This article contains promotional links (affiliate). We may earn a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.
Photo credit: Rakuten Travel
Smile Hotel Sendai Izumi Inter has rates from around ¥4,000 a night, with free parking near the Izumi interchange — it ranks #5 on our list of hotels near Sekisui Heim Super Arena, and it’s the lowest starting rate in this guide. Its strength is price, plain and simple: it’s about a 30-minute, roughly 10km drive to the arena from the Izumi interchange area, which three independent sources agree on. It’s a workable pick if you have a car and want to keep costs down, though it’s not realistically reachable by public transit alone, and a few guests have flagged plumbing and neighboring-room noise.
Best for: Travelers with a car who want the lowest nightly rate in this guide and don’t mind a no-frills stay.
Not ideal for: Guests without a car, or those sensitive to plumbing/neighboring-room noise.
Room size: Superior Double 14 m² (151 sq ft) up to Universal Room 18 m² (194 sq ft)
Bed options: 140–160cm “queen-size” bed (Superior Double) — no Western king bed found
Nearest station: Izumi-Chuo Station (subway), then bus/car; not walkable to the hotel or the arena
Walking difficulty: Car-oriented; ~2–3 min from Tohoku Expressway “Izumi IC” to the hotel, ~30 min / ~10km by car to the arena
Airport access: Not specifically confirmed; car-oriented location near the Izumi interchange
English support: Site has English, Chinese, and Korean versions; front-desk fluency not confirmed
Tattoo policy: Not a confirmed factor — no shared public bath on site
Luggage storage: Not confirmed in our research
Breakfast: Small Japanese/Western buffet, reservation required, ¥800
Typical price range: From about ¥4,000/night
Cost: 4.00 | Location: 3.93 | Room: 3.91 | Breakfast: 3.74
Based on over 1,500 guest reviews collected via Rakuten Travel.
Who this hotel is a good fit for
- Travelers with a car who want the lowest nightly rate in this guide (from ~¥4,000/night)
- Guests who want free parking (60 spaces, first-come, first-served)
- Anyone who wants a real soak at the nearby day-use hot spring “Ryusenji no Yu” (~5 min walk)
- Budget-conscious fans who value a friendly front desk over frills
Key hotel facts for international guests
Room size: Superior Double 14 m² (151 sq ft) with a 140–160cm “queen-size” bed, up to Universal Room 18 m² (194 sq ft) — no Western king bed found (official/booking-site room data).
Bathroom: unit bath (combined shower/tub) in-room; no shared public bath at this hotel (confirmed) — the nearby day-use onsen “Ryusenji no Yu” is the closest thing to a soak.
English support: site has English, Chinese, and Korean versions; front-desk fluency not confirmed.
Parking: 60 free spaces, 24-hour, first-come first-served.
Gym and coin laundry: not found on the official site — likely not available.
Sourced from the hotel’s official and booking-site room pages, checked August 2026.
Location and walking difficulty
This hotel is not within walking distance of Sekisui Heim Super Arena — it’s a car-oriented location near the Tohoku Expressway’s “Izumi IC,” about a 2–3 minute drive from the interchange itself. The arena is roughly a 30-minute, 10km drive from this area, a figure three independent sources agree on. Without a car, the trip involves a bus/subway ride to Sendai Station (about 40–50 minutes) followed by a further train and bus or event shuttle to the arena, adding up to around 70 minutes total — considerably longer than driving.
Room size and luggage space
Rooms range from a Superior Double at 14 m² (151 sq ft) up to a Universal Room at 18 m² (194 sq ft), per official and booking-site room data — compact, in line with the hotel’s budget positioning.
Bed size and comfort for tall travelers
The Superior Double has a 140–160cm “queen-size” bed, and no Western king bed was found. This is one of the wider confirmed bed options in this guide, but still narrower than a US/UK king (193cm).
Bathroom and room facilities
Rooms have a unit bath (combined shower/tub); there’s no shared public bath at this hotel. Several guests reported a musty or “sweaty” smell in the bathroom, and a couple mentioned shower water pressure and temperature stability issues. Ventilating the bathroom well before running the bath can help, and the nearby day-use hot spring “Ryusenji no Yu” (about a 5-minute walk) is a popular alternative among past guests for a proper soak.
English support
The hotel’s site has English, Chinese, and Korean versions. Front-desk English fluency wasn’t confirmed in our research, though multiple guests praised the front desk’s warmth regardless of language, including a late, crowded check-in that was still greeted with a smile.
Breakfast and dietary options
Breakfast is a small Japanese/Western buffet (¥800, reservation required by the day before, 6:30–9:00 weekdays / 6:30–9:30 weekends and holidays), scoring 3.74/5 — the lowest breakfast score in this guide. Some guests were disappointed by the limited variety, especially on repeat stays. If that matters to you, nearby restaurants or a convenience store are worth considering as a supplement or alternative. Vegetarian, vegan, or halal options weren’t confirmed.
