Ark Hotel Kumamotojomae

The cigarette smell was strong throughout the hotel, and we were very upset by the experience. My wife and I had booked a non-smoking room through Agoda, but ours smelled strongly of cigarettes when we checked in. She couldn't stay in it, so we spoke with the front office. They kindly upgraded us to another room, but that one smelled of cigarettes too, and my wife ended up sleeping in our van. We chose not to argue about it. In 42 years of travel, this was my worst hotel experience. Do not stay here.

The place didn't catch my eye at first, but after a few days I grew fond of it. There's a quaint atmosphere here, with a feeling from the 90s that it still preserves today. If you like Haruki Murakami's novels and have read the scenes about “Dolphin Hotel” in several of his works, you might want to experience staying here. It gives out that same vibe for me.

Everything was fine for a simple night here. The location made it easy to reach the shopping area on foot, and the room had the basic amenities. The room itself was a little small, and the bathroom felt quite compact.

We spent Christmas Eve here and had a great time in Kumamoto. The restaurant has an incredible view of the castle, and we watched the sunset from there. Santa greeted us and showed us to our seats, then pointed out an arcade shopping area and some karaoke places nearby. There was free cake that was really good, and breakfast on Christmas morning was awesome, with even more cake.