Egypt meets Hokkaido. Hotel Pharoh’s

Temperate – lows -8, highs 4

During my time in Sapporo, I stayed at Hotel Pharoh for four days. The hotel is conveniently located near the Susukino area, one of the areas where the snow festival takes place, making it an ideal spot for my planned excursions. The festival is held at three main locations, and this hotel is close to the ice sculptures and within easy walking distance to the main Odori site.

Long-time readers of my blog will understand where this review is headed. However, for those who are new to my writing, it's important to clarify that Hotel Pharoh is a love hotel. I have written several entries about love hotels and have shared my experiences staying at a few. I prefer these types of accommodations over business hotels primarily because they offer much more space, along with a variety of great products and complimentary items for guests. So, let's delve into this review of Hotel Pharoh and explore the highs and lows of my experience.

Hotel Pharaoh features an Egyptian theme, making its lobby stand out amidst the surrounding Japanese buildings. The front entrance welcomes travellers with faux pillars and ornate patterns. As you step inside the lobby, the lights dim, and a soothing stillness envelops you. I often find that the first thing that hits you upon entering a love hotel is the calm silence. This tranquil ambiance allows you to leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind and step into a world of your own. I particularly enjoy this aspect of love hotels, and the atmosphere is often a selling point for me.

The main desk is located on the second floor, allowing you to explore the first-floor decorations before heading up the staircase. There is a mock mummy in a sarcophagus and faux Egyptian tapestries on the walls. While some may find it cheesy, it certainly brought a chuckle to me. Rooms can be booked online or in person using the touchscreen at the entrance. There is also a small goods area where a variety of beauty products can be purchased and brought up to your room. This is one of my favourite aspects of love hotels; the companies who offer this are often the hotels I revisit. This hotel offered some excellent hair care products and a nice selection of bath salts.

I had booked my room months in advance for the snow festival, so I didn't have much choice beyond the room type this time. I had a Type D room, which featured a nice, large bed and a bubble jet bath. It was a smoking room, which was a minor drawback. Overall, the space was pleasant, with the bed being spacious but slightly firmer than I prefer. The bathroom and toilet were combined in their own separate area. The décor was understated, and the lighting was adjustable. It took me a little while to figure out the heating but being able to adjust the heat levels was a nice bonus.

The hotel offered a variety of food options, but one unique service stood out to me. They allowed guests to order from select nearby local restaurants. Menus were displayed, and a simple call to the front desk would facilitate the order being delivered to your room. However, this service does require some understanding of Japanese. If you're willing to wing it or fumble through the conversation by using a translation app, it's worth trying. The cost of the meal is added to your bill, which you settle at the end of your stay. This service enabled me to enjoy more of my favourite dish: soup curry!

The room came with a selection of freebies including bubble bath, beauty products and the usual razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, tea making facilities and sanitary items. The jet bath was accompanied by in bath lighting and there was a shower too. The toilet was a fancy Japanese one which took a lot longer than it should have to work out the flushing mechanism. Overall, the room was clean and comfortable. I believe that for its usual rates not during the Snow festival this hotel would be very good value for money. I went during the busiest time in the entire year, so the price was the same as Hotel Buvjua in Kurume and that room came with a sauna, foam shower, jet bath and double the space. 

There are also different tiers of rooms available, and some have fancy four poster beds and saunas. The room I had was standard and the Egyptian theme was not present in the room itself. There was a cute sticker instructing users how to use the jet bath which included Anubis in the bathtub. But asides that one could have been anywhere in the world.

Overall, I would rate my experience a happy 7/10.