Hotel Livemax BUDGET Sapporo Ekimae
Hotel Livemax BUDGET Sapporo Ekimae is a budget hotel nearby Sapporo Station. For this trip to Sapporo, hotel prices were surprisingly still low, so there was not much difference between a capsule hotel and a room at Hotel Livemax BUDGET Sapporo Ekimae. As such, I booked a proper hotel room, and with a good location near Sapporo Station to boot.
Hotel Livemax BUDGET Sapporo Ekimae
Hotel Livemax BUDGET Sapporo Ekimae is located by the railway tracks towards the west of Sapporo Station.
Heading in to Hotel Livemax BUDGET Sapporo Ekimae.
Check-in
Check-in was a bit awkward as there was no staff at the front desk for about 15 minutes, even though I had arrived right at check-in time at 3pm. After some shuffling, a staff popped out from the back to check me in. There was not much conversation going on as English does not seem to be spoken here.
Heading up to my room via the elevator.
Hotel Livemax BUDGET Sapporo Ekimae Standard Twin Smoking Room
I chose the Standard Twin Smoking as it was the cheapest available, even cheaper than a single room. Thankfully, there was no cigarette smell when I stepped in the room.
The room was compact with 2 single beds in it.
A yukata is provided on each bed.
Light controls are also by the bedside table.
A television and air purifier is placed at the corner of the room.
The TV seems to be video on demand only, and I don’t think there were regular channels available. The WiFi password, however, is retrieved by switching on the TV, and it will be displayed at the first (and only) page.
A side table is available by the window.
There’s surprisingly quite a lot more facilities provided than I had expected.
On top of a wall-mounted mirror, there is also a face mirror on the desk.
A microwave and kettle are also provided. I’ve never seen a microwave in a lead-in room category of a hotel before.
The power sockets are a bit inaccessible, behind the microwave.
A minibar is available below the table.
A hair dryer is provided in a basket on the side table.
The wardrobe provided near the door and toilet is flat and compact. I kept it open for better ventilation for my clothes. A foldable luggage rack is also provided which was very useful.
Toilet
The toilet was compact but full of facilities.
As expected, a Japanese-style toilet bowl is provided.
Body soap, shampoo, and conditioner are provided in big bottles.
Individual toiletries are also provided in a small rack.
Foam soap is provided beside the sink.
Towels are placed on the rack, alongside the hairdryer.
Even with the small toilet size, a bathtub is provided.
The shower is also located within the bathtub, with 2 heights for use while standing and sitting.
During winter, no air-conditioning was provided in the room. Nevertheless, opening the window for a few minutes allowed the cold air in to my comfortable temperature, before closing it before it got too cold.
Despite the railway tracks just beside, the sound-proofing was quite good with the closed windows.
No Housekeeping
An important thing to note, throughout my 4-night stay, there was no housekeeping service in my room. Perhaps this is a COVID thing, but still strange nonetheless. But with my cheap rate, I had no complaints.
As a replacement to the no-housekeeping, toiletries, towels, and yukatas are available at the lobby to take when you return to the hotel at night.
Check-out
To check-out, simply drop the key into the box at the front desk. The front desk is unstaffed before check-in time.
Conclusion
Hotel Livemax BUDGET Sapporo Ekimae offered a very good price for my stay in November 2022, located just nearby to Sapporo Station, perfect for my train rides. Do note that the room rates have already gone up to pre-COVID levels.