Kumamoto Washington Hotel Plaza

Parking was a problem: there’s no customer lot, so you’ll need to pay to park elsewhere if you drive. The fridge also needs to be switched on yourself, or anything you put in it will still be at room temperature in the morning. The building is large, but the front desk didn’t seem prepared for foreign guests. There were three staff members there and none spoke English. My fourth-floor room had a tiny window that opened only a little, despite the photo showing it fully open, and it looked straight into another room. That kind of design might be understandable in Tokyo, but I found it hard to accept here. At 3 a.m. I woke to water dripping. It hadn’t rained, but drainage from the roof down to the third floor made noise through the night.

I really liked the pillow selection on the first floor, and they also have several complimentary packs of ladies’ products. The hot spring is open for a limited time, but it’s a lovely place to unwind. Afterwards, you can have a free yogurt drink or popsicle. The hotel is about a two-minute walk from downtown. It costs a bit more, though I thought it was worth it. Paying a few hundred yen extra got us a pretty roomy space with a couch area. The bathroom looked new and clean, as if the hotel had recently been renovated. I only wish there were a small table beside the bed for phones. Breakfast was great, with lots of local dishes and everything tasted good.

The room on the fourth floor was modern and clean, and we had a very pleasant stay. It’s an easy 5-10 minute walk to central Kumamoto, including the castle, city hall, and tram. The hotel’s public bath is included and felt clean and modern. Afterwards, we got ice cream and Yakult for free. There was also free horse curry, a typical Kumamoto dish, in the restaurant on the 12th floor from 9:30 to 11 p.m. We enjoyed it.

Even with a fairly small room, it was comfortable because the space was used so efficiently. The bathroom especially stood out. I don’t think I’ve had a better one in a hotel room this size.