Mielparque Kumamoto Hotel

The staff mostly couldn’t communicate even in very basic English. The room itself was neat and clean, and it’s about a ten-minute walk from the famous shopping street.

Being by the Shirakawa River gives the hotel a calm, open feel, without the late-night noise you might get in the downtown center. I liked walking along the river after drinks and food in the busy arcade. Shimodori and Kamidori are about a ten-minute walk away. I first thought that might feel far, but it turned out to be a good distance. There aren’t many restaurants right next to the hotel, though there are plenty of shops around Kamidori, along with nearby 7-Eleven and Lawson stores, so finding groceries was never a problem. The building isn’t new, and some room fixtures and design details show their age. Still, it was thoroughly cleaned, with no unpleasant sense of wear. The bed linens were clean, and the room had an air purifier with a humidifier function. Since the hotel also hosts weddings and banquets, the lobby and entrance feel spacious and elegant compared with a business hotel. A few shared facilities made the stay easier. There’s a microwave in the elevator lobby for heating up convenience store meals or drinks, and a pillow rental service lets you pick one that suits you. Wi-Fi was simple to set up too: I scanned the QR code shown on the TV with my phone and connected automatically, without typing a password. The building feels classic, but the useful facilities have been updated. The staff were very courteous, in keeping with its wedding venue role. It suited me for the mix of easy access to Kamidori Street and a quiet riverside setting, and for having a clean, calming place to rest.

It’s within walking distance of the downtown area. Some rooms have fancy-looking entrances, which made me curious about what they were like inside. In the room, drip coffee and tea bags are provided, but there’s no toothbrush, so remember to get one from the front desk. Breakfast is a ¥2,000 buffet, with omelets available to order from three options. Booking through the hotel’s official website instead of Jalan or Rakuten waives the ¥1,000 parking fee.

I’d stay here again. The room was old but very thoroughly cleaned, with no grime even under the towel rack, and the area was quiet. It’s good value, and you can walk to Sakuramachi in under 20 minutes; buses also run often. I stayed in a smoking room overlooking the parking lot. I use an e-cigarette and smoked in the room, but the ventilation seemed good enough that I didn’t notice any smell. The bathtub was deep and comfortable for someone 178cm tall. The hotel is run alongside a wedding hall, so the hospitality standard seemed high. Free amenities are on the first floor, and the shower towels were better than at other hotels. There’s a microwave and laundry room on the 5th floor, plus a smoking room on the 6th. At first the location seemed far, but getting off the Kumamoto Airport Bus at 'Suidocho' instead of Sakuramachi makes it close.