This was my first visit to Route Inn Grantia in front of Hakodate Station. I had breakfast buffet. There were some seafood options, but no salmon roe. The hamburger steak that looked like steak and the quality of desserts were not outstanding, but considering the price, it was sufficient.

It was my first stay at this hotel. I chose it because the breakfast looked delicious on a travel website. While hotel ratings can vary, for me, breakfast is the most important. This hotel had no major flaws. The service was good, and there was a sense of cleanliness. They also had a large public bath. I had been looking forward to breakfast since the night before. Finally, morning came and I headed to the restaurant for breakfast. Surprisingly, it wasn't too crowded despite being a busy season. Maybe because they had many seats? I was excited about the seafood, especially the salmon roe. But when I went to the seafood corner with my tray, the salmon roe was missing. It was disappointing! They had squid, salmon, and mackerel, but no salmon roe. There was also a live cooking station, and that day they were making chicken steak. It was delicious. They also had fried calamari rings, a breakfast classic, and various meat dishes. Overall, the breakfast spread was quite extensive. I had a great time eating a lot in the morning. It was a good hotel overall. Hopefully, next time they will have salmon roe!

I stayed overnight in Hakodate for a business trip. The hotel I stayed at this time was very accommodating. Since breakfast was included, I visited the dining area right when it opened. When I arrived a few minutes before opening time, there were already about 10 people lined up in front of the venue. I lined up behind them and waited for the opening. As soon as the venue opened, people crowded around the front island. I'm not a fan of crowds, so I went to the back island where they had salmon roe, dried squid, salmon, and marinated mackerel. This was quite a luxurious breakfast (laughs). Moreover, they were cooking chicken steak and fried eggs on the teppan grill right in front of us, which is rare for this kind of hotel. They also had Hokkaido milk and the famous Katsugen drink. I decided to make a mini seafood bowl with all the ingredients on top. I could enjoy the squid and salmon roe that I missed out on the night before for breakfast (laughs). The price may vary depending on the accommodation plan or reservation, but for 7000 yen, you can enjoy a natural hot spring and breakfast service. It's very much appreciated for business travelers to have such a variety of food for breakfast. Hakodate is experiencing a hotel construction boom, so there will likely be more service battles in the future. With this kind of service, I would love to stay here again next time. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

Last night I stayed at Smile Hotel, and today I am staying at Route Inn Grandeia Hakodate. I couldn't book consecutive nights at Smile Hotel due to reservations. Just like yesterday's Smile Hotel, the breakfast at Route Inn this morning far exceeded Route Inn's usual breakfast. I think it's because there is fierce competition among hotels in Hakodate when it comes to breakfast. The breakfast at Route Inn included five types of sashimi - squid, salmon roe, sweet shrimp, octopus, and cod roe. Of course, all of them were all-you-can-eat. Well, the room rate at Route Inn is relatively high compared to other Route Inns, so I guess it's to be expected...

Breakfast at the hotel. Maybe because I stayed up late last night, I wasn't very hungry. I entered the restaurant thinking I would just have a light meal, but as soon as I saw the menu, my excitement level went up (lol). The breakfast at the hotel in Hakodate is top-notch. The authentic Matsumae pickles were slightly sweet and delicious. In the end, I ended up eating a lot (lol): - Grilled salmon - Grilled mackerel - Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette) - Shrimp tempura - Vegetable tempura - Ikura (salmon roe) soy sauce marinated - Squid sashimi - Salmon sashimi - Squid salted guts - Matsumae pickles - Ishikari hot pot - Salad - White rice - Coffee #breakfast #Hakodate #Matsumae pickles #Ishikari hot pot #GoHokkaido

The breakfast buffet's Genghis Khan dish was amazing! There were plenty of other delicious options, but this was enough on its own. It tasted just like the Genghis Khan dish my mother makes for dinner in a frying pan. And they had soft drinks at the drink station, including Katsugen (soft Katsugen)!! I was so happy and drank it all up.

I was using a cane in both hands, and a staff member kindly helped me by carrying a tray for me.

The 51st food log review from a Hokkaido visitor was at a hotel named "Hana Chaya" for breakfast, which is free for hotel guests. The breakfast is very impressive with a live kitchen serving dishes like half-sized hamburgers and stir-fried vegetables on a hot plate. The spacious interior of the hotel is also wonderful, not cramped at all for a business hotel. It's a comfortable breakfast venue.

The breakfast at Route Inn Grandeir near Hakodate Station is a buffet style, with a surprisingly wide variety of options. Personally, I really wanted to indulge in the scrambled eggs at this kind of breakfast place. They also make omelettes and fried eggs on the spot, and even have egg rolls available. The classic sausages have a hint of herbs and don't taste too cheap, making it easy to enjoy rice from the morning. I can't help but feel like I might regret eating too much here in Hakodate, but oh well.

The Viking venue is very spacious, and you can walk around with a tray without bumping into other customers. The menu is also extensive, making it enjoyable to choose from. It was nice to see squid at the buffet too! Speaking of the hotel, the top-floor observation hot spring was also great!

