4 Best Hotels in Sendai, Tohoku

This upscale hotel adjacent to the railway station is a great value, with spacious, tastefully furnished rooms that have been renovated in calming tones. The restaurant and café on the second floor are bright and airy, with a fabulous glass-front view for people-watching. The hotel's location is great for travelers, but also good for events, so don't be surprised by a raucous wedding party or company dinner.

This budget hotel chain has a welcome bar where you can make your own drinks until 8 pm, but you might not want to spend too much time in the small but functional rooms. Business travelers dominate on weekdays, but families fill the place on weekends. Many different kinds of pillows and a range of amenities are available at reception. Complimentary breakfast includes simple Western fare such as breads, eggs, sausages, and salads. The doors to the hotel lock at midnight, so you'll have to use the code to get into your room as the rooms have no keys. The code comes on a small receipt-size sheet of paper, so snap a photo of that in case you lose it.

The sleek lobby on the 26th floor leads to the modern lounge with huge wall-to-wall windows overlooking the city, mountains, and distant ocean; the guest rooms share these gorgeous views. Do be aware that you'll have to work your way through the ground-level entrance, which can feel like an office building, but you'll be rewarded once upstairs.

The old and new are elegantly juxtaposed in this upscale ryokan, where a century-old, four-story wooden building stands next to a newly built luxury lodging. Museum-quality art of the Edo period (1603–1868) is exhibited in public areas. Each room is unique, and all have state-of-the-art amenities like heated towel racks. Some rooms have beds instead of futons. You'll enjoy fine dining in the evenings accompanied by music in the well-restored original building. They claim that the 600-year-old onsen here was used by none other than Date Masamune himself. Beautiful, natural surroundings attract many honeymooners and couples. Call to arrange free pickup from either Shiroishi-Zao Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen line or from Shiroishi Station on the Tohoku main line.