Ark Hotel Kumamotojo Mae -ROUTE INN HOTELS-

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.

The room temperature was a bit warm for me. There’s a note in the information to explain that’s it’s centrally controlled and can’t be adjusted per room, though you can alter the air con. I found it a bit stuffy sometimes and had to open the window.

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.

It'll take some patience to use the hotel auto parking system which deals with 1 car at a time and I was lucky as the only user at check in and out. I can imagine the long waiting time at peak periods with the entrance only able to accommodate 1 car at a time going in or retrieving it. But the parking rate is reasonable.

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.

It was a smoking room as I forgot to ask for non smoking, but it wasn't overpowering. Things a bit dated and need of attention, like wall paper, power plugs not tight.

It's not the best value for money choice but the castle view room is really second to none. Breakfast was amazing - tons of choices, all of them were well-cooked, healthy, and authentic and it's a wonderful delight to put them on a plate with small portions and then facing Kumamoto castle to join the early morning vibes. The room was spacious, if you opt-out for room cleaning they would give you a coin so you could order a free drink from the vending machine

Some minutes of walk from the main commercial area, though it's castle facing, it'd be still better to be a bit Southern. no coffee in the room.

Very friendly and helpful staff. Nice breakfast buffet on hotel top floor with beautiful view of Kumamoto Castle. Great location, close to Kamotori and Shimotori.

Poor WiFi internet connection, which is way too slow and drops connection constantly. Perhaps hotel should invest in better and more capable routers at least on some floors to better support business travelers, that depend on good internet connection.

The location is unbeatable with a stunning view of Kumamoto castle from my room. The rooms were also really quiet and clean, with a functional air conditioner (essentially in the summer!).

The beds are rock hard which don't make for great sleeping. Asian breakfast which was a negative for me as I can't do hot soup and fish for breakfast.

The hotel staff are very welcoming and ready to respond very quickly to any problems. Everything was perfect in terms of in-room facilities. The location of the hotel was very convenient, only 2 minutes walk from a very busy street. Kumamoto castle is also right next door, very convenient for visiting. There are also many shops and restaurants nearby.

I love the good hospitality of their staff. The room was neat even there is quite old. The great thing is, I can see the view of Kumamoto Castle when I lie down on the bed.

Strong of cigarettes smell everywhere, even I stay on non-smoking room I still smell it. The hotel quite far from the main JR station.

The staff is polite and helpful Good selection for breakfast That view with the castle is amazing The hotel was clean

Maybe the position is a bit far away from Sakuramachi bus terminal compared to other hotels, but it is worth for the view They should put more pictures of the bedrooms with castle view because they were nice

Helpful front staff even though they spoke little English. Views from the room and cafe are OK. Location is also quite close to the city center so it is convenient. Some additional amenities at the lobby. Breakfast was not impressive but had many items to choose from.

It was an average stay, nothing wrong with it.