Hotel Sonia

6/10

Pleasant

11 Feb 2026

Sophia

Hotel staff could use better customer service training. Passive aggression runs rampant

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2026

Howard

Great time.

Leisure Friends

2/10

Poor

03 Feb 2026

Maurice

Sadly this hotel was a sheer disappointment. The rooms were in such an inacceptable state, we left after 1 night. Everything was old, dirty, dusty and mouldy.
Our bedding was stained upon arrival and had to reuest they be changed. All the walls were marked and stained, it was dusty and tuere was mould in the shower.
Completely unacceptable for the conditoon of the rooms. They did not reflect the rating or the advertised photos.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2026

Alyssa

Beautiful hotel, nice area, friendly staff, and spacious rooms.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2026

Christian

The room was great, overlooking the canal, such a beautiful view at night. Bed was firm but actually comfortable, room size was decent too. Onsen was great, all amenities were clean. I will definitely return

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2026

Levi

Best location, walkable to everything including the station. Great view of the canal from the spa. Amenities were great as well as all staff

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jan 2026

oriol

Easy and quick

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jan 2026

George

Awesome venue… booked with the Canal view

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2026

Chezlani

Excellent location for our family ski stay in Otaru. Easy access to train/bus terminal, 30 mins bus ride to Asari Ski Resort. Awesome canal view and nice walkable area for exploring Otaru.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jan 2026

Xiao

Great onsen experience! Lady's hot spring has outdoor area, Men's side does not, but have a great harbor & canal view. We heard that the breakfast there is great, and it is true! The only drawback is that there are only two laundary machines.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

23 Nov 2025

Erica

The lobby was nice and it has all the great free amenities like skin care, tea a coffee. It also has a great onsen. However, the rooms are tired.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

29 Aug 2025

Sue Kyung

.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

21 Aug 2025

Reiko

The building seems to be pretty old and outdated. The view from the room was good, however.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

14 Aug 2025

Iren

The hotel is in the best area on the Otaru canal, it is a bit older but still very nice and clean. Bed was comfy. Very nice for a couple of nights. It also has an onsen which is rare in the area.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Aug 2025

Natsuko

Very close to the Otaru canal and museums, shops and restaurant. The big bathes with natural spring water is excellent.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Aug 2025

Karine

Very convenient location between the rain station and the main attraction street.
Very cozy cute hotel.
The bathroom was super small though.
Breakfast buffet was pretty good and well organised, online waiting room really helped.
Per my understanding parking is limited, but we did not have a car. View of the canal was nice.
Onsen was pretty small, but at least not that crowded. No sauna and both baths were pretty hot.
Other than that, I would stay there again.

Business_and_leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Jul 2025

philip

Staff was not friendly. Got there at 2:45 and would let us check in 15 min early. Asked to help call a taxi and declined help. Good location but honestly better hotels to stay.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2025

Kwong Meng

Great view of the canal. Conveniently located with access to many food options within walking distance.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Jun 2025

Jojo

Simple room with good amenities.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

31 May 2025

THERESA

Great location. Bed was broken on arrival. No place to eat a meal in the lobby area or coffee shop. Low door frames not suitable for tall people.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2025

Aleksandr

Whether

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 May 2025

Adrian

Staff was friendly and helpful, would recommend if you are planning to stay in Otaru for a day.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

29 Apr 2025

Choy

It has a very good hotel breakfast. The lobby, cafe are very beautiful. But the room is seriously dated and in need of a renovation. I love the area as it is right beside the Otaru canal where I can take walk in the early morning before the tourists come.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Apr 2025

Verified traveler

Good location

Good location in front of canal. And walking distance to the shopping street.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

22 Mar 2025

YASUYUKI

The scenery was nice, but the sound of cars driving along the canal in the morning was quite loud. It was a shame that we could hear a lot of machinery noise. The bath was very nice, as it offered a great view. The breakfast was also quite good.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Mar 2025

Wei

Clean convenient

6/10

Pleasant

17 Mar 2025

Gail

The hotel is old and feels with less maintenance. Parking area not shovelled and only allow guests to park over 12pm on departure day. Staff communicate smooth and friendly; we felt paid more than how it deserves. Surrounding area is ok, walkable to all attractions and hotel room facing the canal. overall is an old and average hotel for us.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2025

Ichaya

Good location, great service. Recommend.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2025

Michael

Great amenities, walkable to downtown. Had everything we were looking for

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

15 Feb 2025

James

Beautiful place but a little dated in the rooms and small

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2025

Kirk

Relaxing atmosphere and helpful staff.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

30 Jan 2025

Raymond

Great Hotel! I wouldn't think twice about staying here again. Cafe was great & breakfast was also excellent!

