Ark Hotel Kumamotojo Mae -ROUTE INN HOTELS-

We stayed 3 nights here. The location is perfect to walk to Kumamoto castle which is about 10-15 minutes at leisure. We booked a castle view room which can see the castle though not fully at 8th floor. Within 5-10 minutes walk to the back of the hotel has many restaurants and shopping arcade to stroll. From here we travelled to Mount Aso, Takachiho gorge within 1.0-1.5 hours drive. The car park is a multi level stacking system but is very efficient and fast each time we park and retrieve the car. Parking charge per night is 900 yen, however is only for small cars. Hotel front desk staffs are very friendly and helpful. some able to speak reasonably good english. We were recommended a restaurant just 2-3 minutes walk turning right and another right at the first lane from the hotel because we wanted to try the Sashimi Horse meat and BBQ meal which is excellent. Check in and check out is fast and efficient. If you do not wish housekeeping for the first night, they give 2 tokens where you can get redeem drinks at the Kiosk. There is a lounge access at level 10 where you can get free cofee/tea or soft drinks and overlooking the Kumamoto castle view which is excellent at night. Highly recommend this hotel which is value for money.

I loved this hotel. It had a retro feel and some interesting features, which made a nice change from the ubiquitous business hotel style. The room was comfortable and I had an amazing view directly across from the castle! Some of the fittings looked a little past their best but everything worked fine. Breakfast was outstanding - a spacious restaurant with an exceptional selection of foods. I especially loved having a little purin (like crème caramel) as a breakfast treat. The staff are fab - very friendly and helpful, top marks. There was some English spoken too, which is useful for those of us whose knowledge of Japanese is limited. Location is brilliant! Just a short walk to the castle area, and a nice district round about. The station is a good 45min walk, but there’s a tram stop just down the road, and line A takes you to the station. I’d definitely stay here again.

Breakfast was served in the cafe located on the 10th floor which offered a great view of the awesome Kumamoto Castle - a real treat for photography buffs. Our room was also facing the castle side and it was a lovely sight at night when the castle was lit up.

Friendly, helpful reception staff, great location and wonderful views towards the Kumamoto Castle (as per the hotel's name), nice room with comfy bed and many appliances, coin laundry facility, alright for my visit to this interesting town.

Very friendly staff. The car park is shown as opening at 7:00am. This was a slight problem for me as I had to be somewhere at 8 that was a 48 minute drive away. No problem - they got someone to open it for me at 6:40. The 10th floor restaurant has a lovely view of Kumamoto Castle, which is lit up at night.