Morino Hotel Sendai

The location is convenient, and the staff are friendly and helpful. It's a very nice, quiet hotel.

I came back because I'd stayed here before. The rooms were a bit old then, but the staff had been helpful, so I booked again feeling confident. This time, on a very cold day, I expected to warm up after checking in, but my room was cold too. The air conditioning seemed to be controlled for the whole building, with no switch in the room. I slept badly from the cold. In the morning I called the front desk, and they said they couldn't change it to heating at that time of year. They offered to lend me a blanket if I came to the front desk. Since it was already morning, I declined. If they'd at least asked, “Shall we bring it over?”, I might have felt differently. The room was also very small, there was no outlet by the bed so I had to use an extension cord, and the bathroom curtain smelled damp. I was freezing, so I filled the tub with hot water and warmed my feet before checking out right away. I wanted to stay longer, but thought I'd only get colder, so I went to a cafe, which was a waste of money. It's also far from the station and not very convenient. Unless things improve, I probably won't stay here again.

During cherry blossom season, nearby hotels were all so expensive that I was surprised. I picked this place for its location near Nishi Park and Kokubuncho. I'd booked after looking at the photos on Jalan (a Japanese travel website), but the building was older than I expected. It made sense then why the price was so low, though the hotel was clean and tidy, had amenities, and the reception staff were helpful. The room key and reception area were my favorite details. It's a cylinder key, and you insert a gold stick about the size of lip balm beside the room light to turn it on. Seeing that gold stick alongside the glossy, deep wood at reception, with the building's age, got me excited. It felt like Disneyland! The rooms can be a little cold in the morning because the building is old, so take care not to catch a cold. I'll come again.

This business hotel faces Bansui-dori Street in Sendai City, with easy access to Kokubuncho, the largest shopping district in Tohoku. I'm a regular guest. The multi-story parking lot next door is inexpensive to use, which makes the hotel a reassuring option in bad weather. There's a pharmacy across the street and a Don Quijote just a minute or two away on foot, so it's easy to find things to buy. The rooms are well cleaned, and nights were quieter than I expected. I think it's good value for money.