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

30 Jan 2025

amos

Great but need better coffee

Overall a great hotel that we keep using . The coffee at breakfast is not good. There is a nice coffee shop attached to the hotel but does not open until 10:00

Business

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jan 2025

Devin

Very nice hotel, however property was surprisingly dirty on close inspection. Mold in bathroom for example, damaged furniture. While staying here i became very ill, however staff were very accomodating and area around hotel is very ideal. Lots of tourist areas and very walkable. Main issue was cleanliness of the room.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

20 Jan 2025

Kenneth

Nice hotel, but for the price, the amenities should be better. General feel is of a two or three star hotel. Staff has little foreign language skill but is very nice. No flexibility in check in times.

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2025

Verified traveler

Good find in Otaru

It was a lovely stay for my family. I will definitely recommend this hotel.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

27 Dec 2024

KC

Good

10/10

Exceptional

25 Dec 2024

yuchun

Clean

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2024

Wendy Lai Ling

Good view, friendly staff, close to anywhere.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

30 Nov 2024

Li

The hotel feels quite old and could use some updates. Be aware that the staff does not assist with luggage, which might be inconvenient for some travelers. Additionally, the humidifier in the room had mold, and overall cleanliness could be improved.

Business_and_leisure

10/10

Exceptional

28 Nov 2024

Philip

Great location in Otaru, walking distance to the center of things in this quint little town

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Oct 2024

Yuichi

All good. Food was great in hotel restaurant

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2024

Herman Kin Hei

Conveniently close with views to the Otaru canal. Onsen bath within the hotel. Parking available onsite with reasonable price.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

26 Sep 2024

Verified traveler

Spacious Room

Nice large room and good amount of space as we were recommended this hotel by friends. Fixtures are dated but functional. Great view of the canal from our room! My only complaint is the layout of the bathroom with the toilet in front of the doorway I tripped and fell on the hard tile floor. Consider reversing the door swing so that the toilet is not immediately in front of the opening.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

06 Aug 2024

Katie

I was rather disappointed with this hotel. The lobby was very nice and open, upon check in, the service was excellent.

However, the rooms are quite old, especially the bath room. There were hair and small dirt marks ok the bed sheets, and for some strange reason, the pillow are small and in a square shape (like a small European pillow).

The hotel is made up of 3 wings, but only has one small restaurant, so in the morning the line is crazy and the food area is overcrowded. The food choice was very limited as well.

The location of the hotel is great, right next to the Otaru Canal, easy walking distant to most of the tourist attraction.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

30 Jul 2024

Kamen

Average Japanese hotel, complicated parking.

The hotel is not new but reasonably maintained. Mattresses are a a bit squeaky. Overall a clean place. We didn’t use the onsen. We came with a small baby. It was a rainy day. We appreciate it was an hour early for check in, and no problem with us. But showing the reception staff that there are no cars at all in the parking lots they still asked us to go away, park in a public car park, and come back to park at the time of check in. Rules may be rules, but really…? Eventually we parked, but when we drove out in the rain on our rerun found there was no longer parking for us, as we hadn’t reserved our spot, only paid. We found parking in the end, but why so complicated? Anyway, we do not recommend this hotel for guests with a car. Parking in Japan is relatively inexpensive and not complicated, except here.
The breakfast we also rate below average for both Asian and European standards, but not a deal breaker. Lots of other breakfast places nearby.
I seldom write such reviews. Otaru is a charming town and worth visiting.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

15 Jul 2024

Shan

location is good

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Jun 2024

lai won

Beds not comfy and furniture very old fashioned

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jun 2024

david

Centrally located

Conveniently located near to Otaru canal, restaurants and shopping

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

24 May 2024

Jianming

Location

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2024

Randy

Great service!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

27 Mar 2024

Christopher

Lobby is nice and Location is ok, walking to the train station and most of the attractions.
Rooms are dated, and needs some TLC. Not as clean as other similar price hotels in Japan. Same with the Service, was expecting more.

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

16 Mar 2024

Gyoung Hoon

Not clean.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

25 Feb 2024

Verified traveler

Nice location on canal and good amenities.

Enjoyed the location and paying for the breakfast was worth it. Our room was fairly dingy however—could really use updates including a paint job and new furniture—the bed was comfortable but the rest of the room was lackluster. The Onsen was lovely and service was great when we needed them.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Feb 2024

MYRA

There's an Onsen within the hotel and Otaru canal can be viewed through the window. Location however is a bit far from JR Otaru station but walkable. It's a hassle though if you have luggages.

