Candeo Hotels Kumamoto Shinshigai

The modern facilities were spotless and well maintained, from the guest rooms to the lobby. We especially liked unwinding in the Sky Spa on the 12th floor after a full day of sightseeing, with a nice view of the city. The location was perfect, just steps from the shopping arcade, restaurants, and convenience stores, so exploring on foot was easy. We had a wonderful stay at Candeo Hotels Kumamoto Shinshigai. Convenient, comfortable, and very clean, it’d suit families or couples visiting Kumamoto. We’d definitely stay again!

There’s on-site laundry, and you can check how crowded the onsen is from your room’s TV. The onsen itself is decent. Candeo Kumamoto sits at the start of the shopping arcade, which is great for browsing and exploring, though it leaves you a bit farther from the train station. The tram ride takes at least 15 minutes. The room is a little small, but the amenities are fantastic and I thought it was great value for money.

The thing I appreciated most after our experience was Ms. Moe H at the front desk. She was professional and empathetic when I reported the mould around the washing machine, listened carefully, and kept apologising, though I understand it wasn’t within her control. Her customer service was commendable. I hope hotel management seriously looks into the laundry facilities, because their cleanliness and maintenance fall well below acceptable standards and negatively affect the guest experience. We’d been looking forward to staying here, and the front desk staff were attentive, friendly, and helpful at check-in. The room also looked decent at first. But using the self-service laundry changed my impression immediately. After taking our clothes out, I saw thick mould all around the washing machine. It was disgusting and made me feel like our clothes had been washed in a mould-infested machine. The dryer was in poor condition too, with visible rust and dirt, and looked badly maintained. When I got back to the room and washed my hands, I noticed obvious yellow stains on the very dirty basin, as shown in the photos. It made me seriously question the hotel’s cleanliness and hygiene standards. We’re staying for the next four nights, and now feel extremely uncomfortable. I’m counting the days until check-out.

Our luggage may not make it back in time for our flight from Tokyo, and the hotel's only offer was free breakfast on a future visit. They admitted they had made a mistake with their luggage forwarding service, but offered no fix or compensation. After that, their explanations kept changing, and so did their promises. They said they'd get back to us with information by a certain time, then didn't until I chased them by email. The staff were no help at all. Since this is a hotel chain in Tokyo, I expected a more professional level of service. The hotel itself was fine, with a good location and decent sized rooms for Japan. We won't be coming back.