Premier Hotel Tsubaki Sapporo — the resort-style family hotel kids will never want to leave
Picture this — you've spent the whole day exploring the Snow Festival, the kids are buzzing with excitement, and the moment you get back to the hotel they leap into the warm indoor pool, then wind down in a dedicated kids onsen before bed. That's exactly what Premier Hotel Tsubaki Sapporo delivers. A 4-star resort-style hotel with a score of 8.9 from 1,820 reviews, it's the kind of place where families say "this was the best part of our Hokkaido trip."
Premier Hotel Tsubaki Sapporo sits in the Toyohira-ku district, 15 minutes from JR Sapporo Station by free shuttle that runs every 30 minutes. It sounds a little out of the way — and that's precisely what makes it different from the standard city-centre hotel. Instead of a boxy room in a glass tower, you get genuine resort-style surroundings: open spaces, a proper indoor pool, an onsen big enough that you're never queuing, and the clean Hokkaido air you can feel the moment you step outside the building.
"The kids absolutely loved it — pool in the afternoon, onsen before bed, then a crab buffet in the morning. We didn't need to leave the hotel for anything. Hands down the best family hotel of the whole Hokkaido trip."
What families mention most consistently is the indoor pool and the large onsen, both designed with families in mind. The pool is wide enough for kids to splash around without annoying anyone, while parents can sit and relax nearby. The main onsen is noticeably bigger than what you'd find at a typical business hotel — and what sets this place apart further is the separate Kids Onsen: a dedicated bathing area for young children, designed so that parents can accompany children under 6 without worrying about disturbing other guests.
The rooms make life genuinely easier for families. The 40 sqm Family Twin — the most popular choice for a family of four — fits two twin beds plus two sofa beds comfortably, with enough floor space to lay out ski jackets and snow gear without the room feeling chaotic. At 40 sqm this is around 7–8 sqm larger than a typical budget-chain family room, which matters a lot when you have small children getting dressed for the cold. For bigger family groups of 5–6 people, the Family Suite at 60 sqm has two separate bedrooms — but book well ahead as these are limited.
Breakfast is the other thing guests come back to mention again and again. The Hokkaido seafood breakfast buffet at ¥3,200/person features king crab legs, sea urchin (uni), salmon roe (ikura) and other fresh seasonal seafood that Hokkaido is famous for. At this price it's cheaper than the breakfast offering at several comparable hotels in Sapporo, and for a family of four the per-person cost works out to a reasonable spend given the quality of what's on the table.
Getting around is straightforward. The free shuttle from JR Sapporo Station runs every 30 minutes, which means no hauling luggage over icy pavements, and no squeezing onto the metro with bulky snow gear. This matters especially in February during the Snow Festival — you head out to see the snow sculptures, come back, and go straight to the onsen without fighting rush-hour crowds. The nearby Gakuen-mae Station on the Toho Line (7 minutes on foot) is there for days when you prefer to explore independently.
A few honest things to know first. The hotel is not in the city centre — if you want to wander out after dinner to the night-life at Susukino, or browse the shops along Tanuki-koji, you'll need to take the shuttle or metro rather than simply stepping outside. That's fine for families whose plan is to sightsee during the day and return for a proper rest, but less convenient for late-night city explorers. During the Snow Festival the shuttle can also run late due to evening traffic between 16:00 and 19:00, and Family Suite rooms are limited — three months' advance booking is the safe call.
All in all, if your main goal is to bring the family to experience Hokkaido snow, give the kids an onsen, eat fresh seafood without fuss, and sleep well after a full day out — Premier Hotel Tsubaki Sapporo delivers on every count. The 8.9 score from 1,820 real reviewers does not lie, and many families describe it as "the hotel that made the whole Hokkaido trip" precisely because kids get both pool and onsen at a price that makes sense.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Indoor pool and large onsen well suited to families
- ✓ 40 sqm Family Twin room — comfortable for four people
- ✓ Separate Kids Onsen for young children with parents
- ✓ Free shuttle from JR Sapporo every 30 minutes
- ! Not central — shuttle or metro needed to reach the city
- ! Snow Festival (Feb) shuttles can run late in evening traffic
- ! Family Suite is limited — book well in advance
- ✓ Resort-style atmosphere — spacious and relaxed, not cramped
- ✓ Hokkaido seafood breakfast great value — king crab, uni, ikura
- ✓ Attentive and friendly staff
- ✓ Close to Nakajima Park, quiet surroundings
- ! Susukino night market is 20 minutes by metro
- ! Not convenient if you want to be out late at night
- ! Breakfast at ¥3,200 is not included — though it's worth it for fresh seafood
- 💡If you want to explore Susukino late at night — the hotel is outside the city centre → you'll need the metro or a taxi to get back. It suits families planning early nights after full days out rather than late-night city explorers.
- 💡If you need the 60 sqm Family Suite — rooms are very limited → book at least 3 months ahead, especially for the Snow Festival in February and autumn foliage season (Oct–Nov).
- 💡If you're visiting during the Snow Festival in February — the shuttle can run late due to traffic from 16:00–19:00 → plan to return to the hotel either before or after the rush hour window.