8/10

Excellent

15 Feb 2024

Yick Hung

convenient for shopping and sight seeing

staff language skill is very limited; one of front desk male old guy is not helpful at all

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2024

Hiroshi

gold member. no late check out. super rude staff urgently trying to kick you out to free their room

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

22 Jan 2024

Rob

Good value for money

Great place, warm staff, superb restaurant. Furniture a bit shabby, but worth the proce

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jan 2024

Si Qi

excellent view

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

21 Jan 2024

Kwok Leung

It’s not very new condition but very good location and convenient to go popular places

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

21 Jan 2024

Verified traveler

Not up to expectations

Had a unpleasant stay.
1. No complimentary mineral water in room
2. Front desk does not help to arrange yamato delivery to other hotels (all other hotels does help and no issue)
3. Taxi service - you have to call yourself using their taxi phone (all other hotels help you to call and arrange taxi)
4. Rooms very dated and not refurbished. Walls are stained. Furniture full of scratches and missing handles. Toilet have musted smell and very budget feel.
5. Air humidifier is bad condition and made noises/sound during 1st night stay. Keep making us and kids wake up.

Please improve on your guest experience and service offering.
Family of 4 (2 adults, 1 child and 1 infant)
2 big, 1 medium luggages and 1 stroller.
Booked 3 nights, I stayed one night and booked another neigbour hotel for the other 2 night stay which was fantastic!
Only saving grace is the good breakfast and service at the restaurant. That is why it is 2 star.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2024

Nyet Shen

Helpful staffs.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

13 Dec 2023

jia yang

excellent location!

amazing location with easy parking. public bath is not too big. laundry is a bit on the expensive side.

room is spacious, overall very positive

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Dec 2023

Yin Shi

Our stay at Sonia exceeded my expectations. Hotel lobby was warm and inviting, room was very spacious and clean. My girls loved their 1st onsen experience and was so magical to them when it snowed on them in the outdoor onsen. Will definitely choose Sonia if i were to visit Otaru again.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

10 Nov 2023

Soh Yean

Service was the best I have ever encountered. Thank you!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Nov 2023

Tommy

Very convenient to walk to all the touristy places. Hotel is very clean, but room furnishings felt dated due to the age of the hotel. Parking was easy at a lot behind the hotel.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Oct 2023

Mie

Spa and breakfast were nice.
Recommend to book a renovated room.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2023

YeeWing

Comfortable and cozy place. Staff were really nice and lovely.

8/10

Excellent

30 Aug 2023

Kenneth Che Hin

The restaurant declined to take guests even there are a few empty table. May be they do not have enough staff

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

02 May 2023

Man Sum

The parking instruction is not friendly and no sign showing the parking space that may cause confusion with parking area of the adjacent hotel.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

10 Mar 2023

Amy

Accommodations were great, the hotel restaurant and cafe were excellent, and it is in a wonderful location

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2023

Yui Wing

good

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

28 Feb 2023

Joel

Very modern hotel, great location overlooking the canal, and very helpful front desk staff. We were lucky to reserve the room we did so soon before the festival. I appreciate the staff holding our bags as we went for lunch and shopping before check-in time. They were also kind enough to put the pocket wifi in the return envelope in the mail for us, and kindly called for a taxi to take us to Otaru Sta. My hats off to the staff even if we stayed only 1 nite.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

18 Feb 2023

Verified traveler

Just an ordinary hotel . Pilllow is tiny. Not a comfortable bed

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

12 Feb 2023

sorrakrit

ไม่มีอะไรประทับใจเลย หมอนและเตียงนอนไม่สบายเลย อาหารเช้าเค็มเกินไป ดีแค่ทำเลตรงข้ามคลองแค่นั้น

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2023

Sau Ching

The room is clean. Staff are friendly. The breakfast has lot of choices and tasty. The only thing is the canal view of the room is not very attractive.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Jan 2023

Thomas

Great location and good views of the canal. Standard room is smallish but works well. Onsen is excellent.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Dec 2022

Peter

Close to canal

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Nov 2022

Sheng Hui

Close to the attraction, slightly far to pull ur heavy bags from station though

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

10 Oct 2022

Roy

Conveniently located in the heart of Otaru

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jun 2022

Brian

Location

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jun 2022

Kevin

Nice location close to the canal and port

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

13 May 2022

MARIASURIETA

I love the SPA and convenient to tourist spots. As well the cleanliness. Thank you