Airport access
Direct Sendai Airport access wasn’t specifically confirmed for this property in our research. Given its car-oriented location near the Izumi interchange, a rental car or taxi is the practical way to connect from the airport.
Tattoo and public bath policy
This isn’t a factor here — there’s no shared public bath at this hotel, confirmed. If a soak matters to you, the nearby day-use hot spring “Ryusenji no Yu” (about a 5-minute walk) is a popular choice among past guests, though its own tattoo policy wasn’t covered in our research.
Luggage storage and delivery
Luggage storage policy wasn’t specifically confirmed in our research for this property.
Laundry
Coin laundry wasn’t found on the official site and is likely not available at this property.
Common complaints from previous guests
- Several guests mentioned a musty or sweaty bathroom smell, and shower water pressure/temperature that felt unstable at times.
- Ventilate the bathroom well before running the bath. If you’d rather skip the room bath entirely, the day-use hot spring “Ryusenji no Yu,” about a 5-minute walk away, is a popular alternative among past guests.
- Several guests mentioned plumbing and neighboring-room noise — this appears to be a common trait of roadside business hotels in this chain rather than specific to this location.
- Pack earplugs if you’re a light sleeper, especially the night after a late show.
- This hotel is not realistically reachable by public transit alone — the trip works out to roughly 70 minutes via bus/subway to Sendai Station and then a train and bus onward.
- Book this hotel only if you’re renting a car for your trip. If you’re relying on trains, Richmond Hotel Premier Sendai Ekimae or Hotel Metropolitan Sendai, both also covered in this guide, will serve you much better.
The quotes below are a summary of review trends and may not reflect the current situation.
“Used this after a concert at Sekisui Heim Super Arena.” / “Come here whenever I’m in Sendai for shopping or a show — the front desk is warm and welcoming every time. Checked in late and crowded, and they still greeted me with a smile. The towels were nice and fluffy, and I used the nearby onsen, Ryusenji no Yu, for a proper bath.”
What the booking sites don’t clearly explain
A few things aren’t obvious from the low price and photos alone. First, “near Izumi IC” is genuinely car-oriented — public transit access is a roughly 70-minute, multi-step trip, so this hotel is only a good fit if you’re renting a car. Second, there’s no shared public bath on site at all; the frequently mentioned “Ryusenji no Yu” is a separate, nearby day-use facility, not part of the hotel. Third, breakfast requires reservation by the day before and costs ¥800 extra — it isn’t automatically included, and the review score for it (3.74) is the lowest in this guide.
Who should avoid this hotel
- People without a car (public transit access is impractical)
- People sensitive to plumbing noise or a musty bathroom smell
- People who want a substantial breakfast included in the room rate
Better alternatives nearby
If Smile Hotel Sendai Izumi Inter isn’t quite the right fit, here’s how the other four hotels near Sekisui Heim Super Arena compare:
- Richmond Hotel Premier Sendai Ekimae — best if you want the best all-round rated stay at Sendai Station (4.55 average)
- Hotel Metropolitan Sendai — best if you want a hotel with a proven backup plan if trains are disrupted
- Hotel Route Inn Rifu — best if you have a car and want the shortest ride plus a real onsen (~10 min by car)
- Hotel Route Inn Tagajo Eki Higashi — best if you want to skip Sendai city traffic and save money (best value score)
Where to book
Rates for Smile Hotel Sendai Izumi Inter start from around ¥4,000 per night — the lowest starting rate of any hotel in this guide. Check current availability and pricing below.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I get to Sekisui Heim Super Arena from this hotel?
By car, it’s about a 30-minute, 10km drive from the Izumi IC area — a figure three independent sources agree on. Without a car, plan on roughly 70 minutes via bus/subway to Sendai Station and then a train and bus onward. This hotel is best suited to travelers with a rental car.
- Is there a bath or onsen at the hotel?
No shared public bath is on site — rooms have a unit bath only. The nearby day-use hot spring “Ryusenji no Yu” (about a 5-minute walk) is a popular alternative among past guests for a proper soak.
- Is breakfast included?
No — it’s a small Japanese/Western buffet available for ¥800 with reservation required by the day before. The breakfast score (3.74) is the lowest in this guide, so some guests supplement with nearby restaurants or a convenience store.
- Is parking free?
Yes — 60 free spaces, 24-hour, first-come first-served, though one guest mentioned it can be hard to find a spot when the hotel is very full.
- Is the room quiet?
Several guests mentioned plumbing and neighboring-room noise, which appears to be a common trait of roadside business hotels in this chain. Packing earplugs is a reasonable precaution, especially after a late show.