Tokachi Gardens Hotel

Tokachi Gardens Hotel sits right beside JR Obihiro Station, and its natural hot-spring bath is the main reason to stay. The water is a moru onsen (モール温泉), a plant-derived spring of the same type as nearby Tokachigawa Onsen: it runs amber brown and leaves the skin smooth, the kind of water people here call bijin-no-yu (美人の湯), a 'beauty water'. Towels and bathing amenities are provided, so both overnight guests and paying day visitors can come empty-handed. A Finnish-style sauna sits alongside the bath, with a self-serve rouryu (ロウリュ) option and even a moryu (モーリュ) version that pours the spring water itself over the hot stones. Baths are separated for men and women, and tattoos aren't allowed. Outside the bath it's a plain, comfortable business hotel: a quiet restaurant, functional rooms, and Obihiro's station and shopping streets right at the door.