Mitsui Garden Hotel Sendai — Hotel in Sendai

When we first checked in, we were pleasantly surprised how friendly and welcoming their front desk staff was and spoke such good English as well, unlike many other hotels we have stayed in during this trip. ||||But it quickly gone down hill from there. When we checked into our room, we realised that it was very warm and we were not able to switch the air con on to cool it down. The only option was to switch off the heater and opened the window, which was really only a small vent to prevent people from jumping out or fall out by accident I suppose? We rang the front desk about this and was offered a small fan to use in the room. It was bearable but not the most amazing condition to sleep in.||||As we were going to Ginzan onsen after our first night in Sendai, we already had a second night booked for us to return to after Ginzan onsen, we wanted to cancel our booking but was too late. ||||Upon our return, we were allocated the same corner room but one floor up. Unfortunately, this time the room was even warmer and it felt like 28 degree with the sun shining through. The window was all fogged up due to the heat and even the corridor and the laundry room were much cooler than our room. We asked for the portable fan again and opened the window vent but it wasn't doing much and we knew we just wouldn't be able to sleep in such heat at all. Not to mention that we hadn't even had a bath yet at that stage, which was the main reason we booked this hotel over others so we could relax after a day out in the cold.||||So we went down to the front desk to discuss this and the male staff we spoke to, offered us an ice pack to sleep with. We were both speechless as we could not believe a 3.5 star hotel would provide such ridiculous solution to their guests. I told him that an ice pack is just not acceptable as paying guests. His colleague overheard what we have said and stepped in to assist. She apologised and offered us to check out other rooms to see if they were any better. She also agreed that the rooms were too warm. We eventually found one that have windows on both sides which appeared to be slightly cooler. We had both window vents opened throughout the night as well as the portable fan on. ||||While we were grateful for the female staff who offered us an upgrade to a slightly cooler room, we found it hard to believe that a relatively new hotel does not have the ability to allow guests to have either air con or heating in their room. Not to mention the insult of sleeping with ice packs. Never again will we ever consider any of the Mitsui...

The hotel is very well-located in the heart of downtown with heaps of shops and eateries nearby. It's about a 10 minute walk to JR Sendai Station. Sendai as a whole is very walkable and if you like being on foot it's possible to see most of the sights that way. Or there are buses, including the loople, or the subway, with the hotel conveniently placed for using any of those. I stayed for three nights in a "superior double room" which had a reasonable amount of space, a large tv, comfy bed, small lounge near the window, desk, chair and mini table. The room had interesting city views. The decor was plain. The air conditioning couldn't be adjusted (it could be turned off) but fortunately the temperature was about right. The bathroom had handy shelves (3) for cosmetics and toiletries which was good. It was nice and quiet at night and I slept well. The staff were all very nice, professional and polite. A young woman on reception, who I think was still learning some of the protocols and processes, was particularly helpful and charming. The lobby featured a beautiful large floral arrangement. Email communications prior to my arrival quickly clarified a couple of matters. A great breakfast is available for 1500 yen. Hope...

The hotel is very well-located in the heart of downtown with heaps of shops and eateries nearby. It's about a 10 minute walk to JR Sendai Station. Sendai as a whole is very walkable and if you like being on foot it's possible to see most of the sights that way. Or there are buses, including the loople, or the subway, with the hotel conveniently placed for using any of those. I stayed for three nights in a "superior double room" which had a reasonable amount of space, a large tv, comfy bed, small lounge near the window, desk, chair and mini table. The room had interesting city views. The decor was plain. The air conditioning couldn't be adjusted (it could be turned off) but fortunately the temperature was about right. The bathroom had handy shelves (3) for cosmetics and toiletries which was good. It was nice and quiet at night and I slept well. The staff were all very nice, professional and polite. A young woman on reception, who I think was still learning some of the protocols and processes, was particularly helpful and charming. The lobby featured a beautiful large floral arrangement. Email communications prior to my arrival quickly clarified a couple of matters. A great breakfast is available for 1500 yen. Hope...