Epoch inn Nakasu

For our two-night stay, the room was surprisingly clean. The double bed was comfortable, with charging outlets on both sides, and we had a mini-fridge, hairdryer, clothing deodorizer, towels, slippers, toothbrush, a very small tube of toothpaste, plus extra toilet paper and towels. The shower had shampoo and body wash, and the water pressure was really nice. The sink, though, was tiny and awkwardly placed in the main bedroom area rather than a separate bathroom. There are two convenience stores close by and a Don Quijote within easy walking distance. Exit 1 is closest, but Exit 4 is better if you're carrying a suitcase and need an escalator. Check-in is on a lobby pad: you enter personal details and speak to someone there to confirm your identity. The person we spoke with was very friendly and fluent in English. You put the Fukuoka City Tax, 200yen per person per night, into a wooden box beside the tablet. They then send your room number and password, so take a photo of it. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend staying more than two nights, especially with large suitcases.

The Agoda photo made it look like a regular hotel with an unmanned front desk, but the room was just a hard floor with a futon laid on it. I've never been so shocked by a room's quality after checking in. I decided not to stay and slept at another hotel instead.

We stayed just one day, and the room was a big part of the experience. It was tiny, with a raised floor and the bed on it; we couldn't even open our suitcases because there wasn't room. The sink was at the foot of the bed and so small it fit exactly one hand. The shower was okay, though. The place is right in the middle of the red-light district, too. After I got dressed and washed, I had to wait for a friend, but there wasn't anywhere to sit. There wasn't a single chair in the hotel, in the room or outside. Minimal is fine, but this was much too small for the price.

I couldn't get a refund for my multi-night booking, so I ended up reserving somewhere else. I'll never return. This was the worst hotel I've stayed in, and the price wasn't even especially cheap. The downtown location was far too noisy, and self-check-in took needlessly long. The room felt like a cramped detention cell, with the bed practically a futon, low to the floor and unsanitary, and the toilet just a step away. There was no partition, so the tiny sink was in the same area as the bed. Even a capsule hotel would be better. I wonder if a hotel designed this way should exist at all.