Japanese hotels are known for their meticulous commitment to luxurious accommodation. Many of them, especially those with natural onsen hot springs attached, are built around the idea that you never have to leave the property to do anything: including, of course, meals.

Japanese hotel breakfasts are such a point of pride that they often become a large part of the draw for food-loving vacationers. Many hotels claim to be the best, but there can only be one winner.

Every year, TripAdvisor releases its coveted ranking list of best hotel breakfasts in Japan, and their 2020 list is the best yet! These lists are made by "word-of-mouth" surveys and reviews, depending on whether Japanese travel lovers would recommend this dining experience to others looking for a similar treat.

Hotel Clubby Sapporo took the top spot, having jumped from fourth last year to first this year. This nudged ahead of the previous champion, Hotel Piena Kobe, which has held the #1 title for seven years running. In third place is La Vista Hakodate Bay, which has remained in the top 20 for over ten years.

The full ranking for the best hotel breakfasts is as follows, with the prior year’s ranking in parentheses. Those marked with a hyphen are brand new hotels, while the First indicates their first year in the rankings (regardless of how many years they've been in business).

1. (4) Hotel Clubby Sapporo (Sapporo, Hokkaido)
2. (1) Hotel Piena Kobe (Kobe, Hyogo)
3. (2) La Vista Hakodate Bay (Hakodate, Hokkaido)
4. (5) Vessel Inn Sapporo Nakajima Park (Sapporo, Hokkaido)
5. (-) Hakodate International Hotel (Hakodate City, Hokkaido)
6. (14) Vessel Hotel Ishigaki Island (Ishigaki City, Okinawa)
7. (13) Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport (Izumisano, Osaka)
8. (First) Century Marina Hakodate (Hakodate, Hokkaido)
9. (10) Hotel JAL City Miyazaki (Miyazaki, Miyazaki)
10. (18) Hotel Nikko Kanazawa (Kanazawa City, Ishikawa)
11. (8) Kanazawa Sai no Niwa Hotel (Kanazawa City, Ishikawa)
12. (3) Century Royal Hotel (Sapporo City, Hokkaido)
13. (First) Hotel Nikko Nara (Nara City, Nara Prefecture)
14. (First) Hotel WBF Grande Asahikawa (Asahikawa, Hokkaido)
15. (-) Hotel JAL City Aomori (Aomori, Aomori)
16. (17) Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay (Urayasu, Chiba)
17. (First) Hotel Kanra Kyoto (Kyoto, Kyoto)
18. (First) Cross Hotel Kyoto (Kyoto, Kyoto)
19. (9) Tokyo Station Hotel (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
20. (7) Shiroyama Hotel Kagoshima (Kagoshima, Kagoshima)

In an interview with TripAdvisor, top-ranked Hotel Clubby Sapporo’s executive Chef Shimizu emphasized local cuisine. "We cook by using ingredients from around us here in Hokkaido, and combining them with specially cultivated rice," he said. "We work on using amounts that can employ and encourage farmers in our area without overloading them during each ingredient’s season. By combining careful cooking methods and a friendly smile from our staff, we strive to make our customers feel good about their experience and think, 'I'm glad I stayed at this hotel.'"

Indeed, that approach seems to be the exact right one-- in TripAdvisor’s metrics, reviews delighting in seasonality and freshness are often the ones that recommend themselves to others. Staff hospitality also ranks high in these metrics.

Even as far as 8th place, the reviews for Century Marina Hakodate show how significant that local emphasis is. "I've never seen a breakfast in Japan with such a large menu that incorporated such a plethora of local ingredients. Part of the pleasure of traveling is also to enjoy the delicacies of that area," said one reviewer. "I left feeling full and satisfied in the morning."

Some go even crazier with variety-- at Hotel Nikko Nara, ranked 13th in this year's list, there are over 50 different dishes served at their breakfast in Japan. Like its counterparts, it features delicacies of the ancient city of Nara, like their leek soup and Kaki-no-ha sushi, which is square and wrapped in a delicate persimmon leaf.

No matter the hotel, all agree that making the customer happy is an essential part of their job. Without customers, these hotels wouldn't be able to create these masterful spreads.

Chef Shimizu agrees. "We are glad to receive such a wonderful award. Thanks to all the customers who have given us such support throughout their time staying with us. We are so grateful that many people have given us such a high rating, and we want to keep building on our momentum, so our customers can continue to leave with a smile saying, "I'm glad we stayed at this hotel."

Written by HanaSara Ito