Hokkaido｜Otaru city walk, taking the road less traveled

If you only come to Otaru once in your life, you must come when the snow is falling heavily. Even without heavy snowfall, the mud after the snow can let you appreciate the romance and beauty of Otaru. I have been to Otaru three times, and like most tourists, I have walked back and forth countless times on the city walk route extending from Otaru Station, so for my fourth trip to Otaru, I decided to take an unusual route. ⭐ Stay: This time in Otaru, I stayed at OMO5 Otaru under the Hoshino Group, which opened on January 7, 2022. The hotel is 750 meters from Otaru Station, a ten-minute walk. The unique features of OMO5 Otaru perfectly interpret the style of this port city. The retro-style decoration in the hotel gives people a feeling of traveling back to the Taisho era. The area where the hotel is located is known as the "Northern Wall Street", with many historical buildings, and it is very convenient to go anywhere from the hotel. OMO5 Otaru consists of two buildings, the South Pavilion renovated from the "Old Otaru Chamber of Commerce and Industry" designated by Otaru City, and the North Pavilion that pursues functionality and design. In the South Pavilion, the stairs used by the Old Otaru Chamber of Commerce and Industry are preserved as they were, and cabinets and dressing tables are placed in the museum as interior decorations. In the OMO base of the North Pavilion, fire hydrants and keys used by the Old Otaru Chamber of Commerce and Industry are used as decorations. ⭐ Eat: The "OMO Cafe & Dining" renovated from the large conference room of the Old Otaru Chamber of Commerce and Industry is located on the 3rd floor of the South Pavilion of the hotel, offering a variety of dishes improved from Spanish cuisine. The inspiration comes from the Spanish travel culture of staying in historical buildings and Spanish cuisine featuring seafood. For dinner, it is recommended to use the Spanish seafood rice made from herring, which symbolizes the port town of Otaru. This dish was developed in cooperation with locals, allowing people to rediscover the charm of herring, which has a low consumption. Breakfast is the classic Spanish cuisine - Churros and Spanish potato omelette, cooked on the spot. The cafe and bar can also be used as a free rest area during business hours. ⭐ Play: Friends who have stayed at the Hoshino Group's OMO series hotels know that in order for guests to better understand the culture of the city and the hotel, they have launched OMO Ranger. Through their understanding of the city, they take you to discover the most essence of travel experience in the city from a unique perspective. After having a classic Spanish breakfast at OMO5 Otaru in the morning, you can first walk to Otaru Station (if you haven't visited Otaru Station when you arrive). Otaru Station has a strong retro style, especially the tungsten filament lamp on the roof of the station hall, which makes you return to the Taisho and Meiji eras in a second. The platform of Otaru Station and the outside of the station can take retro-style photos with a strong atmosphere. If you are tired of playing at Otaru Station, you can eat a bowl of seafood rice at the Triangle Market next to the station. There are also king crabs sold in the market. If you have enough money, you can taste it. After coming out of the Triangle Market, head to Otaru Canal, about a 15-minute walk. The ancient buildings along the way are all 110 years old, belonging to the Taisho and Meiji era buildings, you can walk and watch and take pictures and understand. Otaru Canal is the main scene of the movie "Love Letter", and you can become Fujii Shu in a minute when it snows heavily. There are warm boats running in the Otaru Canal (Otaru Canal is a stove cruise, the hotel can book.), you can sit on the boat to enjoy the scenery on both sides of the canal. Of course, the rickshaw driver at the intersection is also a good choice for you. If your Japanese is good, chat with the driver, maybe you can receive a different Otaru story. Hokkaido's desserts are very famous, so when you come to Otaru, you naturally can't miss the LeTAO×OMO co-branded dessert - Awakening Cheesecake Parfait. Even if you have had breakfast, you can't resist the temptation of dessert. Only for hotel guests, limited to 40 servings per day. At night, you can choose a music box you like in the hotel's music box museum to accompany you to sleep in the beautiful melody. This day, there is food and drink, shopping and play, and music accompanies you at night. Even in your dreams, you will be sweetened. Hoshino Resort's OMO5 Otaru