Hotele z: breakfast w Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan

Having lived in Japan for over ten years, I have to commend this hotel. It far exceeded my expectations. 1. Right outside the door is the largest local bus terminal, making it incredibly convenient to get to the airport, Aso, Amakusa, and Fukuoka. 2. The price is half or even less than half of surrounding hotels. I originally had no expectations, thinking it would just be a cheap place to crash. 3. While the hallway decor looks a bit dated, it perfectly aligns with the MUJI団地 (housing complex) design philosophy. You even use a traditional key to open the door. 4. Although the room has an old-style Japanese business hotel decor, it's exceptionally clean and very spacious. The room design is well-thought-out, making it comfortable and secure to use. 5. Both check-in and check-out at the front desk were handled with meticulous care and polite, professional service. This is something even much more expensive hotels I've stayed at elsewhere often fail to deliver. 6. I stayed here for five consecutive nights and had a great experience. I would definitely choose this hotel again for future family trips.

It was actually pretty good, not as bad as some of the Google Maps reviews suggest! Our triple room was huge; we could easily open three suitcases and still had a sofa area to relax. The room was clean, even the AC vents in the bathroom were dust-free. All the toiletries were provided. They have a karaoke room, a common lounge for reading, a gym, a ping-pong table, a walking track, and massage chairs. After dinner, I even went to burn off some calories by playing ping-pong. There's an onsen with a public bath and six private onsen rooms, all free and available all night without booking! The front desk staff were polite and friendly, and they communicated well in English. Even though there were three tour buses full of Thai and Korean tourists, it wasn't chaotic at all. For dinner, the all-you-can-eat crab wasn't huge, but it certainly wasn't tiny and meatless. And there was a wide selection of free alcoholic drinks, so it's probably a drinker's paradise!

The room is new and clean, providing a comfortable stay, though it is a bit crowded for two people. The location is nice, with the shopping streets nearby, having multiple restaurants and convenience store opening till midnight. However, it is quite hard to find a parking lot in the nearby, especially during weekends.

Pros- spacious villa, quality bedding and large private indoor onsen( see picture 13). We also like the public outdoor onsen in the sister ryokan nearby. There is a little cafe there you can buy drinks and coffee, run by an adorable old couple, very nice and polite. We spent a lot of time there just chilling and listening to the music. Cons- Living room: we were only able to book the western style villa as it’s a little last minute trip. The living room is basic, bland, with sofa, instead or tatami. Our room 512 is next to the car park. Parking lot in front of your main door is not very pleasant. Food : just soso. Nothing extraordinary. See picture. No horse sashimi, the presentation of the steak is really ordinary - disappointing. Perhaps because we had such an amazing meals in the previous ryokan this became a massive letdown. Dinner served in a large public dining room, lack of the privacy and intimacy ther ryokan provide ( we had private dining room in another ryokan 野之花during this trip). I got to see other couples but also feeling like we are being watched. Service- served by young people, not much attentiveness you would expect in traditional ryokan, lack of the warmth and ritual. Reception- 3 star at best. A basic room with uncomfortable chair while you wait to be checked in. We arrived around 2:30pm, and was told that check in can only start at 3pm, and please wait. So we sat at the hard chair and forced to watch the promotional video until 3pm. Conclusion - 3.5 star ryokan, not the most exciting or exclusive villa we have stayed. Maybe it would get better once the trees grow thicker and staff better trained. The sister Ryokan nearby has better feel of environment and feels more established.

Really nice place to stay in, exclusive experience, you don’t really need to do any onsen hoping if you stay here, one private onsen booking per day which means 2 booking for one night stay and you have got guest only public onsen which alternate each day. They were kind enough to accommodate our vegetarian diet even though they weren’t too happy about that because they had to change their whole menu, so I would suggest checking with them before making the booking. Overall, definitely worth it.

The hotel's front desk service was excellent. They quickly and helpfully resolved a bug with the parking lot access, which was very thoughtful. The room was small, a typical Japanese-style room. The location is quite good. The image shows the information for the hotel's partner parking lot.

Facilities: The hotel, built in 2021, is quite new. I stayed on the fifth floor, and they have ice makers and water dispensers, so it's fine even if your room doesn't come with complimentary water. This is also the only hotel where you can add an extra bed and the room is 40 square meters. They even allow luggage storage until my next stay. I've checked with all the surrounding five-star hotels, and they either have small rooms, expensive rooms, don't allow extra beds, or can't store luggage for an extended period. This is truly a major highlight! Hygiene: I have to complain about the hygiene. In room 507, the bathroom sink had no cover, and there were many tiny flying insects inside. I sprayed mosquito repellent here, and it was only when I saw many dead insects at the opening that I realized the issue. My son even got bitten and had bumps on his chest. Environment: It's super convenient, only 150 meters from Hakata Chikushi-guchi. Yodobashi Camera is right across the street, so you can shop 'til you drop! There are also many convenience stores nearby. Service: The breakfast selection isn't huge, but it's fine for a one-day stay. I highly recommend the breakfast coffee – it's very rich.

An excellent hotel. The location is very convenient, a 20-minute walk from Kumamoto Station or a 10-minute tram ride. The reception staff are courteous and attentive. Essential items can be collected on the ground floor. The room was on the very top floor. The beds are large. The cleaning service is excellent, with towels changed daily. Perhaps the only drawback is the lack of sufficient space to open a large suitcase, you have to jostle about to do so. At one point, the room became quite stuffy, the air conditioning didn’t help with the air circulation, and the window couldn’t be opened. I realise this has been done for everyone’s safety.

Overall, a fantastic stay! I really appreciated the complimentary drinks and the spacious bathtub in the room. The service was excellent, and I'll definitely be returning for another visit. My only minor critique is that the location isn't the most convenient, but despite that, I found the overall experience to be very satisfactory.