We stayed in Sapporo Tokyu Tokyu Inn for 1 night, before heading to Niseko for skiing.

Rooms were small and smell of tobacco (both typical of Japan though). Bathroom was tiny (travel lodge size) but well equipped (heating toilet seat etc). One nice extra was a programmable massage chair in the room, which my husband and I fought over.

Most guests were Japanese businessman. Staff was polite and friendly, spoke very little English but tried very hard. I could write Chinese characters so I communicated using that together with my broken Japanese. Breakfast was not included so we didn't bother. There were so many nice cafes just around the corner anyway.

Location was great. The hotel was connected to a small shopping mall with good restaurants and cafes. The Susukino bus stop for Donan bus (to Niseko) just outside the door. Tube station also very close. Taxi from Sapporo JR station takes <10 min (rush hour). Sports shop nearby which sells ski and snowboard gear and equipment.

It was freezing and slippery outside, and the streets seemed so very unusually quiet, until we found an underground walkway (accessible through the Susukino subway station) called Pole Town, which was thriving with pedestrians who stayed out of the cold. It was more than a walkway, lined with shops and cafes. Pole Town turns into Aurora Town, which connects to the Odori park. How we just missed the snow festival, arriving on the day that they were clearing up, so the Odori park was closed as well. Zan nen desu ne (what a pity).

We loved the Esta shopping mall (close to the JR station, 10 min walk from Odori park). Had lunch at the Ramen Republic (10th floor), a food court specialising in noodles from across Japan, but looked more like a theme park. Big Camera (1st-5th floor), an enormous electronics store, was a wonderful place, not just for my husband, but for me as well. They had demonstrations of all things wonderful - we saw WALL-E - an automatic, programmable vacuum cleaner as small as bathroom scales.

Overall, Tokyu Inn offers good value, compared to the pricey hotels next to the JR station. If you don't mind the short initial taxi trip (or subway, but difficult with luggage, especially snowboard), the location is perfect for exploring this quiet and charming city.