President Hotel Hakata

My room looked new, and the hotel was clean. Renovations seemed to be underway to improve things, but I didn’t hear any noise during my stay. The area was quiet, near Hakata Old Town and a small park. There are two convenience stores, 7/11 and Family Mart, and a bus stop five minutes away. The Subway and JR Hakata and Gion Stations are each a 10-15 minute walk. Some staff understood other languages, while others used a translator. There’s a shuttle to Hakata Station, plus a restaurant beside the lobby. The hotel also has a coin washer, spare pillow rack, microwave, ice machine, and an iron. Amenities were replenished daily. A great hotel overall.

I liked how polite and kind the staff were. I was carrying my work laptop on my four-night Kyushu trip in January, so I left it at the front desk during the day and they looked after it well. The hotel is about a 12-minute walk from Hakata Station, with FamilyMart and 7/11 nearby. My only real complaint was the standard room size. It was quite cramped when I tried to open a large suitcase.

The central location worked well for getting to the airport, and my stay was nice enough. It was raining when I arrived, and I hadn’t realized there was a shuttle to and from the train station. The morning service only started after I’d left, so I never got to use it. With so many people staying overnight in Fukuoka before early flights, I think they could consider starting it before 8 am. I tried to book again a couple of months ago, but prices had risen a lot, about three times as much, with the increase in tourism, so I stayed elsewhere. Maybe I’ll stay here next time.

The staff were friendly, helpful, and accommodating, and the neighborhood was quiet. It’s an easy walk to the train and bus stations, and there’s a free shuttle to Hakata. The room was small but had all the amenities, including toiletries, sleepwear, and complimentary tea. They left bottled water on the first day only. There’s a coin laundry and vending machine on the fourth floor. Sometimes used mugs weren’t replaced, and the room had an unpleasant smell. Still, I had a nice, comfortable stay.