As mentioned in the introduction to this series of reviews, I looked at a variety of places I could stay at during my spotting trip to Sapporo. In the end, though, I decided to stay at the ANA Crowne Plaza Chitose hotel belonging to the IHG network of hotels where the friends I was traveling with were staying as well.
I booked a “Standard Room” at the hotel for two nights through Hotels.com for about 75 dollars per night including taxes. But, since I use the Hotels.com Rewards program which is effectively a (delayed) 10% discount, the room at the hotel cost a me a little under 70 dollars a night.
Getting to ANA Crowne Plaza Chitose Hotel
The hotel can easily be accessed from Sapporo New Chitose airport by free shuttle bus as well as by train.
The shuttle bus schedule is fairly sparse, and you can check it here.
Since there is no shuttle bus between noon and 4PM, if you need a transfer in that period of time and do not have a car, you can take the train from the airport to Chitose station from where the hotel can be reached on foot in about seven or eight minutes.
As for us, since we had a rental car, we drove there, parking the car in the hotel’s free parking lot.
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Check-in and the Lobby
The ANA Crowne Plaza Chitose has a fairly spacious lobby with a seating area right past the hotel’s entrance. The reception is located further down on the right side of it.
Besides the reception desk and seating area, the first floor is also home to a business center, a convenience store where you can stock up on drinks and snacks, a bar, as well as a couple of restaurants.
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Before I continue, I will note that the hotel features two “towers” – the old and the new one. Our rooms were located in the “new tower” which is directly connected with the reception in the “old tower.”
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ANA Crowne Plaza Chitose “New” Standard Room
After a smooth check-in, we headed to the new towers where I got off on the fifth floor where my room was located.
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As for the layout of the room, right after entering, there was a bathroom on the right side, a luggage rack and a closet on the left side, and the “main part” of the room in the back.
Inside the closet, besides the usual things such as a safe, slippers, pyjamas, there was also an ironing board and an iron.
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The main part of the room had two queen size beds, both with three pillows. Between the two beds, there was a nightstand with the usual items including a notepad and an alarm clock.
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Across from the bed, there was a counter along the wall which, besides holding the TV, also served as a working desk. Separate from that, there was also a small coffee table with a sofa chair and a couple of magazines.
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Going back towards the entrance, there was the usually overpriced minibar (you could get the same items by going down to the convenience store for half the price), as well as a pair of free water bottles and some tea and coffee.
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Finally, the bathroom was well stocked with towels and amenities, and featured a single sink, and a large shower room which also included a fairly large bathtub.
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ANA Crowne Plaza Chitose Airport Hotel Summary
If you are departing early or arriving late at Sapporo New Chitose airport (or if you are going there for plane spotting), I can certainly recommend this hotel if you can get it for the same price as I did.
However, if you are going during the summer season, you might be faced with rates that are three or four (if not more) times higher than what I paid in winter. In that case, I would most certainly look for other options.
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