Nest Hotel Kumamoto review

My initial plan was actually to stay overnight in Takachiho, Miyazaki before heading to Kumamoto. But a month before the trip, I got a message from the host saying that due to unforeseen circumstances, he was unable to accommodate my group for our dates. So with a heavy heart, I cancelled my booking at his place. Anywhere else in Takachiho would have been too pricey and so I decided to change my plans and stay an extra night at Kumamoto.

I selected Nest Hotel Kumamoto simply because it was one of the most affordable hotels within walking distance of the Kumamoto Castle, the tram line and the Sunroad Shinshigai shopping arcade (サンロード新市街). Granted due the change of plans and weather conditions, we didn't visit Kumamoto castle but the location was absolutely perfect for me especially after two whole days of driving and then not wanting to drive out for food. 

The other reason for picking this hotel was because they had parking or rather an affiliation with a multi-storey parking lot just down the road from the hotel. Parking in Japan can be a pain especially as the rates can become quite pricey in the city where everything is charged by the hour.

But because we are guests of Nest Hotel Kumamoto, we got a flat rate of JPY1,000 if we parked between 3pm to 11am the following day. On both the nights I parked my car there, I was lucky to get a spot on the second floor but as the parking building has a lift, moving our luggage was a breeze. 

Admittedly the hotel was a little rundown and dated. The room we opted for was the double room with the small double bed and was as expected of Japan standard was small. There wasn't much space for me to open up my cabin size suitcase fully without hindering the narrow space between the bed and the desk. But having mentioned that, the room served its purpose as a place for us to rest, shower and sleep after a day of driving around Miyazaki. It was equipped with everything we needed from a kettle to tea bags to a pyjamas set we didn't use along with the usual hotel amenities. 

My room was on the third floor - the same floor as the laundry room where we did our laundry on the second night there. For 30 minutes, thee washing machine with automated detergent was only JPY300 and JPY100 for 30 minutes on the dryer.  

Nest Hotel Kumamoto provides breakfast as well at their attached restaurant but I had opted out of that in my booking and gone for combi and takeaway food instead. And since Sunroad Shinshigai shopping arcade (read: a lot of food) was so nearby, we weren't deprived of things to eat. 

Should I come back to Kumamoto to explore more of the area (and I will), Nest Hotel Kumamoto will definitely be on my list of places to stay. After all, JPY5,000 a night for a double room for two was a steal for me.

*photos taken from Booking.com, Tripadvisor and Google Maps.