Located in central Sapporo, Grand Mercure Sapporo Odori Park (Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido / General Manager: Rai Daniel) will install a unique "Onion Soup Faucet" in the hotel lobby during the Sapporo Snow Festival period from February 4 (Wednesday) to 11 (Wednesday), 2026. The special installation dispenses onion soup made with locally-sourced onions from Hokkaido's Kitami region, which boasts the highest production volume in Japan.
The soup provided is "Hokkaido Onion Soup," a popular product from Greens Kitami Co., Ltd., a food processing manufacturer headquartered in Kitami City that uses Hokkaido-sourced ingredients. This unique hospitality greets returning guests with the aroma and steam of onion soup, creating a surprising and heartwarming experience unique to Hokkaido's winter.
During the same period, Mercure Sapporo, located at a different location in Sapporo, will also serve the same onion soup as a welcome beverage, offering winter hospitality across both properties in the city.
Reference: JA Kitamirai https://www.jakitamirai.or.jp/agri/onion/
A Five-Senses Experience of Hokkaido Winter from the Moment You Enter the Lobby
The moment guests step into the hotel lobby, they are enveloped by the rising aroma of onion soup. Freed from the harsh cold outside, the sensation of slowly unwinding through steam, fragrance, and warmth is unique to Hokkaido's winter. The "Onion Soup Faucet" was conceived as an experiential hospitality feature to enhance the travel experience.
A Comforting Cup Packed with the Umami of Kitami-Produced Onions
The soup features onions from Hokkaido's Kitami region, which has the highest production volume in Japan. Kitami onions, grown in an environment with long daylight hours and significant temperature variations, are characterized by strong sweetness and rich umami flavor. The onion soup concentrates this deliciousness, warming chilled bodies from the inside after sightseeing or snow festival viewing, offering a taste that conveys Hokkaido's culinary richness.
A Memorable Surprise: Turn the Handle for Soup
When you turn the faucet handle, what flows out is not water but warm onion soup. This unique mechanism makes guests stop in their tracks and reach for their cameras, creating a visual surprise and memorable travel moment. By combining Hokkaido's ingredients with the hotel's playful spirit, this creates a special hospitality experience available only here.
Kitami Onion Character "Ki-tan" Visits
Ki-tan, a character born from Hokkaido's Kitami region, Japan's number one onion production area, will appear at Grand Mercure Sapporo Odori Park at 3:00 PM on February 4 (Wednesday), 2026.
Ki-tan's charm lies in conveying feelings through movement and expressions without using words, bringing smiles and energy to visitors.
Date: February 4 (Wednesday), 2026
Time: From 3:00 PM (limited time, irregular appearances planned)
Location: Hotel 1st Floor Lounge
*Note: Appearance times may vary depending on the day's circumstances.
Onion Soup Faucet (Hotel Guests Only) Overview
Dates: February 4 (Wednesday) to 11 (Wednesday), 2026
Hours: 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM
(Times may change depending on circumstances)
Location: Hotel 1st Floor Lobby
URL: https://grand-mercure-sapporo-odoripark.jp/plan/feb26-event/
About Grand Mercure Sapporo Odori Park
Located in central Sapporo, Grand Mercure Sapporo Odori Park is a hotel where guests can experience Hokkaido's nature and culture while enjoying a comfortable and functional stay. In addition to being an ideal base for sightseeing, its proximity to Odori Subway Station makes it perfect for business use and extended stays. The restaurant featuring local ingredients enriches your travel experience.
Address: 1-11-1 Kita 1-jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0001
TEL: 011-271-2711 / 03-6627-4630 (Reservation Center)
Rates: From ¥18,500 per person per night (based on double occupancy, including tax and service charge, with breakfast)
Official Website: https://grand-mercure-sapporo-odoripark.jp/
Access: Approximately 3 minutes to Sapporo Odori Park. Approximately 5 minutes by taxi from JR Sapporo Station.
About Grand Mercure
Grand Mercure is a premium brand offering captivating hotel experiences that appeal to travelers' imagination and insatiable curiosity. After opening in the Asia-Pacific region about 20 years ago, it now operates approximately 80 hotels worldwide, blending with local culture and traditions. Flagship hotels include Grand Mercure Mysore in India, Grand Mercure Belém do Pará in Brazil, and Grand Mercure Rio de Janeiro Riocentro in Brazil. With the concept "Proudly Local," the brand proposes stays where guests can deeply immerse themselves in local culture and customs through all five senses, including locally symbolic fragrances throughout the hotel and food experiences featuring local ingredients. Grand Mercure is part of Accor, a leading hospitality group with more than 5,700 properties in over 110 countries, and participates in ALL, a lifestyle loyalty program offering various benefits, services, and experiences.
About Accor
Based in Paris, France, Accor is a leading hospitality group operating more than 5,700 hotels and residences and over 10,000 restaurants and bars in 110 countries worldwide. From luxury to economy, with approximately 45 hotel brands and expansion into the lifestyle sector with Ennismore, the company operates a diverse and fully integrated ecosystem in the industry. ALL is a booking platform and loyalty program that provides members with unique experiences promised by the Accor Group during and beyond hotel stays. The group focuses on promoting positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, sustainable environmental conservation, community engagement, diversity, and inclusion. Founded in 1967, Accor is headquartered in France and is listed on Euronext Paris (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and the OTC market in the United States (ticker: ACCYY). For more information, visit https://group.accor.com.
*Information is current as of the January 27, 2026 distribution date.
*All photos are images.
