Excellent location, Easy public transport, a true 4 star hotel.
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- Built right inside Sakura Machi Shopping Center — shopping, bus terminal and tram stop all in one location
- We paid ¥17,204/night off-peak in summer — expect this to double or triple during peak season, which changes how easy the recommendation is
- Higher room tiers (Superior and above) may get a surprise Kumamoto Castle view — not selectable when booking
- Parking is paid (¥1,200–1,800/night) via two affiliated lots — no free parking and no dedicated hotel lot
- Felt like a hotel a notch below five-star for the price we paid — genuinely one of the better value stays of the trip
A hotel inside a shopping center? With a large bus terminal? With a tram stop? With a view of Kumamoto Castle? And a shopping street opposite? Yes KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto has all that and more.
In July 2026 I stayed at KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto and it was pretty much everything you can ask for location wise for a hotel.
KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto is a modern 4 star hotel located in Sakura Machi shopping center and you get access to loads of shopping and easy transport access to Kumamoto Station and AMU Plaza Kumamoto (via tram), if you want even more shopping.
Anyway, I will let you know what my experience was like staying at KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto and why you might want to consider this hotel on your next trip to Kumamoto.
- How to get to KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto
- KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto Parking
- How to check in to KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto
- KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto Pricing
- The Room: Superior Twin Room, Non-Smoking
- KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto Facilities
- Breakfast @ The Moment
- Some Tips
- Is KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto Worth It?
- Nearby Attractions in Kumamoto
- What to Eat Nearby
- FAQ – KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto
Photos on this page are mine, shot on an iPhone 11 pro.
How to get to KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto
From Hakata Station via the Kyushu Shinkansen
| Option | Time | Fare | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus | 8–12 min | ~¥170–200 | Drops directly at Sakuramachi Bus Terminal inside the complex. Very frequent. |
| Tram | 8–12 min + 1–5 min walk | Flat ¥180–200 | Get off at Karashimacho (or Keitokuko-mae / Hanabatacho). Short walk to Sakura Machi. |
| Taxi | 5–10 min | ¥1,000+ | Easiest option with heavy luggage. Most expensive. |
KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto Parking
KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto does not have its own parking, instead it shares its parking with Sakura Machi shopping center and Passuto 24 Karashima Park.
Affiliated lots only (no dedicated hotel parking) · First-come, first-served · Collect ticket/voucher at front desk
| Parking Lot | Rate (guest) | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sakuramachi Kumamoto Parking (inside complex) | ¥1,800 / night | 15:00 – next day 11:00 | In/out allowed during stay · Pay at front desk |
| Passuto 24 Karashima Park (across the street) | ¥1,200 / night | 14:00 – next day 12:00 | In/out allowed during stay · Pay at the lot with voucher |
⚠️ No reservations available. Extra charges apply outside the affiliated hours. Prices subject to change — confirm at check-in.
There are quite a few things to take note:
When you check in, you need to pass your parking ticket to the check in staff and they will give you a temporary parking ticket to use for the duration of your stay. It can be used to go in and out freely of the car park.
On the last day the hotel staff will return you your original parking ticket and discounted tickets to use as payment. So when you pay at the machine use the discounted tickets to pay and it should cover the whole parking fee.
I’m not sure what is the standard procedure for hotels with this kind of situation, but so far the way this hotel handled parking was the most convenient in my opinion.
I stayed at one hotel in Fukuoka where you had to keep getting your parking ticket validated at the hotel lobby each time you exit. So it is quite troublesome.
How to check in to KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto
The check in lobby of the hotel is on the 14th floor, but it has its own elevator that you have to take. So from the car park or bus stop you want to get to level 2 where the Kumamon Statue is at. Continue walking and you will see signs for the KOKO Hotel Premier entrance. The lift is inside and it will take you to level 14 check in lobby.
KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto Pricing
We stayed for 3 nights (June to July period) in the Superior Twin Room and it cost ¥51,612 in total including taxes. Making it ¥17,204 per night. It’s a really good price but it’s probably because it’s the off peak seasons.
You can check current rates on Klook to see what it’s going for when you’re planning your trip.
KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto Amenities
KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto does not have amenities in the room itself. Instead you have to collect them from the shelves near the check in area. There is a nice tote bag that you can borrow as well to carry the items.
Amenities include the usual toothbrushes, shavers and mouthwash. Something interesting they had was some dissolvable bead thing that you can use to change the colour of your hair. Girls will probably know what I’m talking about.
The Room: Superior Twin Room, Non-Smoking
The beds in the room are Simmons Beds (セミダブル) and are 120cm wide and 200cm long. And they were really comfortable as you would expect. Not too firm but not too soft. We generally had great nights sleep despite traveling and driving for long hours during the day.