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

13 Mar 2022

On

Not as good as my first visit. Wouldn’t use again

I stayed here a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. This time however was a different experience. In my opinion, their standards have dropped. I discovered that half the hotel consisted of older rooms. We were on the north side, try to avoid it. A bit shabby to say the least. They charge the same price for them though. Seems to be luck of the draw which one you get. They boast free parking too, but so few spaces it seems impossible to get one, as people in the know seem to be able to pre-book them with cones. So factor in 1000 to 2000 yen to park your car in an offsite pay car park.
Public bath is far to small for the size of the hotel. Practically impossible to get a locker or a washing place at both times I attempted to go. I gave up.
Plus side is that I enjoyed breakfast, nice selection, though the restaurant is quite small for the hotel size so very busy at times.
Better to go earlier I think.
I think there are better options in the area, to be honest.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Dec 2021

Peter

My wife and I stayed two nights in a room in the south building, seventh floor. The room was small but comfortable and had a view of the canal. The room, especially the bathroom, needs updating. Check in was quick, and we parked our rental car in the hotel’s small lot behind the hotel (parking fee was 1,200 yen per day). We enjoyed most the onsen on the seventh floor of the main building. We didn’t eat at the hotel, so I cannot comment on the hotel’s restaurants and the food and service. Instead, there are numerous restaurants nearby; we liked best the Otaru Brewery.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

20 Dec 2021

Daniel

Fairly new facility and amenities. Location was great. Very close to the canal and the main street with variety food choice. Water quality makes the onsite bath great. Breakfast was great as well. We hope the hotel provides shuttles to the Otaru station. Even with limited English speaking staff, we would come back next time. Thanks for the making good memories in Otaru.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

07 Apr 2020

YEO

Hot bath is located at middle tower, But troublesome to move around

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

Clean and walkable to famous place in Otaru,
Good location for shuttle bus to Kiroro

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

Good to stay

Needs 10-15 minutes walking from train station. Room's space is ok for two people and big luggages. Hot spring at 7 floor is good for traveller who needs relax bathing.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Feb 2020

Alvin

Perfect location: right in front of the canal. There are lots of restaurants and shops within walkable distance. Staffs were nice. The room was clean, comfortable, and roomy.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Feb 2020

James

be nice to have coffee machine by the lobby.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Feb 2020

Lee

Room with canal view. Hot bath with canal view. Difficult and long walk from the train station especially when carrying heavy luggage.Difficult to adjust air conditioner and heater due to absence of English instructions. Staff are helpful. Overall still a pleasant stay.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Feb 2020

Mei Yin Suky

Great location

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2020

YEIN FONG

Highly recommended!

Great value for money. The hotel has a very classic design. Strategically located near the canal, museums and walking distance to Sakaimachi street and JR station. Would recommend anyone who is looking for a place to stay in Otaru!

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

31 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Conveniently located along the Canal and a comfortable walk to the museums and famous Hokkaido cream puffs. Dining options around, but hotel has a reasonable price restaurant you may want to check it out. Close to Otaru Station which you could walk but a cab ride is affordable too.

Rooms are tight for 3 persons, doorway is low at South wing. A plus for me is the onsen for a relaxing end to the day.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

27 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Hotel location in the nice. Room with river view and hot spa at the top of central building. Hotel staff forget to provide breakfast coupon but solve it quick during the visit of the rest restaurant.

Friends_and_family Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

26 Dec 2019

Chap Chi

Nice stay in Hotel Sonia

Hot spring is good given that it is free and the room fee is reasonable.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Although I only stayed one evening just a side note for those who enjoy their rooms to be cool during the winter season they don't run AC mode just heating.

They accommodated us by bringing in a cooling fan. It did help somewhat it did bring the temp down but that was an accumulation of things we turned off the HVAC system and left the curtains open to allow the coldness from the windows in and positioned the fan to catch the cool air to blow into the room.

Overall it was comfortable.

We did request a NON-SMOKING room I believe we got one of the higher-end rooms which meant SMOKING rooms were nearby so we did get some of the airflow from the hallway into the room. It was manageable but for those who are sensitive to smoke, I don't recommend rooms on the 9th level.

Overall the hotel staff did their best into accommodating our needs. They did allow us to hold our bags before and after checking in and out to give us some extra time to tour Otaru.

Location is very convenient there are accesses in the front and rear of building so during the cold season it really helps a lot.

Also, if you need a quick coffee and snack fix there is a nice little cafe in the lobby area.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

The hotel is about 10-15mins walk from the JR Otaru Station. I would suggest that hotel provide free shuttle in winter as the walk from the station is very tedious especially with the luggage on the slippery snow (ice) covered road. My mum actually slipped and fell. Luckily no major injuries sustained.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

17 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

ห้องน้ำไม่ค่อยสะอาด ห้องเก่า

Friends_and_family Family