Hotel Mahoroba Noboribetsu — 31 bath types across 4 floors, a full night is barely enough
Ever been to an onsen hotel where two hours in you're still finding baths you haven't tried? Hotel Mahoroba Noboribetsu is that place. With 31 bath types spread across 4 floors — including an open-air mountain bath where winter snowflakes fall on your head as you soak — it sits right in the centre of Noboribetsu Onsen town, 90 minutes from Sapporo by JR and bus, and the ¥26,000/night rate covers kaiseki dinner and a Hokkaido breakfast buffet with over 100 dishes.
Hotel Mahoroba Noboribetsu stands at 65 Noboribetsu Onsen-cho, right in the heart of Japan's famous onsen town. Getting here from Sapporo takes around 90 minutes by JR train and bus, and the hotel runs a free shuttle from JR Noboribetsu Station so you don't have to haul luggage uphill. What sets this place apart from the average onsen hotel is the sheer scale of its bathing facilities — 31 distinct bath types spread across 4 floors, from sulphur baths that leave your skin noticeably smoother, to iron and acidic mineral springs each with their own distinctive feel.
"Everyone who's been says the same thing — you can barely do all 31 baths in a single night, and soaking in the open-air bath while snow falls around you is genuinely unlike anything else."
The highlight that guests talk about most is the open-air mountain bath, open through the night. In winter, snowflakes drift down around you while the mineral water keeps you warm — an experience you simply cannot replicate at a city hotel. Guests who have stayed once tend to say this is the reason they come back. The surrounding Noboribetsu Onsen-cho neighbourhood is also very walkable, with shops, restaurants and the atmospheric street lanterns of the onsen district just steps from the hotel entrance.
On food — the ¥26,000 rate includes two full meals: a kaiseki dinner and a Hokkaido breakfast buffet with over 100 dishes. This is the detail guests consistently describe as "better value than expected". Compare it against a 4.5-star city hotel with no meals included and the price difference narrows considerably — but here you get a full meal plan plus some of Hokkaido's finest onsen on top. Rooms are Standard Japanese style, 28 sqm, with tatami flooring and futon bedding that makes the whole stay feel authentically Japanese.
Something worth building your trip around — Noboribetsu works best as a dedicated one-night (or longer) stay, not as a base for daily day trips into Sapporo. At 90 minutes each way, the sensible approach is to give yourself at least one full night here, then head back to the city the next morning. Travellers on tight itineraries sometimes miss the best of what this place offers by trying to squeeze it into a single day.
The honest trade-off worth knowing: weekend buffet queues. Multiple reviews note 30-minute waits at the dining room on Saturday and Sunday evenings if you don't time it right. The fix is simple — reserve the 18:00 dinner slot rather than 20:00, finish eating, and head down to the baths around 21:00–23:00 when crowds have thinned. That's the window regulars say the onsen experience is at its best.
Hotel Mahoroba Noboribetsu is run by the Karon Tomoe Onsen Group, which has long experience operating onsen resorts in the region. The hotel is well suited to couples, families, or anyone who wants a genuine onsen holiday rather than just a place to sleep. If your Sapporo itinerary has room for even one extra night, the extension to Noboribetsu and a stay here is something most people say they don't regret.
Overall — a score of 8.7 from 2,180 reviews says this isn't merely "acceptable"; it's an onsen resort that the majority of guests leave genuinely impressed by. Starting from ¥26,000/night with two meals included, it represents strong value for a 5-star onsen resort in the Noboribetsu area.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ 31 bath types across 4 floors — the most in the lineup
- ✓ Open-air mountain bath — snow falls around you as you soak in winter
- ✓ ¥26,000 rate includes kaiseki dinner + 100+ dish breakfast buffet
- ✓ Free shuttle from JR Noboribetsu Station
- ! 90 minutes from Sapporo — you need to dedicate at least one full night
- ! Weekend buffet queues of around 30 minutes if you don't book the early slot
- ! Standard rooms at 28 sqm are smaller than a typical 5-star city hotel
- ✓ Tatami + futon rooms — a fully immersive Japanese stay
- ✓ Friendly staff who explain each bath type in detail
- ✓ Right in Noboribetsu Onsen-cho — the town is walkable from the door
- ✓ Karon Tomoe Onsen Group — experienced onsen resort management
- ! 90 minutes from Sapporo — not ideal if you need a city-centre base every day
- ! Busy weekend buffet — book the 18:00 dinner slot to avoid queues
- ! No city-hotel amenities such as a gym or swimming pool
- 💡If you're only passing through — Noboribetsu is 90 minutes from Sapporo → give yourself at least one full overnight stay. A same-day return trip means you'll rush and miss the evening bathing atmosphere entirely.
- 💡If you're visiting on a weekend — the buffet and popular baths get very busy → reserve the 18:00 dinner slot and head to the onsen around 21:00–23:00 when it's much quieter.
- 💡If you want a spacious city-luxury room — Standard Japanese rooms are 28 sqm and focused on atmosphere over square footage → check other room types or consider an upgrade if space matters to you.