Century Marina Hakodate — Rooftop Onsen with Mt. Hakodate Views, 150-Dish Hokkaido Breakfast
Picture the ideal Hakodate morning: you are at the fish market at five-thirty, choosing live crab and fresh sea urchin, back at the hotel by seven, soaking in a rooftop open-air onsen with Mt. Hakodate turning gold in the early light, then downstairs for a 150-dish buffet of Hokkaido sashimi, made-to-order omelettes and Hokkaido ramen. That itinerary works perfectly from Hotel & Spa Century Marina Hakodate because the morning market is a one-minute walk out the front door. A 9.3/10 score from 563 verified reviews on Trip.com is the result.
Honestly — Hakodate's reputation has always outpaced its supply of genuinely good hotels. For years travellers arriving by train found themselves choosing between older bay-area inns and newer properties set further back from the action. Century Marina Hakodate changed that when it opened in May 2019. The 15-floor white high-rise in the Otemachi district sits 5 minutes on foot from JR Hakodate Station and 1 minute from Hakodate Morning Market — meaning the classic plan of hitting the market at dawn, returning for an onsen soak, and sitting down to breakfast before 8 a.m. requires no car and no taxi.
One guest recalls: "The morning market is literally across the road. They ate fresh crab, came back and soaked in the rooftop onsen, watched the sun come up over Mt. Hakodate. Breakfast downstairs had over 100 choices. Best hotel location in Hakodate by a long way."
The headline feature is the Infinity Spa on floors 14–15 — billed as the largest onsen facility in Hakodate. The baths are split by gender and fed by genuine Hakodate hot spring mineral water, which runs a distinctive amber-gold colour from its iron content. On the 14th floor you have large indoor baths; the 15th floor opens onto the rooftop open-air rotenburo with glass screens framing an unobstructed panorama of Mt. Hakodate and the bay. The Stellar Lounge sits adjacent to the top-floor baths — a soft-lit rest area with sofas, Hokkaido soft-serve ice cream, beverages, and the same night-city view. Guests consistently say they lose track of time here, which is exactly the point.
The breakfast buffet is the other thing guests cannot stop talking about. More than 150 dishes built around Hokkaido ingredients are laid out daily from 06:30 to 11:00, replenished throughout the service. Sashimi (salmon, ikura, squid, scallop), miso soup, Hokkaido ramen, made-to-order omelettes and pancakes, fresh fruit including Hokkaido cantaloupe in season, traditional Japanese rice sets alongside a Western spread — the variety is genuine, not padded out with filler. To be direct: at peak times on weekends there is a queue, and arriving after 8:30 means the most popular stations thin out. The fix is straightforward — come down before 7:00 and you walk straight in.
The building contains 317 rooms across 17 room types. The entry-level Premier Queen at 22.4 square metres handles one or two guests for a short stay but is compact if you are travelling with large bags. Deluxe Twins at 31 square metres offer noticeably more breathing room. Corner Suites and Junior Suites add separate living areas, and the Marina Suite — the flagship room whose lobby-facing photos show the hotel at its most appealing — delivers a living-room-plus-bedroom layout with bay or mountain views depending on the floor and orientation. Every room is non-smoking, newly built, and the cleanliness score (9.4/10) reflects it.
Beyond the onsen and food, the property includes a spa offering beauty treatments and massage (priced separately), Bar Voyager serving craft beer and Hokkaido wines in the evening, and Yuuyoo Marchè — a hotel shop selling house-made sweets, local produce, and Hokkaido regional goods. It covers most of what travellers need without leaving the building. For those driving, the on-site car park charges ¥1,000 per day, and EV charging is available.
A few things worth knowing before you book. The smallest Premier rooms at 22.4 sqm are genuinely compact — if you arrive with two large suitcases, step up to a Deluxe Twin (31 sqm) or Suite for noticeably more breathing room. Pillow firmness is a minor recurring note: the standard pillow is soft, but the hotel offers a pillow menu at check-in while supplies last. Spa treatments carry a separate charge and some packages are priced firmly — worth checking the menu before you decide. There is no swimming pool. Set those caveats aside and the picture is clear: Century Marina is the most practically positioned four-star property in Hakodate, and it earns its 9.3/10 honestly. The rooftop onsen, the 150-dish Hokkaido breakfast, and the one-minute walk to the morning market form a combination that very few hotels in Hokkaido match at this price. If those three things are why you came to Hakodate, this is the address that delivers them.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Hakodate Morning Market is one minute from the front door — the market-then-onsen morning actually works
- ✓ Rooftop Infinity Spa with Mt. Hakodate panorama — guests call it the most memorable part of their stay
- ✓ Hokkaido breakfast buffet with 150+ dishes including unlimited sashimi and made-to-order stations
- ✓ Brand-new construction (2019) — clean, fresh, no ageing fixtures to worry about
- ! Standard Premier rooms at 22.4 sqm are genuinely compact — a tight fit with two large suitcases
- ! Breakfast queues on weekends and peak holiday periods; arriving after 8:30 means crowds
- ! Spa treatments priced separately and some packages are expensive relative to the room rate
- ✓ Bay or mountain views from upper-floor rooms — curtains open at night and city lights fill the room
- ✓ Stellar Lounge after the onsen: sofas, Hokkaido soft-serve ice cream, the same panoramic view
- ✓ Bar Voyager craft beer and Hokkaido wine in the evenings — a proper wind-down option in-house
- ✓ On-site parking ¥1,000/day, EV charging available — convenient for road-trippers
- ! Standard pillow too soft for some guests — ask for the pillow menu at check-in, available while supplies last
- ! Some window views affected by rain and city grime; management response not always prompt
- ! No swimming pool — if that is a priority, you need a different hotel
- 💡If you are travelling with large luggage or staying more than two nights — the 22.4 sqm Premier rooms are a tight fit. Upgrade to a Deluxe Twin (31 sqm) or Corner Suite for noticeably more space; the price difference is reasonable.
- 💡If breakfast is the centrepiece of your stay — arrive before 7:00 on weekends and public holidays. The buffet is genuine and extensive, but the most popular items at the sashimi and made-to-order stations run thin by 8:30 when the crowds peak.
- 💡If you plan to use the spa treatment rooms — check the menu and prices before booking your package. The onsen baths themselves are included in the room rate, but massage and beauty treatment packages carry a separate and sometimes significant additional charge.