GRAND BASE Hakata Naraya

The kids loved the bathtub, and having laundry facilities made things easy for us. Everything else seemed fine, though the cooking saucepan could be better. It’s okay if you’re not too fussy. The price felt on the expensive side, so I’ll look around at other places next time. Japan is huge!

We stayed in a first-floor room and saw the tablet turn on by itself three times during the night. The first time was around 6am and it stayed on for about a minute. After looking it over, we covered the circular area that seemed like a camera with a sticker. The next night it lit up twice around midnight, each time for about 10/15 seconds, with roughly a minute between. The area was still covered. We asked about what looked like a camera. The hotel said there are no cameras in the rooms and that the tablet is for contacting staff about facility information. When I asked why it turned on by itself, Agoda said the hotel explained that the terminal tablets turn on for emergency front-desk assistance if needed, and again confirmed there are no cameras in the rooms. We were in bed and didn’t need help when it came on. I’ve included pictures of the tablet. Take a look and decide whether you’d feel comfortable booking.

The place is in a quiet residential neighborhood, and the price felt fair for what you get. Parco Mall is a 15-minute walk away, with two convenience stores within a 10-minute radius. There’s a bento shop nearby too, though we didn’t try it. Train stations and konbini are also a short walk. This is a faceless accommodation, so you email the host with questions. We had some trouble getting in, but it was a minor inconvenience. Check-in was by Zoom using a tablet in the small hallway. Towels aren’t provided for every day of your stay; extra ones require an email request and an additional fee. A tip for visitors: Fukouka is implementing an accommodation tax of 200 yen per person per night. We paid cash and left it in a small wooden box. I’m not sure whether digital payment was available.

The stay was good, and it was nice that groups could stay here. It’s somewhat away from the busy district, and there’s no dedicated parking. Check-in and check-out are online, and there’s an extra accommodation tax.