return again if I travel to Sapporo again. I travelled to Hokkaido and arranged roadtrips in the area for a month. I stayed in Richmond three times during the month, whenever I need to return to Sapporo to get an overnight or few days' rest, Richmond Hotel Sapporo Ekimae is my choice, and I do not regret it. My first stay during this trip was just after our long flight from Europe when we most needed good rest and comfortable hassle free environment. We booked a non-smoking twin room which is spacious enough for all our luggage. We had a good rest for a few days and walked around the city and we head off for our road trip. After around 2 weeks we returned again with a few more members of our family. I messaged them before my stay advising them of my ETA and the made and model of my rental car. They had so diligently and professional arranged everything upon our arrival. We stayed one night and then head off for another road trip. After a few days we returned again and as expected, they have also arranged everything for us and know our needs and helped us checked in swiftly so we can rest immediately Their helpfulness and great arrangement really exceeded our expectation. I must thank all the staff here for everything they have helped us through, which made all our three stays during this Hokkaido trip seamless and easy. About the hotel: -location: within walking distance between Sappporo Train Station and Susukino, excellent location -breakfast: 5 options to choose from, full set Japanese breakfast with grilled fish, full set Sashimi breakfast with Salmon and Salmon Roe, Crab Porridge breakfast set, Western Breakfast set, and Kids set. I always choose the full grilled fish set, you can opt for less rice if you find the set large -amenities: amenities available at the reception area, just take what u need -language: this trip amazes me as most of their staff speaks very good English, I have to specifically praise two male staff who checked us in during our first stay on 30 May, and our last stay on 16 June, their hospitality and professionalism gives me great comfort despite we were very tired after a long flight on 30 May and after a long road trip on 16 June. Kindly note that it is not a fancy or luxury hotel, but as a business hotel it exceeded well beyond my expectation and as a loyal fan for the last 20+ years, I am pleased to see that the group is expanding and growing well, and the training of their staff has gone better and better. If I ever travel so far again, the Richmond Hotel Group will definitely be in my top list.

We booked a non-smoking room for four nights months in advance and clearly stated this request in the booking. There was no indication in our confirmation that the room was a smoking room, so we had no reason to expect any issues. However, just one day before check-in, we were informed that no non-smoking rooms were available. The hotel insisted that we had booked a smoking room and shifted the blame to the booking platform, even though this was not stated anywhere in our confirmation. When we asked why we were notified only one day before check-in, despite securing the reservation four months in advance, the staff refused to provide any explanation, which raised serious concerns about transparency and communication. Instead of taking responsibility, the hotel asked us to pay an additional ¥40,000 for another room. Even after we agreed to stay in the smoking room, the reception staff laughed among themselves as we walked away from the front desk, which felt extremely disrespectful and unprofessional. The room also had dust on the water tumbler, and the smell of smoke in both the hallway and the room (10th floor) was very strong. A few hours after check-in, the hotel suddenly called to say that a non-smoking room had become available the same day, without any clear explanation. While we accepted the change, it required us to pack again and move rooms, which added unnecessary inconvenience to our stay. The layout of shared facilities was also inefficient, with the microwave, laundromat, vending machines, and comic area located on different floors. The location itself was good—close to convenience stores, Odori Park, and the underground passageway—and amenities were available for self-service in the lobby. Unfortunately, the overall experience was very disappointing due to poor communication and a lack of accountability.

Great location, generous room (always by Japanese standards), many amenities inside the hotel. Recommended.