HakoBA Hakodate by THE SHARE HOTELS — sleeping in a historic bank, waking up to the Red Brick Warehouses
Picture stepping out of your room in the morning and finding Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses right in front of you. That is what you get at HakoBA Hakodate by THE SHARE HOTELS — a 9.4-rated property housed in the former Fuji Bank building on Hakodate's historic waterfront. This is not just budget accommodation: it is a place where design and history converge, earning the top spot for specialty lodging in Hakodate on TripAdvisor.
HakoBA Hakodate by THE SHARE HOTELS stands at 9-4 Suehirocho — the historic bay quarter of Hakodate — and the building itself is the former Fuji Bank, thoughtfully renovated to preserve all its old-world character. The location is hard to beat: Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses are immediately adjacent — you step outside and you are already there. No taxi, no long walk. You are simply standing in the most iconic part of Hakodate the moment you leave the front door.
"The property is stunning — staying in a character-filled old building with that kind of design is rare. Most guests say the rooftop sunset over the bay and the warehouses was the highlight of their entire Hakodate trip."
The hotel divides into two sections: Bank Building, the main original bank structure offering private rooms with en-suite bathrooms, and Dock Building, which houses dormitory-style accommodation for travellers on tighter budgets or those keen to meet fellow guests. The feature that virtually every reviewer mentions is the rooftop with its view over Hakodate Bay — from up there you can see the bay and the red brick warehouses simultaneously in one frame, which makes for a sunset experience that no large chain hotel in the area can replicate.
A score of 9.4 from 154 Trip.com reviews and the #1 specialty lodging ranking on TripAdvisor tells you that this place gets the important things right. Guests consistently praise the atmosphere that feels nothing like a standard hotel, the attentive team, and the sense of being somewhere with a real story to tell. At ¥9,000 per night for a private room in Bank Building, the value is genuinely strong given the location and the experience on offer.
Getting around from here is straightforward — the Suehirocho tram stop is a 3-minute walk. Hakodate's tram network is the main way to move through the city, and from this stop you can easily reach JR Hakodate Station or the ropeway up to Mt. Hakodate. The Suehirocho neighbourhood itself has restaurants, cafes and a fish market within walking distance, so you rarely need to go far for food.
Worth knowing before you book: the review count of 154 is smaller than larger hotels in the same neighbourhood, and while the score is excellent, the sample size is still limited. This is also a 3-star design hotel/hostel concept, which means the dormitory side of Dock Building may not suit everyone who wants full privacy. There is also no in-house onsen, which sets it apart from the 4-star onsen properties elsewhere in Hakodate.
In short, if you are coming to Hakodate and want to stay right beside Kanemori Warehouses on a modest budget while enjoying genuine character and atmosphere — HakoBA is the clearest answer available. Starts from ¥9,000 per night, and there is a rooftop you will want to visit every evening.
Guests who stay here typically care more about atmosphere and location than standard amenities — and those are precisely the two things HakoBA Hakodate delivers best. No other property in Hakodate lets you sleep inside a historic bank building and wake up with the red brick warehouses framed in your window like this.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Steps from Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses — walk out and you are there
- ✓ Charming design in the former Fuji Bank building — nothing like a standard hotel
- ✓ Rooftop with Hakodate Bay views — perfect at sunset
- ✓ From ¥9,000/night — the most affordable private-room option in this waterfront area
- ! 154 reviews — smaller sample than larger hotels nearby
- ! Dormitory rooms not suited to everyone
- ! No in-house onsen
- ✓ Design/hostel atmosphere — easy to meet fellow travellers
- ✓ Attentive team with good local knowledge of the area
- ✓ Suehirocho tram stop 3 min walk — straightforward connections citywide
- ✓ Bank Building private rooms have en-suite bathrooms and genuine privacy
- ! Dock Building dorms — you may hear other guests at times
- ! No onsen — bathroom facilities in your room only
- ! Check-in from 15:00 — arrive earlier and bags will need to be stored
- 💡If you want an onsen — there is no onsen here → look at La Vista Hakodate Bay or the Yunokawa onsen hotels for that experience.
- 💡If you need full privacy — both dorm and private rooms are available here → specifically book a private room in Bank Building and confirm it includes an en-suite bathroom.
- 💡If review volume matters to you — HakoBA has 154 reviews, which is fewer than larger properties → check La Vista Hakodate Bay or Hakodate Kokusai Hotel, which carry several thousand reviews, for comparison.