Japan’s new Pokémon Poké Ball hotel releases new details, and it’s giving away free stays [Video]

Some, but not all, of the secrets surrounding Japan’s awesome Poké Ball hotel have been revealed.

At the start of the month Pokémon fans got some news that sounded too good to be true: there’s a new hotel opening in Japan where you can spend the night in Poké Balls! We’re not talking about a regular hotel that’s slapping some Pokémon artwork on its walls, either, but actual Poké Ball-shaped structures big enough for people to sleep in.

Rest assured that the Poké Ball-Themed Hotel is real. However, the Pokémon Company and creative partner design firm Not a Hotel were coy as to where exactly fans will be resting, saying only that the hotel would be someplace in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost prefecture. They’ve now released a new batch of information, providing further details as to what guests can expect and revealing that the Poké Ball hotel will be located in the town of Tomakomai, about one hour south from Sapporo by train or car.

With their lakeside location and detached design, the Poké Balls function like unique camping cabins. A diameter of three meters (9.8 feet) means the interior dimensions are going to be cozy rather than palatial, but a soft, high-quality circular mattress ensures a good night’s sleep and comfy lounging, with a curved window allowing you to look out on the water and surrounding forest while still lying down.

The Poké Balls are designed to be big enough to accommodate two adult guests. Should you find yourself wanting even more companionship, by using the room’s tablet you can select a Pokémon to bid you good night when you turn off the lights, and good morning when you awake the next day.

The focus on restfulness comes from the fact that the Poké Ball-Themed Hotel is part of both the 30th anniversary celebration for the Pokémon franchise as a whole and also part of the 3rd anniversary festivities for wellness app/game Pokémon Sleep.

▼ New video preview for the Poké Ball-Themed Hotel

As you can probably tell from the above photos and video, the Poké Ball’s don’t have their own bathroom or shower. Instead, there’s a shared facility for such needs, though it too is stylish and classy, while also keeping to the theme with tiles in the colors of Snorlax. Likewise, as the Poké Balls have no dining area, meals are served in a cottage a five-minute walk away, where guests will also encounter sleeping Pokémon statues similar to the ones seen at the recent (and adorable) Pokémon Sleep event in Yokohama.

▼ The Snorlax-motif shower room and dining cottage interior can be seen at the point queued in this video.

There’s a bit of mystery remaining, though, in that the Poké Ball-Themed Hotel’s exact address still isn’t listed on its website. However, with Tomakomai having a number of campgrounds, including one called Arten Auto Resort Tomakomai that’s located near a lake, it’s likely that the Poké Ball-Themed Hotel’s Poké Balls are being installed in an existing camping area that’s serving as the facility manager/operator.

▼ In any case, Tomakomai isn’t all that large of a city, so even without a pinpoint location, folding a Poké Ball stay into your Hokkaido travel plans shouldn’t be too tricky, geographically speaking.

Also not yet revealed: pricing details. However, we do know that up to 20 lucky guests will be staying for free, thanks to a promotional campaign that’s giving away one night’s stay for 10 winners, each of whom are allowed to bring a traveling companion too. To enter, you’ll need to download the Pokémon Sleep app and follow its official Twitter account, then repost the following post using its embedded button and fill out the entry form.

【お知らせ】
「泊まれるモンスターボール」に抽選で10組様をご招待します。
大自然の中で特別な宿泊体験をお過ごしください！

①本アカウントをフォロー&アプリDL
②下のボタンからポスト
③専用フォーム入力で応募完了

応募者全員に「げんきマクラ&ポケサブレ」プレゼント

— 『Pokémon Sleep（ポケモンスリープ）』公式 (@PokemonSleepApp) September 15, 2026

There are three entry deadlines, September 17, 23, and 30, each corresponding to different dates on which winners are eligible to stay (October 8-10, October 10-14, and October 14-18, respectively). Regular reservations are yet to open, but when they do, what with Hokkaido’s heavy winter snows making it not the most pleasant place for quasi-camping in the winter, demand is sure to be high for fall stays.

Related: Poké Ball-Themed Hotel official website, Pokémon Sleep official Twitter account
Source: Poké Ball-Themed Hotel, Oricon News
Top image: Poké Ball-Themed Hotel
Insert images: Poké Ball-Themed Hotel, YouTube/NOT A HOTEL
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