It also comes with two pillows that are really not too firm and not too soft. I’m not sure what profile it is but I sleep on my side and it was comfortable enough for me.
Room Facilities
The room has a fridge, kettle, bottled water, cups and other stuff that they are fairly generous with. It does not have a storage safe however.
The room also has a cupboard that has slippers, hangars, clothes refresher, laundry bag and a fairly large space for you to keep your luggage in. They also have a set of pajamas for each guest.
By the window there is a large sofa with a round table and a chair. Good enough for doing some laptop work. There are plenty of lamps in the room with Japanese sockets and usb charging. The room also has a air purifier and a large television. I do feel that the television is a bit too far away from the further bed, but it was not too much of a problem.
The wifi was also pretty decent at about 50mbps, which is good enough for most people’s usage.
The Toilet
The toilet of the Superior Twin Room is quite an okay size for a bathroom and it also has a dedicated shower area. I really like Japanese hotels that come with a bathtub and shower area and this one is quite generous with the space and is not cramped.
There is enough space to put stuff for two or more people. But I do feel that the sink table area and the towel racks are slightly on the small side. They have the usual shampoo, body wash and conditioner combination. It doesn’t have other amenities so you will have to get them from the lobby.
Kumamoto Castle View
So our room has a nice castle view. I believe it’s not available on the standard rooms, only the superior and onwards. I don’t believe that you get to choose either. I can’t find the option to choose a castle view on their website and when my family booked the rooms, they didn’t even know Kumamoto Castle was nearby.
Room Cleaning
Room cleaning is done every morning between 10am to 2:30pm and would take about 30 mins to 1 hour. The hotel staff will ask you to put the magnets outside the door before 11am.
If you do not want to have any cleaning done, the hotel staff will put a tote bag with new towels outside your door. You can also leave the used towels and trash outside your room and they will clear it for you.
KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto Facilities
KOKO Hotel Premier Kumamoto has vending machines and ice machines on the 6th, 9th and 11th floor. They also have a microwave on the 9th floor.
KOKO Hotel Premier Kumamoto does not have a swimming pool, public bath or onsen.
Breakfast @ The Moment
Breakfast is not included in the default hotel booking, so you would have to purchase it yourself. It’s ¥2,750 for adults and ¥2,900 for same day booking. It starts at 7am until 10am (last entry at 9.30am) and has a nice beautiful view of Kumamoto Castle.
The food served is the standard breakfast buffet and you can expect to eat Japanese and Western style breakfast stuff. A lot of the Japanese stuff are locally sourced from the farms in the region. We had yoghurt that was from the Aso region with some fruits and it was really good.
We also had Japanese curry and it tasted delicious. What we didn’t know is that it was the famous horse meat curry, although I didn’t taste any meat.
There is also 太平燕 Taipien, a local specialty soup with glass noodles and vegetables. Really nice for a rainy day.
Unfortunately for us it was raining that morning so there was a lot of fog and mist so we couldn’t really see the castle. But on a clear day it’s quite a sight.
Some Tips
- If you are driving please do not lose the temporary parking ticket.
- The hotel main entrance is locked from 11pm to 5am. You will need your room card to enter the door.
Is KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto Worth It?
So this is a tough one because I really liked KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto and think that it is absolutely worth it… but at the price that we paid it’s quite a steal. When checking on booking websites prices can easily double or triple.
Is it still worth it if you had to pay peak season pricing?
I will say that throughout my stay I kept thinking there was no way that this hotel was that cheap, especially for the quality that it provided. And that it felt a lot more like an expensive hotel just a few steps lower than a five star one.
If you are looking for something more comfortable and with all the amenities of a good hotel. I think it is worth the try. If you are traveling during the off peak seasons, this is probably a really good opportunity.
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Nearby Attractions in Kumamoto
One Piece Statues
If you are a fan of One Piece anime/manga, there are statues of the 10 main characters spread out across Kumamoto and the Aso region. As part of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake recovery, each character “rushed” to “help” out different people in those areas. Giving it a deeper meaning than just a fan tourist attraction.
Not only will you get to see your favorite characters, you will learn more about the earthquake recovery efforts and also see a side of Kumamoto that you probably won’t see.
There are also limited edition One Piece Statue figurines that are only sold near the statue locations. They are not sold anywhere else!
Read our full first-hand guide to the One Piece Statues in Kumamoto including the complete 2-day route and where to buy every limited edition figurine.
