Hotel Route Inn Mitsuke Nakanoshima Mitsuke Inter

There are convenience stores and supermarkets nearby, which made the stay handy. I was here after staying at Route Inn Sendai Higashi two days earlier. Like the Rifu location, this hotel feels new, and its TVs let you watch YouTube and other content. There are a lot of rooms, though the large public bath feels a little small. Compared with Sendai, I got the impression that more guests here were traveling for work.

The building was clean and the staff were incredibly kind, which made the crowding at breakfast all the more disappointing. During our Obon stay in August, it seemed a group of high school students, or something similar, had arrived by bus. The breakfast line stretched all the way to the lobby, and there was hardly anywhere to sit. Even though breakfast was just starting, the other regular guests had already eaten and left. Nobody told us anything in particular, so I thought perhaps people had been told they could start early. We were short on time, though, and ended up skipping the breakfast we’d been looking forward to and buying something at a nearby Lawson instead. It was a disappointing trip. 😢

The check-in machine froze, so after trying over and over I had to check in with a staff member anyway. If that was the result, they could have handled it in person from the start. I’ve stayed at Route Inn many times, but I’ve never had a room like this. My non-smoking twin smelled strongly of something like cigarettes as soon as I walked in. I sprayed Febreze everywhere, but the smell stayed, and I was uncomfortable until checkout. It was the Friday before a three-day weekend, so the rate was high. This was the worst room I’ve had. I felt so uncomfortable I didn’t even bother mentioning it to the front desk.

For breakfast, expect a typical Route Inn spread, with plenty of brown-looking dishes. I didn’t see any local products, though something like Tochio's aburaage might be worth offering. The hotel is very close to the Nakanoshima-Mitsuke Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, so it’s really geared toward arriving by car, and there’s a spacious free parking lot. The rooms are reliably Route Inn, with a table and sofa even in the singles. I did find the mattress a bit firm, just my opinion. The large bath is about the usual Route Inn size, and when it’s quiet you can stretch out and enjoy it.