Axis Hakata

The inn was clean and quiet, and Wi-Fi worked throughout the building. I don't think there was wired LAN. This is a stay-based accommodation, so check-in and prepayment are at Hatago Tenjin in Tenjinkita, about a ten-minute walk from AXIS HAKATA. To check out, you just leave the key in the collection box in the first-floor lobby. A large desk is useful, but there's no desk lamp, which made writing manuscripts or putting on makeup inconvenient. The shared electric kettle is also downstairs in the lobby and is sometimes unavailable, so for hot tea I had to go down and use the microwave. There were no razors, tea, or other supplies. There's a 100-yen shop near Hatago Tenjin, so it's a good idea to pick things up beforehand.

It felt more like an apartment building than a hotel. There was no room cleaning, trash collection, or breakfast, and towels were supplied only for the number of days of the stay. Check-in was about a ten-minute walk away, with no front desk at the property. You can store luggage, but have to put it in the storage area yourself. The place doesn't feel secure, since an outsider could come in without looking suspicious, and I'm worried about theft. Pressing the intercom seems to record, and a lot of old recordings were still displayed on the room monitor. There was also hair left in the bathroom. The owner showed no consideration for guests. This was the worst hotel I've ever experienced.

The other place I'd first booked through Hotels.com had a heating breakdown on the day, so I was moved here. The property gave us a 15,000 yen taxi coupon because it was some distance from the original booking, and changed us to a room with two double beds. Since there were only two of us, the extra bed wasn't useful, haha. The facilities were very clean, the heating worked well, and having the toilet separate from the washroom was convenient. The bathtub was very small, as is typical in Japan, but there was an automatic water-filling feature controlled from the room. I didn't use it. It's away from the busy area, and I wouldn't recommend it for someone traveling alone or a group of women. I felt scared coming back at night. There is a Lawson nearby, which made convenience store runs easy. One inconvenience was having to use the shared microwave and coffee pot on the first floor.

The building and facilities are recent and clean. The check-in location is about ten minutes away, and luggage storage is free.