One Station Hotel Kumamoto Review: Is It Worth Staying Here?
Last Updated on July 1, 2026 by Kay
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When we visited Kumamoto, we stayed at One Station Hotel Kumamoto on the Luxury Floor in an Executive Twin Room.
Overall, we had a great stay. The hotel is modern and clean, the room was absolutely gorgeous, and our teppanyaki dinner at the hotel ended up being one of the best meals we’ve had in Japan.
I would gladly recommend One Station Hotel Kumamoto, especially if you’re staying on the Luxury Floor, which was recently renovated.
In this article, I will share what it was like for our family to stay at this hotel. Although we were traveling with our six-year-old, this review is intended for all traveler types.
Table of Contents
Arriving at One Station Hotel Kumamoto
One Station Hotel Kumamoto is very conveniently located near Kumamoto Station, which is great if you’re arriving by train or planning to use public transport. It only takes about 2-3 minutes on foot to get there from the station.
We arrived in the morning, well before check-in, and the hotel was able to keep our luggage for us until our room was ready.
This is always a huge relief when traveling, especially with kids, because the last thing you want to do is drag your suitcases around while trying to explore.
The lobby itself was modern and clean, with a spacious lounge and bar area. It also wasn’t crowded whatsoever. Even when we checked out, it still didn’t feel chaotic or busy, which I really appreciated.
There was also an amenities station in the lobby where you could pick up things like body towels, cotton swabs, razors, and other toiletries. But if you stay on the Luxury Floor, everything is available in your room.
Our Stay at the Luxury Floor Executive Twin Room
We stayed in the Luxury Floor Executive Twin Room, which was absolutely gorgeous!
It was spacious, clean, and had a lovely mix of Japanese and modern design. There were shoji-style screens, warm wood tones, soft lighting, and the beds were on a raised platform, which made the room feel very calm and peaceful, the perfect blend of East and West design.
I especially loved the entrance area, where you can place your shoes and then step up into the room in your socks so you don’t dirty the floor. I think this was the largest entrance area I’ve seen so far in Japan. You can easily roll your suitcase into the entrance area and even open it, which made it much easier to keep the main part of the room clean and uncluttered. There was also a full-length mirror, hangers, a luggage rack, slippers, and space to store shoes.
There was a sofa and low table by the window, which was a nice spot to relax after dinner. My daughter was quite happy hanging out there and watching television after a long day exploring the city.
The room had a small fridge with bottled water, as well as drawers that contained cups, mugs, and a safe, as well as pajamas.
There was also a tablet in the room, which you can use for things like rental items. I liked that you could request items such as a pillow, extension cord, hair iron, desk lamp, iron, and humidifier through the tablet instead of having to call the front desk.
Kids’ Amenities
The kids’ amenities were really cute and very Kumamoto.
My daughter received a Kumamon drawstring bag with Kumamon-themed items inside, including children’s slippers and a toothbrush. There was a magic toy in here too, which probably would be too simple and boring for older kids since it’s basically a container, but my six-year-old loved using it to show off her tricks. (At this point in her life, she wanted to be a magician, so needless to say, she was really happy to receive this little toy.)
Children’s pajamas are available, but they are limited. Unfortunately, they were already gone when we asked about them around 8:30 PM, so we were too late. So if you want children’s pajamas, I recommend asking right when you check in!
Room Comfort and Sleep
The mattress was fine, I would say average, but the pillow was a little too hard for me. My husband thought the pillow was totally fine, though, so this might depend on personal preference. There were two pillows per bed but they were both essentially the same.
I recommend ordering a pillow through the tablet if you’re picky about them like I am.
One thing I really liked is that the room lets absolutely zero sunlight in once you close the curtains. So if your family wants to sleep in, you can.
Noise-wise, we could hear people in the hallway once or twice, but overall it was very quiet. There were even families with young kids staying next to us, and it still didn’t feel noisy.
Bathroom and Amenities
The bathroom area was very roomy and clean. I liked that the vanity had open shelving, so it was easy to see the towels and put things away.
There were robes hanging on the wall, lots of towels, cups, and a wooden amenities box with items like body towels, razors, and a skincare kit.
The skincare kit included things like cleansing, face wash, skin lotion, and face milk, which I appreciated. It was perfectly fine for my sensitive skin as well.
The bath and shower were in a small room just like in Japanese homes like mine. There was a bathtub, a handheld shower, and a rainfall shower. The shower pressure was good, which can sometimes be hard to find at hotels in Japan.
I also liked that the toilet was in its own room. But one small thing that would have been nice is if they had soap in the toilet room. It’s not a dealbreaker because it’s easy enough to walk over and wash your hands in the bathroom, but it was a tiny bit inconvenient. There also wasn’t any hanger for the towel, either. Again, a minor inconvenience but something I thought was worth sharing.
Also, regarding the sink in the bathroom, pictured below, I didn’t love the location of the towel rack. It’s a little too low, so kids will undoubtedly brush against it when washing their hands. Again, not a dealbreaker, but something parents might want to know.
Luxury Floor Perks
The room came with some nice perks, including access to the Free Flow Lounge on the same floor as the Luxury Floor rooms.
This lounge had both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. There were soft drinks, coffee, tea, beer, lemon sour, wine, sake, shochu, and other alcohol options. I liked that we were able to take drinks back to our room.
There was cup ramen there as well, which my husband surprisingly had after our teppanyaki dinner (which I’ll share more about later). I was stuffed, but after a few drinks, he was hungry again, so I guess the cup ramen was a nice little bonus!
The lounge is self-service, and according to the information in the room, items are not replenished between 9 PM and 3 PM the next day. So if there’s something you really want, I would go earlier rather than later.
Luxury Floor guests can also enjoy drinks at Lobby Lounge & Bar ANDO on the first floor. I had their signature cocktail, and it was quite delicious.
