REF Kumamoto by VESSEL HOTELS sits in front of Sakuramachi Terminal, at the entrance to the Sunroad Shinshigai shopping arcade. Breakfast includes ramen, hamburgers, Kumamoto sake and local Kumamoto dishes, and the hotel has a large bath and an open-air bath. A tram stop is a one-minute walk from the hotel, and each floor has a microwave and luggage lockers. Guest rooms are narrow enough that opening a suitcase is difficult.