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Asia Japan

Guest House Waya in Sapporo

If you’re looking for a quiet oasis away from all of the city noise but is still close enough to be able to see all of what Sapporo has to offer, then Guest House Waya in the perfect budget accommodation for you. Accommodations in Japan are generally expensive so looking for the best budget hostel in Sapporo is a daunting task. When I was planning my solo trip to this city, I did not really know where to stay. Luckily, I found Guest House Waya in TripAdvisor.

reception
the reception at Guest House Waya (annex)

About Guest House Waya

With a Certificate of Excellence award from TripAdvisor, Guest House Waya has that youthful and friendly atmosphere. Located just a few minutes from Sapporo Station (just 2-3 stops by subway), Guest House Waya offers a budget-friendly accommodation without going far from Central Sapporo. The annex, where I stayed for three days, is located just a short walk from the main guesthouse.

fire place
shared lounge by the old-school electric heater

Accommodation Options

Guest House Waya (main) offers two mixed dormitories, two female dormitories and 1 private room with an en-suite toilet. There is a small kitchen where you can cook your own food, a laundry corner, two shower rooms, and a living room where you can meet travelers from around the world. Guest House Waya (annex), is equally equipped and comfortable. Its living room is quite bigger than the main guest house and is equipped with an old school electric heater.

kitchen
shared lounge and kitchen

Fuss-free Check in and Welcoming Staff

I arrived at around 8:30 PM at Guest House Waya (main). I was hesitant to enter because it seemed like there was a party going on. At the ground floor, there were locals hanging out with their drinks on hand. At the other side of the room, it seemed like a group of young men gathered for a drinking session. That sight doesn’t really look like the usual Japanese hostel.

light bulb with dried leaves

Rio, one of the staff, welcomed me. I was shy to enter at first but all of them were smiling so I instantly felt at ease. While he was scanning my passport, he asked if I’ve been to a lot of places in Sapporo already. He also explained a few things about the guesthouse like it could get noisy at night because the guesthouse is also a favorite hangout place of locals and foreign travelers. Rio spoke excellent English so this is certainly a plus for English speakers.

stairs

My Private Room Accommodation

After check-in, Rio told me that my private room is located at the annex, which was 2-minutes away from the main guest house. I found my room on the second floor and quickly dropped all my stuff on the floor. As you can see, it’s a typical Japanese-style room with minimalist furnishings and tatami style bed, which I really loved. This might not be the most modern room but it was very spacious, something that isn’t very common in Japanese hostels.

bed
my tatami-style bed
windows
my private room has a big window which gave me a lot of natural light

Free Light Breakfast

free breakfast
free bread, home-made jam and coffee for breakfast 🙂
just like the other hostels, Guest House Waya provides kitchen utensils for guests’ use
microwave, oven toaster, coffee maker, and water heater

Overall Experience

Overall, I enjoyed my three-day stay at Guest House Waya. With shared lounge, relatively cheap dorm rooms and private rooms, it is definitely one of the best budget hostels in Sapporo. I was travelling solo but meeting the friendly staff and other foreign travelers made me feel welcomed. Although its location is not anywhere near Odori Park, the surrounding area of the hostel was interesting to explore. I also loved the free high-speed WiFi, which helped me update my social media accounts and blog easily. I will definitely recommend Guest House Waya to anyone travelling in Sapporo!

Travel Notes

Address: 4 Chome-1-43 Toyohira 2 Jo, Toyohira Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Official Website: http://en.waya-gh.com
Contact Number: +81-70-6607-0762
Email: [email protected]
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/waya.guesthouse

How about you? Have you been to Sapporo? Are you planning to visit during the Sapporo Snow Festival? If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, let’s chat down below!

By Project Gora

Hey there! My name is Milet Miranda, and I'm a full-time corporate employee during weekdays and a traveler during weekends (and holidays...you get the picture). I'm a foodie at heart and I love joining food tours. When I'm not traveling, you'll find me walking my dogs or biking around my neighborhood.