Hotel Zuiho

This onsen hotel has a classic, elegant feel, with consistently luxurious interiors. It's the first time I've seen an indoor koi pond, and there's more than one! The room is incredibly spacious, and even includes a Japanese-style tatami study. The hot springs are divided into indoor and outdoor sections, with the outdoor ones getting progressively hotter. If you're sensitive to heat, be careful! I booked the dinner and breakfast package. For dinner, you can enjoy all-you-can-eat king crab, tempura, and beef tongue for 90 minutes. I spent almost half an hour just getting food, haha! The sashimi was excellent, and you can even have draft beer. Breakfast had fewer options by comparison, but was still very ample, with Chinese dim sum like xiaolongbao, steamed buns, and siu mai – plenty of choices. The hotel is quite close to Rairai Gorge, so if you have the interest and time, you can take a stroll there. In the evening, after a big meal, a walk nearby is very pleasant – cool breezes and a stunning sunset. I pre-booked the shuttle service from Sendai Station East Exit to the hotel and back. You definitely appreciate the convenience of not having to squeeze onto public transport!

The free shuttle bus from Sendai was a lifesaver. The lobby, the area in front of the large public bath, and the buffet restaurant were all luxurious, stylish, and beautiful spaces. The buffet offered a huge variety of dishes, and everything we tried was delicious. Of course, I had plenty of beef tongue! This time we booked a room on the top floor, and the atmosphere was absolutely fantastic; I'd definitely want to stay on that floor again. Finally, about seven staff members saw off the shuttle bus, and their synchronized standing positions, bows, and hand waves were truly impressive. I was genuinely touched by their wonderful hospitality.

The hotel lacks English information for tourists. The front desk staff's English communication skills aren't as good as they should be. In the breakfast and dinner restaurants, all the signs describing the dishes are only in Japanese. The dinner buffet had a lot of options, but the crab legs were not good at all. Very disappointing.

The dinner buffet was great, with a wide variety of choices, including Sendai specialties like charcoal-grilled beef tongue, crab legs, Shiroishi Umen noodles, and Hirata pork. The onsen uses 'Tabibijin' bath products. There's also a good selection of souvenirs for sale. The room was quite spacious too.

The room was very spacious, allowing for a relaxing stay. There were three elevators, but they were quite slow during peak hours, which was a minor inconvenience. The staff were very efficient and helpful, which I appreciated. In particular, the gentleman who directed parking left a very good impression. Thank you. It was a wonderful trip.

This is a very large onsen ryokan. There's a free shuttle bus from Sendai Station directly to the hotel, but you need to book it in advance. The buffet dinner features king crab legs and made-to-order sushi, and the breakfast is also very good. If you don't use the shuttle, it's just a three-minute walk to the bus stop for a ride back to Sendai.