Smile Hotel Kumamoto Suizenji♡

Guest review

10.0

特にありません。

Great Value, Nice Staff, Few Frills

8.0

We stayed here for 10 days in late July-early Aug of 2024 and had a overall wonderful time. The rooms were clean, the beds comfortable, and the staff excellent and friendly. Most of the staff didn't speak English, but neither did we speak Japanese and everyone was so polite and willing to work with us to figure it out! Don't forget to look for your handwritten note from the staff (with origami figure!) when you check in. There's a lot to like about this little hotel, but also a lot that may be off-putting at first to U.S. (and other Western) travelers. First off, it's small. My 6' son had to watch his head going through the room doorways, lol. There's very little space in the compact rooms, but they are efficiently laid out and comfortable. Each room has a desk, TV, and refrigerator and these were in good working order. The free wi-fi was adequate for the basics, but don't plan on streaming videos or playing games on it. The bathrooms are similarly very small with little room for toiletries, etc. Staying here was a bit like living in a camper or RV for a while. Another odd thing is that, other than on the first floor, the hallways are not air-conditioned as the hotel does not have central air--each room has an individual split unit. [Side note-each room a/c unit has a warning on it that setting it below 25 C may result in leaks/water dripping from it. We routinely kept ours at 20 C and had no problems]. Perhaps the oddest thing is that the rooms are only fully cleaned every third day (unless you request it b/c of an issue/spill) and you need to put your used towels &wash clothes outside your door each morning in a small hamper to get replacements stocked in the room. However, if you are willing to roll with the local customs, you'll find this is one of the best value hotels you can find. We spent just under $74 per day for our room, which included a free breakfast and a daily free 'welcome' beverage in the first floor lounge. The lounge also has massage chairs and a few tables where you can sit and relax. If you want to have dinner at the first floor restaurant, you have to make a reservation with the front desk--we never did this b/c it took us a while to figure out why the restaurant never seemed to be open. Besides, we were enjoying the other great options nearby and in the city. There are coin operated washers and dryers in two separate small laundry rooms which we used with no problem. The hotel does allow smoking on some floors, so be sure to specify non-smoking rooms if you want to avoid the smell of cigarettes. So, great value, clean and bug-free rooms, and wonderful staff. On top of that, it's an amazing location. You are a short walk from the city tram that takes you to all major tourist sites in the city and an even shorter walk to the Suizenji train station. The commuter train rails run right behind the hotel, which some other reviews have mentioned as a problem, but we honestly barely noticed it as we were on the sixth floor and the trains are very quiet. You are also a short walk from a 7-11 and Youme Mart (grocery store) as well as excellent local restaurants (Teppan, 1st Avenue Coffee and Bread, the beignet truck outside Suizenji station). We would definitely stay here again.

Guest review

10.0

全ておいて満足できるホテルです。 朝食がとても美味しかったです。

Guest review

10.0

いいと思う

Guest review

10.0

I do not wish to leave a detailed comment. A few words: the staff are very pleasant, the place is clean and the free-access massage chairs are incredible.

Guest review

8.0

スタッフの皆様の応対が良くて、また利用したいと思いました。