What to Eat Nearby
You are honestly spoilt for choice when it comes to food as there are tons of options. You can actually eat quite a few of the Kumamoto specialties just in Sakura Machi shopping mall itself. This is just a quick view of what we ate:
あか牛Dining yoka-yoka サクラマチ店
So we tried the famous Aso Beef Don at Dining yoka-yoka. It has a few medium rare slices of beef from Kumamoto’s red cattle that are raised in the Aso area. And there’s an onsen egg with wasabi. Aso Beef is really popular in Kumamoto and if you love eating beef it is a definite must try.
牛たん炭焼 利久 (Gyutan Sumiyaki Rikyu)
On the third floor of Sakura Machi is a place that sells beef tongue. The set comes with 6 or 8 slices of either thin or thicker beef tongue, rice, side vegetables, soup and a matcha mochi. It was my first time trying beef tongue so it was quite a unique experience. If you have never tried it before it is worth giving it a go.
熊本ラーメン 黒亭 本店 (Kumamoto Ramen Kokutei)
Another famous Kumamoto dish is the Kumamoto-style tonkotsu ramen the signature burnt garlic oil and black pepper. This one I ate comes with pork chasu and the soft boiled egg. It you love ramen it is definitely worth trying this out.
CHASEN カフェ (茶筅カフェ / CHASEN Cafe)
If you are looking for a dessert place and love matcha you should check out the Chasen Cafe on the third floor of Sakura Machi. We ordered a Matcha Warabi-mochi, the Matcha Triple Cheese Cake (抹茶三重奏チーズケーキ) and a matcha latte.
I don’t normally eat/drink matcha often because of how “scratchy” it can feel. But the matcha here is really smooth and it’s not too sweet either. Definitely worth trying if you are looking for a dessert place.
Aeon Mall Kumamoto
If you have a car and don’t mind traveling a bit (20mins by car, 40mins by bus), you can check out Aeon Mall Kumamoto. If you don’t know, Aeon Mall is a chain of shopping malls in Japan that are massive and has basically everything you can ever dream of in a shopping mall.
Unfortunately because of the recent earthquake in July 2026, it is closed for reconstructions due to the earthquake damage and would probably be closed for a long while. Put this on your shortlist and be sure to visit when it reopens.
FAQ – KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto
1) Is breakfast included at KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto?
No — breakfast is not included in the standard room rate and must be purchased separately, ¥2,750 for adults (¥2,900 for same-day booking). It runs from 7:00am to 10:00am (last entry 9:30am) and includes a mix of Japanese and Western dishes, many sourced locally from the Aso region.
2) How far is KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto from Kumamoto Castle?
The hotel is located inside Sakura Machi Shopping Center, within walking distance of central Kumamoto. Select higher-tier rooms (Superior and above) may have a direct view of the castle, though this can’t be requested when booking.
3) Is there parking at KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto?
No free parking — the hotel does not have its own dedicated lot. Instead it partners with two nearby affiliated parking facilities (first-come, first-served; no reservations):
- Sakuramachi Kumamoto Parking (inside the complex) — ¥1,800 per night (15:00 – 11:00 next day). Collect a ticket at the front desk and pay there.
- Passuto 24 Karashima Park (across the street) — ¥1,200 per night (approx. 14:00 – 12:00 next day). Collect a discount voucher at the front desk and pay at the lot.
Multiple entries and exits are allowed during your stay within the affiliated hours. Extra charges apply outside those times.
4) Does KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto have an onsen?
No — the hotel does not have a swimming pool, public bath or onsen.
5) What room types are available at KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto?
Room types include Standard and Superior Twin Rooms among others. We stayed in the Superior Twin Room (Non-Smoking), which came with a surprise Kumamoto Castle view — something that doesn’t appear to be available on standard rooms.
6) Is KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto good value for money?
At off-peak pricing (around ¥17,204/night for a Superior Twin Room when we visited), it’s excellent value — genuinely felt like a hotel a notch below five-star for the price. During peak season when prices can double or triple, it becomes more of a personal call depending on how much you value the location and castle view.
7) How do I get to KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto from Hakata Station?
Take the Kyushu Shinkansen from Hakata Station to Kumamoto Station (about 1 hour, ¥6,240), then a bus or tram to Sakura Machi Shopping Center (about 8–12 minutes). The bus drops you directly at the Sakuramachi Bus Terminal inside the complex, while the tram requires getting off at Karashimacho and a short walk.
Written by
Timothy Leong
Timothy is a Singapore-born, Japan-based digital marketer turned hidden-gem hunter. After ditching spreadsheets for Google Maps, he now lives full-time in Japan, chasing quiet towns, real ramen, and off-grid train routes. Every photo and tip on Nihon Travel Guide is 100% his — no AI, no fluff, no Tokyo Tower.
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