Hakodate! This time I have to go back soon... I want to relax but it's not easy. So, just like last time I stayed in Hakodate, I stayed at Route Inn Ekimae. I have to leave early, but I decided to at least have breakfast before leaving, instead of taking the first train. Since I can't eat much in the morning, I had a small breakfast. Looking at the menu, it was mostly the same as last time. There were the usual side dishes, curry, and squid sashimi. Lots of salad, yogurt, and natto for a healthy meal! Balanced out with some other not-so-healthy dishes, it was just right. The curry had a lot of pork for some reason, and there was also a lot of pork in the hot pot! I enjoyed it all. The squid was a bit expensive, so I only had a small portion. It was perfectly sweet and delicious! Now that my stomach is full, it's time to head back. Thank you for the meal!

Route Inn Grantia Hakodate Ekimae is a large business hotel located about a 1-minute walk from Hakodate Station on the JR Hakodate Main Line. The hotel has a total of 286 rooms, and on the top floor (13F), there is a natural hot spring called Hakodate Onsen Tabibito no Yu, where you can enjoy a brownish hot spring while overlooking Hakodate's night view through glass windows. The hotel faces the rotary of Hakodate Station, with bus stops, tram stations, and Hakodate Asaichi morning market nearby. During the Golden Week period, I made a reservation and visited the hotel. I parked my car in the multi-level automated parking lot adjacent to the hotel (86 spaces, 500 yen fee). Upon check-in, I was given a key card for a twin room on the 12th floor. The 12th floor has a significant meaning, which I will explain later. The next morning, I enjoyed a buffet-style breakfast at the breakfast venue on the 1st floor. In the evening, the space that was "Hanahantei" turned into "Hanachaya" for breakfast, as is the custom at Route Inn. The board at the entrance displayed the daily recommended menu items such as tofu with crab sauce, cheese hamburger, and stir-fried vegetables. Around 8 am during the Golden Week, about 80% of the seats were occupied, but I still managed to have a relaxing breakfast. After packing my belongings in the room, I headed downstairs to the front desk. I pressed the elevator button to go down, expecting to see people in yukata returning from the bath on the 13th floor. However, when the door opened, there were people in suits carrying suitcases. I managed to squeeze into the crowded elevator and tried to reach the lower floors, but it stopped at every floor. When the doors opened, many people stared at me, and there was no room for anyone else to enter. I pressed the close button and headed to the next floor. The most unfortunate were probably the guests staying on the 2nd floor. They had to wait for over 30 minutes in front of the elevator just to move one floor down. As a follow-up or conclusion to this incident, on that day when almost all 286 rooms were fully booked, the two elevators were on the verge of breaking down. People gradually crowded into the elevators from the upper floors, leaving them full and unable to accommodate anyone on the lower floors. Some quick-thinking individuals managed to navigate this situation by taking the elevator from the lower floors to the 13th floor and then getting off, thus bypassing the crowded lower floors.

On June 28, 2016, during the high season in Hakodate, the City Business Hotel was occupied and under the control of a small group of elderly domestic and multinational guests. Finally managed to secure a room at the Route Inn Hotel Hakodate Ekimae, which has been nicely renovated. Located next to Hakodate Station, the top floor features a large communal bath with decent facilities. Now, let's talk about the breakfast battle that unfolds in Hakodate's various hotels. Unfortunately, the breakfast at Route Inn Grande Hakodate was a disappointment. While they had a good variety of dishes, the quality was lacking, especially in the lack of warm options. The staff, mostly mature ladies, were doing their best, but the overall experience did not compare to the International Hotel where I stayed last year. It was quite a letdown.

On a weekday in August 2011, my wife, our 4-year-old daughter, and I arrived in Hakodate after taking the Tohoku Shinkansen and the Super White Swan limited express train from Tokyo. We were on a train trip to visit my wife's grandmother in Sapporo, with Hakodate being our overnight stop. The hotel we stayed at faced the rotary in front of Hakodate Station, just a 1-2 minute walk away, making it very convenient. After a restful night, we enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the hotel the next morning. The selection wasn't extensive or extravagant, but it included a variety of Japanese and Western dishes (even some spring rolls, so there was Chinese cuisine too), allowing us to start the day with a satisfying meal.

I have stayed at many Route Inn hotels, but this one in Hakodate is right in the middle of the breakfast war, right in front of the station, and the quality is just not there. The famous Route Inn doesn't need to join in on this breakfast war. It may be fine for business travelers who just need a quick meal, but I want my warm food warm and my cold food cold. The tamagoyaki, mini omelettes, and mass-produced kinpira gobou are all industrial-grade. Even the sausages are not just warmed up, they're practically frozen solid! The tamago was good though. The rice was also disappointing. Hokkaido rice should be delicious, but this was not the case. The miso soup was lukewarm and tasteless, with no dashi flavor. The hotate (scallop) chawanmushi had no dashi flavor either. The drinks were all lukewarm. The only saving grace was the cheerful older lady cleaning up, who brought a smile to my face. I was lured in by the bath, but I won't be coming back again!