About this Stay
“Kumamoto Hotel Castle was established in October 1960 (Showa 35) as the official accommodation for Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress during their visit to the Kumamoto National Sports Festival. It was created through the combined efforts of the political and business communities of Kumamoto at the time. Since then, it has continued to welcome guests as Kumamoto’s ‘guest house.’”
(Source: Kumamoto Hotel Castle official website)
I had known about Kumamoto Hotel Castle for a long time, but I had never had the opportunity to stay there. Wanting to experience it at least once, I stayed for one night and had breakfast.
The breakfast was delicious and even included Kumamoto’s local specialty, karashi renkon (lotus root with mustard).
Table of Contents
Exterior & Surroundings
Top
Hotel Exterior
This is the exterior of Kumamoto Hotel Castle.
It is an 11-story building with 150 guest rooms located on floors 3 through 10. The hotel also features five restaurants and bars, as well as banquet halls of various sizes.
Kumamoto Castle
You can see Kumamoto Castle beyond the trees across from the hotel.
It is about a 7-minute walk from the hotel to the castle, and the castle is clearly visible from the guest rooms.
Hotel Interior
Top
Reception Area (1st Floor)
This is the reception area on the first floor.
On the left is a piece of calligraphy by Fukiko Yasunaga (1920–2012), a poet and calligrapher from Kumamoto and an honorary citizen of the city. On the right, there is a painting of Kumamoto Castle’s main keep illuminated at night.
Corridor to the Front Desk
This is the corridor leading from the reception area to the front desk.
Today's Events
As I walked further in from the reception area, I found a board displaying “Today’s Events.”
It seems this hotel is frequently used for gatherings such as weddings, celebratory events, and business functions.
Osechi (New Year Cuisine) Information
Since I stayed in November, there was an announcement for osechi (traditional Japanese New Year cuisine).
Breakfast
Top
Restaurant
After going up a short set of three steps, you reach the entrance to the breakfast venue, “Dining Kitchen Kuyouan.”
Breakfast Menu (English)
This is the breakfast menu. At Castle Hotel, breakfast is not served buffet-style; instead, you can choose either a Japanese or Western set meal.
This is the English menu.
Menu (Japanese)
This is the Japanese menu.
I decided to go with the Japanese breakfast.
Drinks
Drinks were served before the meal.
- • Tea
- • Green juice
- • Coffee
Breakfast
This is the Japanese breakfast I had. Everything was delicious.
- • Grilled salted mackerel, karashi renkon, dashimaki tamago (rolled omelet)
- • Simmered chicken and vegetables
- • Natto and kinpira
- • Salad and grilled nori seaweed
- • Rice, miso soup, and pickles
