Fukuoka Guesthouse HIVE - Hostel

If Hakata Station is more important for your plans than Tenjin, this spot can be handy. It’s about a 10-minute bus ride to the station, and Gion subway station is a five-minute walk away. The dorm’s main selling point is its low price, and with just one shower for everyone, it can be a pain. There’s a bar inside, but the staff seemed uninterested, and the guests I saw mostly seemed drawn by the cheap rates, so the atmosphere felt less lively than at other guesthouses. The upstairs rooms looked a bit nicer, and I’d choose one of those. Otherwise, it’s a pretty standard guesthouse, but kind of lacking in character.

We were given a private room as a family of three, and it was spacious and clean. The toilet and shower were right outside the room. It’s a short bus ride to Hakata Station, with plenty of restaurants nearby and a Lawson just around the corner for essentials. The guesthouse was fairly quiet. Just remember towels cost extra to rent, so bringing your own is best.

The lounge has a map of Kyuushuu on the wall, marking its well-known sights as well as its volcanoes. Upstairs, there are Japanese-style private rooms, while the mixed dorms are on the main floor. The guesthouse sits among narrow buildings on a quiet side street, with the occasional daytime hum from the coin laundry outside. It’s around a 15-minute walk from Hakata Station, and about 20 minutes on foot to the busy city centre of Fukuoka, where there’s plenty to do.

I enjoyed the other guests and had a good time talking with them. The staff were nice too, and I’d definitely stay here again. It’s a good hostel for foreigners, and I appreciated having air conditioning. The basic facilities were as advertised. The bed was fairly standard for Japan, though it might feel hard to Westerners. Any bad experience would probably depend on which guests happened to be there at the time.