Smile Hotel Shiogama

I highly recommend this hotel! Although it's a bit far from Nishishiozaki subway station and the area looks a bit rural with no shops along the way, there's a convenience store right downstairs. The room was very clean and comfortable, I slept so well that I overslept and missed breakfast, which was a shame since I'd heard it was excellent. I wasted the breakfast fee. For solo travelers looking to visit Matsushima, this is a great choice because hotels near Matsushima are expensive. It's only three stops away by transfer from here. I was unlucky enough to experience an earthquake, but the hotel's emergency response was excellent. They immediately made an announcement (though I didn't understand it). My daughter was very worried and called me right away to check on me, asking me to look at the escape routes and send her photos. I tried to use the elevator but it wasn't working, confirming my suspicion about the announcement I'd just heard. About an hour later, presumably after the hotel staff confirmed there were no more aftershocks, they made another announcement to let guests know the elevators were operational again.

The breakfast area had coffee, green tea, roasted green tea (hojicha), and herbal tea, but no regular black tea. When I mentioned this to the front desk, they said they would consult with management. ??? I was quite surprised that they couldn't even make such a simple decision on their own. When I suggested they just go buy some, it was provided by the next morning. However, while the herbal teas all had labels with their names, there was no way to tell if the black tea was actually black tea (I had to taste it to find out). It really felt like they only did it because I asked, so I rated the service level a 2. Also, it seems my reservation was for two people, but as soon as they realized I was alone, they only gave me one breakfast voucher and didn't offer a refund. There was no mention or explanation regarding this either.

I stayed here because I had a drinking party. It was super convenient, close to the entertainment district and right next to a 7-Eleven.

There's mold in the toilet and bathroom. I suffered from sneezing due to a mold allergy. The fire alarm on the 6th floor went off in the middle of the night, which startled me. I couldn't sleep much.

The convenience store was nearby, and the unit bathroom was spacious, which was great. The TV only had terrestrial and BS channels; it would have been even better if there was another connection.