Family-Friendly Hotels in Sendai: Zoo, Aquarium, Short Walks

When you are picking a hotel in Sendai with children, it can be hard to know what to judge it on. Traveling with little ones, questions like "how far do we have to walk from the station?" and "can we leave the baby gear at home?" shape the comfort of the trip far more than being close to the sights. Sendai is an easy city on exactly those terms: hotels are packed into the area around Sendai Station, where the shinkansen stops, so you almost never end up hauling luggage a long way.

Sendai is known as the City of Trees, and rows of zelkova line the center of town. Go a little farther and you can look out over the city from the ruins of Sendai Castle, once the seat of the feudal lord Date Masamune. What families appreciate most is that the city itself has places where a small child can happily spend a whole day, such as Yagiyama Zoological Park and Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium. A day trip out to Matsushima, the pine-covered bay, fits comfortably into the plan too, so you can keep your base in Sendai and simply change your destination each day.

The first things to look at when choosing a hotel are where the baby will sleep and how bath time will work. Among the 5 hotels listed here, Richmond Hotel Sendai lends out cribs and bed guards, and also has baby baths, gentle baby soap, a kettle for making formula, and bottle sterilizing. Bouncers and baby chairs are listed as available to borrow as well, which makes it easier to settle a child who is on solids for a meal in the room. Richmond Hotel Premier Sendai Ekimae also confirms crib and baby bath rentals, along with children's tableware and bibs.

There are options for families who want food and hot springs to be part of the trip. Natural Hot Spring Hagi no Yu Dormy Inn Sendai Ekimae lets you soak in a natural hot spring right by the station, and it offers humidifier and air purifier rentals plus late checkout, which suits parents who like a slow morning. The Westin Sendai is reassuring because you can discuss allergy accommodations in advance, making it an easy candidate for families traveling with a child who has food allergies.

Another trait of hotels in this city is how many of them will lend you a humidifier or an air purifier during the dry season. Small touches like a diaper pail or late checkout are not glamorous, but they make a day with children much easier, so checking for them before you book is worth the minute it takes.