2019 Update - Hashidate Bay Hotel was quiet this year. I heard from local contacts that reservations were cancelled due to heavy snow warnings.
My wife an I were able to get a room on a non-smoking floor. This makes all the difference when staying in any hotel in Japan.
The WIFI in our room was just adequate, was able to download a video on Netflix and watch. Though there were times when I had to stand near the door of the room to get a connection. There is still no password on the WIFI which is a security problem that really needs to be addressed.
The cleanliness of the room was better than in the past. Sheets very clean, bath had no mold. Tiled carpet allows for removal of any stained sections. The beds are still very comfortable.
I do think we might have sprung for breakfast it had been 1500 yen, (3000 for a couple). But over that is a bit pricey for what is not a top tier buffet. So we skipped breaky this time. On top of 11000 yen / person per night is just a bit much. And since the bathhouse next door is closed on New Years, one cannot enjoy that benefit of a Japanese hotel either.
So since the WIFI is working, I can give 4 star rating, though really want to say 3.5 ... half point off for no bath or lobby coffee.
2018
I have stayed here many times because it is near my in-laws. The services are reasonable, staff friendly, the breakfast buffet is getting better. However there are 2 things I wish they would attend to.
(1) It is difficult to reserve a non-smoking room since they still maintain a large number of smoking rooms. I am not the only one to notice this.
(2) The WIFI has not been reliable. On my last visit, the routers were not accessible on PC for 2 days. However, the management does report that the problem has been identified. There is no password which can leave guests vulnerable, I do hope they update their system soon.
I will stay again, and only post this in hopes of spurring them to reconcile these difficulties.
I will say the beds are modern and very clean, comfortable. Though the single rooms are no larger than any Japanese “business hotel”.