Hotel Suizantei 翠山亭 in Jouzankei !

by Alan

I was so impressed by the interior and the atmosphere created by the total coordinate of furniture and the decorations in the hotel. I thought that is the sophisticated Japanese style of subtle hospitality.If I had a bit of chutzpah, I could have ask the staff of the hotel who had designed the building and the interior. 

One of my Japanese friends introduced this hotel in Jauzankei that is called the special guest room of Sapporo City.
All the room of this hotel were booked up on the day before Christmas and year end. This area is very popular even for the citizens of Sapporo City, who live near Jouzankei area.
   My friend explained me that even such sophisticated hotel that offers reasonable prices and excellent service as well as superb cuisine had a tough time affected by economic recessions. But after pursuing "only one" and "number one" to attract the tourists and citizens,  this hotel was reborn as other hotels around this area were.     

This is very Japanese but was adjusted to the modern taste to make the visitors the repeaters. Occidental way to absorb the oriental taste seems so snobbish for me but I love this real sophisticated fusion of oriental taste and western.
These kinds of furniture make me expect what will happen during my stay in the hotel. Actually, this hotel has a special traditional Japanese-taste spa for the guests who are staying.    

The main hot spring bath is on the second floor and the approach to the spa is decorated with bamboos and white stones.
The souvenir shop is also filled with items covered with Japanese lacquer and oriental flavour.

But I am not sure if the citizens of Sapporo City and adjacent cities buy such Japanese japans in this hot spring spa and hotel.
The floor of the locker room is warmed up with the hot water from the spring.

Almost all the guests who stay this hotel soak in the hot spring bath before dinner but not so many people were in the bath at four o'clock.
I was the only person to soak in the Jacuzzi at that time.

It was minus 10 degrees in Celsius outside but the hot spring bath outside is the "must" for the guests who love that.
The steam hides the bath tub in the air of minus 10 degrees.  
I read the Japanese book for over one hour in this bath tub while many guests came in, soaked and went out. As a result, the towel on my head and the hair on my back were frozen up albeit I kept perspiring on my face and head.  
It has another bath tub for Jacuzzi outside.

 Cold air from outside makes fog with the steam from these bath tub. This type of Jacuzzi is very popular in the resort of North America and Europe, I think. But, different from the ones in those countries, we do not have to wear a swimming gear.
Some icicles are made up at the end of my hair and towel. But I was really relaxed in the hot spring bath outside. I could not have soaked in the bath if I had chose inside. 

The plain hot water gave me the real world of imagine. I heard that many famous authors loved and had their own nests in the hotel of hot spring area to write up their works of letters. I understand the effect of those elements such as superb cuisine, comfortable hot spring spa and excellent hospitality that inspire the Japanese novelists.  

The total relaxation encourages the guests to buy what they do not need in their usual life. But for mementosof their jaunts, something unusual might be required to forget the house and office chores.
Am I right, Norm