Matsushima Century Hotel

The staff were lovely and very helpful, and I enjoyed the onsen and good-quality restaurant. But the hotel feels old and dated. The city-view room was tiny and depressing, so I paid extra to switch to a room with a better view. For what I paid, I don’t think the hotel was worth it.

What made this the best hotel experience I’ve had in Japan so far was its relaxed, welcoming feel. Other premium onsen hotels in Japan have felt too strict and sterile to me. This place is very family-friendly, with little games around the hotel, pool inflatables, a kids’ playground, a ping-pong table, and movies in the evening. There’s lots of decoration, and you can walk around in slippers. The free drink bar stayed open the whole time and had plenty of choices, which was unusual. I had the onsen to myself twice and enjoyed the beautiful island view. The facility is large and has so many activities that it never felt crowded. There’s also a bridge right outside leading to a beautiful little island, with lots of lovely spots to enjoy nature. You can’t swim there. I’d contacted many hotels in advance about the Lapras float, and this was only the second one that replied. They answered all my questions and were very friendly, so I chose to stay here. The Lapras is no longer used in the pool because it needed a lot of repairs, but it’s still on display. Their quick email replies made communication easy, and at short notice they also arranged a free shuttle from the train station. I had to book the smallest room left. It was okay, though the bathroom was a bit tiny, so you may want to choose one of the other options. The breakfast buffet was very good, with lots to choose from, and I’d recommend booking it.

The location is central to everything in matsushima, and the hotel was very clean with great amenities. We enjoyed our stay at Century hotel so much. The staff were friendly and helpful.

It’s an older hotel, but it’s been kept up very well compared with other places of a similar age that I’ve stayed in.