ANDO is open from 5 PM to midnight, with food last order at 9 PM and drink last order at 11:30 PM. Just note that children under 13 cannot enter the bar after 8 PM.
Hotel Facilities
There are washers and dryers in the hotel, which is always helpful when traveling with kids or if you’re doing a longer trip around Kyushu.
There’s also an in-room massage service available from 5 PM to 1:30 AM, but it’s cash only. The prices listed during our stay were:
60 minutes: 6500 yen
80 minutes: 9000 yen
100 minutes: 11000 yen
If you’re staying several nights, it’s also helpful to know that for stays of four days or more, the hotel cleans the room every three days as part of its environmental policy. On other days, you can request towels, nightwear, toothbrushes, or trash collection for free by contacting the front desk by 2 PM. If you want full room cleaning on a non-scheduled cleaning day, it costs 1000 yen per time.
Teppanyaki Dinner at Rindo
We had dinner at the teppanyaki restaurant inside the hotel, Rindo, and it was absolutely amazing.
The restaurant is reservation-only and located in the basement, so it’s very quiet. You can really take your time and dine in peace while having a fantastic meal.
The setup felt very personal because we were seated around the teppanyaki counter and could watch the chef prepare everything right in front of us.
You can order children’s meals alongside the standard plan but our daughter doesn’t really like meat lately so we decided to just share with her, which was a good decision because this meal left us STUFFED.
Our course included dishes such as seasonal starters, shark fin with crab miso, seasonal vegetables, Kumamoto Japanese beef Wa-Oh fillet steak, garlic rice, miso soup, dessert, and coffee.
The seasonal vegetables were fresh, perfectly cooked and unbelievably delicious. My mouth is watering just remembering the taste!
The simmered lemon shark fin had no fishy taste, which I was happy about because I don’t like fishy seafood.
The tomato was super juicy and perfectly paired with seared mozzarella cheese.
The Kumamoto gyu was nicely balanced as it was not too fatty, but still juicy and flavorful. And of course, it was cooked with a flair of fire, which came right after my daughter said she was bored. Needless to say, that caught her attention.
The garlic was so nicely fragrant when cooked, and when mixed with rice and egg, it wasn’t oily at all. The garlic rice was a mix of Chinese-style and Japanese-style because the head chef who conceptualized the meal had worked for a Chinese restaurant.
The dessert was not overly sweet, which I liked, and everything felt really well balanced.
The service was also really great. Note, though, that the chef cannot speak English, so we conversed with him in Japanese. A Kumamoto-born local, he told us that when he has international guests, he does his best to try to explain the dishes and “uses his heart”. I also really liked that the people working at the restaurant are from Kumamoto, so you’re being served Kumamoto ingredients prepared by someone from the area.
Overall, we really enjoyed the meal and it was very memorable. In fact, my husband said this was one of the best meals he’s ever had.
It was so good that he said it felt like a special occasion meal. My birthday was the month we stayed at this hotel, and he even said, “Shouldn’t this be your birthday meal?” It was that good.
Breakfast at One Station Hotel Kumamoto
Breakfast was served at the CROSS TIME CROSS BE restaurant on the first floor.
I liked that there was a nice variety of food, including Kumamoto specialties.
There were Japanese and Western options, including rice, miso soup, grilled fish, small side dishes, salad, pastries, waffles, sandwiches, and bread. There were also cute Kumamon-shaped crackers, which my daughter was happy about.
Below is what my husband got:
Here is my breakfast plate:
And here is my daughter’s:
Is One Station Hotel Kumamoto Good for Families?
I think One Station Hotel Kumamoto can be a great option for families, especially if you stay on the Luxury Floor.
The room we stayed in was spacious, clean, and quiet overall. I also liked that there was enough room for luggage, and the entrance area helped keep the room feeling cleaner.
The washers and dryers are useful for families, and the breakfast had enough variety. The Kumamon-themed kids’ amenities were also very cute, and my daughter liked the Kumamon cookies at breakfast.
Also, ask early if you want children’s pajamas.
What’s Nearby
There’s a streetcar stop next to the hotel as well as a Bic Camera, and AMU Plaza Kumamoto is right in the area as well, which has shops like UNIQLO and GU. This makes it easy to grab things you might need during your stay.
The mall itself is really beautiful, and I also really liked the conveyor belt sushi restaurant here, Mekkemon Sushi.
Kids can get a toy from a capsule machine with their meals as well! (You’ll get the coin after you pay.)
On the 9th floor, there’s an observation deck here where you can get a view of the station and the surrounding area, with a small shrine, some picnic tables, as well as some swings and a slide that anyone can enjoy.
On the third floor, there’s a little area with flowers projected onto the floor, which my kid absolutely loved chasing and stomping on.
There is also a KIDDYLAND here, a Snoopy shop, and a ONE PIECE store.
And if you have kiddos who need to run around, you can take them to a small playground that’s about 7 minutes on foot from AMU Plaza.
Final Thoughts: Would I Stay at One Station Hotel Kumamoto Again?
Yes, I would gladly stay at One Station Hotel Kumamoto again because the Luxury Floor was amazing.
The hotel was modern and clean, the lobby wasn’t crowded, and our Executive Twin Room was spacious and beautifully designed. I loved the Japanese-modern feel of the room, the entrance area where we could keep our shoes and luggage, and the blackout blinds that made it easy to sleep in.
The Luxury Floor perks were also nice, especially the Free Flow Lounge, and the teppanyaki dinner was fantastic.
If you’re planning to stay in Kumamoto and want a spacious, comfortable hotel near the station, I highly recommend checking out One Station Hotel Kumamoto, especially the renovated Luxury Floor. You can check current rates and availability here.