Boutique hotel brand Trunk has something special planned for Sapporo next winter.
For many worldly lads living in Asia, Hokkaido is like a second home. As soon as the island’s world-famous powder starts to fall, there’s a surge as ski bunnies make for Niseko and Sapporo, determined to make the most of that weak yen. If you already find yourself slumped at your desk daydreaming about your next carving session, you’re in luck as a new boutique hotel is preparing to make a splash on the Sapporo scene.
Many travellers in Asia will already be familiar with hotel brand TRUNK(HOTEL)’s urban-chic properties in the Japanese capital. Now, for the first time, the brand is taking its bold interpretation of hospitality on tour, with TRUNK(HOTEL) Sapporo slated to fling open its doors in the city’s Odori district next September.
Featuring just 107 rooms, the hotel will offer an ideal base for post-slope revelry, and while it’s rooms, the creation of General Design Co, are nothing to dismiss thanks to warm tones and contemporary lines, it’s actually what’s beyond the rooms that catches our eye.
The new hotel will be home to the brand’s first foray into the wellness world, with an otherworldly bath house that features 10 shared bathing areas, each designed with unique lighting, sound and water temperatures, offering a sensory journey like nothing else in the city. There are also separate bathing zones for men and women, with large communal baths, saunas, cold plunges, and open‑air relaxation spaces – just what the doctor ordered after a long weekend off-piste.
You’re likely to have a man-sized appetite to go with that holistic respite, and to sate that hunger, you’ll be able to head down to the chef’s counter at the first Sapporo outlet of Sushi Saito, which will combine traditional Tokyo techniques with ingredients unique to Hokkaido.
For a little après-ski indulgence, the Lounge & Bar features all-day dining, live music, and a menu of intriguing libations best enjoyed out on the outdoor terrace. Don’t worry, you and your travelling amour will stay toasty in the terrace’s cosy transparent domes.
There’s also a private screening room for those classic flicks that evolves (perhaps with a little sake persuasion) into a karaoke suite for when the lads feel like belting out a verse of Careless Whisper.
We appreciate that we probably haven’t made those daydreaming sessions any easier, but at least you now know where to book when the time comes to swap the Oxfords for board boots and the polo for a snow parker.
