Noboribetsu Guest House AKA & AO

My husband and I stayed in the mixed dorm for 2 nights at Noboribetsu Guest House AKA & Ao in December 2024, over the New Year Holiday. It is a very comfortable and convenient hostel. The staff are so friendly and helpful, they made me feel at home. Check-in is from 15:00, but you can leave your luggage with them for free before check-in and after check-out. I found the beds very comfortable, warm, and spacious. There is not a lot of space between the beds, so please don’t block the path with huge suitcases. I loved having a clothesline in the bed for my towels and swimsuit to dry. There is a coin laundry machine/dryer. There are small lockers available for valuables but you must bring your own lock or buy one for 100円. There is a shower/toilet room for men and one for women, with hand soap, hairdryers, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Towels are not provided but you can rent one for 200円. Other amenities like toothbrushes or body sponges can be purchased for 100円. The hostel has free phone chargers and e-bikes for guests to use. The price includes free breakfast (7:45AM-9:45AM) which offers toast with butter/jam/peanut cream, cornflakes/muesli with local Noboribetsu milk, and coffee. There is a nearby grocery store, COOP, where you can buy other food if desired. There’s a kettle, toaster, rice cooker, microwave, gas stove with pots and pans, a colander, knives, plates, bowls, glasses, mugs, cutlery. There is an assortment of free condiments and ingredients in the fridge and pantry. The hostel is just a 3-minute walk from Noboribetsu Station where you can catch a bus or train. On our last day, we had to leave before the free breakfast, so the staff kindly let us take some toast and muesli the night before to eat the next morning. I loved staying here and I hope to return one day. Thank you very much!

Free breakfast was a nice plus. Staff is a nice squad, quite personable and ready to help. Dormitory cabins are spacious and comfortable, with sufficient privacy. The whole house has a lot of character, very internationally oriented. Feels like a saloon in an Old West town, a rest stop for transients more than a hotel to stay in. Some of the staff speak a little English which is very good by Japanese standards. The lounge is very nice. Normally there's also a café and ice cream shop run in the house but it was closed due to technical difficulties during our stay. There's great information provided about the town and lots of other places in Hokkaido, makes planning the rest of your trip a breeze when you have open spots in your plans or you're out of ideas. Free earplugs provided for the dormitory. Sells very good local beer. Great central location between station, restaurants, supermarkets, post office, etc. Basically the heart of town. I had an excellent time here, but that's not to say you will. My friend didn't find it nearly as positive.

It was so close to the train station that I didn’t even need to look at the map! The staff were incredibly kind and attentive. Everything you need is here, including Wi-Fi, a kitchen, laundry facilities, and more. Above all, the entire place is very clean, well-maintained, and designed with the comfort of guests in mind. If you need to stay in the Noboribetsu area (not Onsen area), look no further!

The staff went above and beyond to accommodate and help me. They helped me locate a lost luggage, and helped bridge the language barrier for that. You are about 200M from Noboribetsu station. Very convenient. Friendly staff, great manners and helpful.

It was comfortable, the people working there where nice and there is a lot of equipment available to use. Even if it was a dormitory with a lot of people, there were no sounds that woke me up that night and it was a good price, so I recommend for those who want an affordable place to stay! It is also near enough of the station to go to the onsen for those who are interested to go there!