HIBARI GUESTHOUSE

This place was amazing! Staff was very kind. Even if they weren’t on site they could be reached via the security webcam. You could tell they cared about the place and about their lodgers. The beds and the bathrooms were very clean. There was a map on the wall with things to do in the area and how to get to local grocery stores etc. The kitchen is very well stocked with pots/pans, utensils, aluminum foil, etc, all available to use for free. Fridge, freezer, and shelf space available to keep food. When I was there, they even had a bowl of tomatoes that had been grown in their garden that we were allowed to eat, and they were delicious! The 10pm lights out is firmly enforced, but as long as you’re quiet you can stay in the common area as long as you want. There’s a washing machine in the bathroom area. Extra blankets are available for free. You get a fresh hand towel for free every day, but you have to pay to rent bath towels. There are small lockers provided to store valuables. Suitcases are supposed to be put in the closet, but there’s no lock on it. The tap water is not drinkable but they have a water dispenser in the kitchen that can dispense hot and cold water.

There are only two showers, which means you might have to wait your turn. It’s worth it though- they have the biggest shower I’ve seen in Japan, it felt luxurious to use. This property is not in Sendai, but because it’s only two train stations away it is easy to access the big city.

The staff was fantastic, very warm, kind and helpful. Facilities were always clean, every room was air conditioned and the living room gets a nice breeze. The kitchen was well-prepared for anything a guest might want to cook.

The dormitory toilets don't have soap. As far as I could tell, there was only one shower in the building, which is fine when there aren't many travelers (like while I was there) but there's bound to be lines in peak season. Also, the kitchen doesn't have a spatula.

In the beginning, I chose the guesthouse for my first-2-day stays in my Sendai trip. The guesthouse is a 10-min-walk distance from the train station. The day I arrived was a heavy rainy and super cold day (around 5 celsius degree), and my shoes and all gears were wet as F during the walk to it. I was cursing myself "Why did I book such a far place?" However, the moment I arrived, I fell in love with the place. It was a cozy and comfort place. The water was super hot and the bed was so comfortable. Besides, the supermarkets were close to the place, and you're able to buy something to cook. I was super satisfied the end of the day. But it was even more. When I got back to the place after my wander at the Sendai city, I met Miki さん, who was such a warn and great staff. She recommended me several things, from restaurants to sweets. I also shared some Taiwanese cultures and recipes with her. It was a memorable experince. The Hirabi guesthouse is the place I might consider a home in Sendai. So after my hike in Mt. Adatara, I got back to Sendai and stayed there for another 2 days.

It was not really a bad or annoying thing for me. It's close to the railway so people might hear some noise of trains. But it's totally ok for me.

Low key, quiet hostel style accomodation. Nothing phenomenal, but decent value for money.

No way to properly lock your private room from the inside and no way to lock it at all from the outside, when leaving for the day. There is a cupboard you can lock your belongings in, which would be acceptable if we were in a shared dorm, but is odd for a private room (twin, triple or semi double). As far as we could tell, there were no staff - we certainly didn't encounter anyone beyond the automated messages on Booking.com and the automated check in system. This wasn't a negative for us, as everything went smoothly.