The Otaornai Backpacker's Hostel Morinoki

Felt like home

On booking it gave me the wrong address

Such a good hostel!!! Felt at home, great common area, beds are comfy and has space to put belongings. Owner/worker are so welcoming and nice. I recommend the breakfast. Great that it’s also a small cafe from 2-5 so you can get drinks and food.

I fell in love with this place. The ambience of the place felt so warm and welcoming. Despite it being a small space, as it is just the owners' home, I felt like I became a part of a wider world of travelers. The owners were so nice and considerate. I didn't get to do much during my brief stay in Otaru, but simply being in this place made it all worth it. I felt so much at home. Please take note that my rating is based solely on the feeling and ambience the place imparted to me, and that the size of the bed or the type of people you encounter in the dorm room is of little concern to me (I have managed my expectations before booking this place and so should you). The hostel was generally clean and nice. The location is perfect, as it was situated near Sakaimachi Street and near a lot of restaurants. There is a Seico Mart a few meters away. Otaru station or Minami Otaru train stations were near too. There were a lot of books you could read if you wanted to practice Japanese, but there were English books too. There were towels and toiletries there, but it would be better if you brought your own. I think the best part about my stay there was the convenient and delicious breakfast made by Mayumi-san. Shops and restaurants outside typically open at 10 AM to 11 AM, which is a little too late for me, so Mayumi-san's 8 AM homemade breakfast for only 500 yen was the best thing ever. It was a home-cooked meal too, so it was a cozy meal. I plan to come back to Otaru every year just to stay here. Thank you so much, Masa-san and Mayumi-san!

Perhaps the only drawback is that the place has a 12 AM curfew, and you can only check in until 9 PM, but these are reasonable to me. Some people might find that inconvenient, though. The dorm rooms are a little small too, so if you bring a large suitcase, it will be hard to get around (and that's why it's called a backpacker's hostel!)

A dog & cat walk on sofa