Ark Hotel Kumamoto Castle — Hotel in Kumamoto

we stayed at the Arc hotel for three nights and were extremely happy with our choice. Our room (718) had a lovely view of the castle which is especially beautiful when lit up at night.||Check in was simple and all requests eg extra pillows were promptly serviced.||Breakfast is mainly Japanese style but there is an abundance of western food and excellent coffee for only Y1,000.||Westerners will however find the double beds too narrow if you are more than average size and the pillows are a combination of western foam and Japanese millet grain on either side.DVDs can be rented (there are no English speaking channels) and there is a small bar fridge and very good wifi.||the restaurant on the top floor has great views of the castle but is quite expensive ($45for set menu) but the location of the hotel means you are only a 10 minute walk from the fabulous shops and many eating places. The castle is only ten minutes walk along the lovely river. There's even a cat cafe just around the corner, where for Y400 you can pat a cat while enjoying a drink..||Apart from the small beds, the only minor complaint I had was the smell of cigarettes despite being on a non smoking floor. ||I would definitely recommend this...

The staff are super friendly.

The lobby is spacious.

The room is not big and the bathroom is rather tiny, but that is expected if you are staying in Japan.

Overall, I really enjoyed staying here. The location is quite nice, because it is right in front of the castle. The view from the window is the castle! At night, it is especially beautiful because the lights lit up from the castle.

The only downside is the soundproof-ness of the hotel. From my room, I could hear kids half-shouting(?) in the hallway. I think the sound proof between the room and the hallway is not so great. In the morning, when housekeeping vacuums a nearby room from mine, I could hear it. I felt that housekeeping starts really early.. (One time, I heard vacuuming at 9am ish - which I thought was quite early..)

However, except for this slight issue(?), I enjoyed the hotel overall. It is great for value. Also, this is a typical Japanese hotel (size, vibe, etc.) - so I liked...

We stayed at the Ark Hotel Kumamotojo Mae for one nights and it was a really good price-value. The hotel is rather old and you can see that on the rooms – they are not really dirty but old and e.g. one of the chairs should have been replaced quite a while ago. However, we did not expect anything newer in the first place and for the price and one night it was alright. Especially as the price includes breakfast for two (a buffet with a medium range of choice for Japanese and Western breakfast – also suitable for vegetarians). In addition the view is really nice – just "opposite" of the Kumamoto Castle. The upstairs restaurant is also nice for a dinner and with side dishes you can also get there a decent vegetarian dinner.||||Service 8/10||Location 8/10||Cleanliness 7/10||Room/Facilities 6/10||Price-Value 10/10 (¥ 6.300...