Randor Hotel Fukuoka

It’s a converted apartment building for short-term stays, with a bath, kitchen, fridge, and washing machine, though there’s no laundry detergent. Hakata is about a 20-minute walk away, or you can take a bus from a stop nearby. It wasn’t bad.

I was excited to visit Fukuoka, and my stays at every other hotel were amazing, but this experience ruined my first visit. I felt unsafe, especially as a woman alone, and it made me uneasy about the city, particularly the area around this hotel. I had a breakdown afterward and couldn’t sleep for several days. I can share video evidence privately if anyone wants it, given Japan’s laws. I arrived to check in and found the woman at the front desk extremely hostile, even though I spoke politely and tried to calm things down. Her behavior kept getting worse until I felt unsafe and started filming to protect myself. I explained why I was filming and asked why she was acting that way when I was being nice, but she ignored me. She took photos of her screen, which may have shown my personal data, shut the gate in my face while I was talking, slammed things loudly behind the wall, then called the manager and lied about what happened. She claimed I refused to pay city tax and had filmed her for no reason. Both claims were completely false. I never refused to pay. I asked for a receipt, which is standard, and wanted to double-check because the hotel said it had an unmanned front desk with self-check-in, yet she was there; she was already defensive and hostile before bringing up tax; the hotel emphasized that all taxes were included in the payment and receipt; and I’d recently been scammed, so I wanted to be cautious. My questions took about ten minutes at most. I only asked more than once because she kept ignoring me, and I was polite and apologized in case she was busy, even though no one else was there. I wasn’t filming to harass her. I felt unsafe and recorded for my own protection. The manager asked me to delete the videos. I told him what had happened and asked him to check the security cameras. He gave me a receipt, but there was still no room key or apology. The woman slammed the gates again, this time closer to me, and kept staring at me with hostility, sometimes with a disturbing smile. It’s all on video. I no longer felt safe staying there, so I asked for a full refund. The manager tried to get me to click “cancel” on Booking, which would have given up my rights, and refused to refund me. Later, when my phone died and I left for the police station because I didn’t feel safe, she waited outside, followed me there, and kept staring aggressively and grinding her teeth. I politely asked one last time what her problem was, and she mocked me by replying, “no english.” I can’t emphasize enough that I believe she did all of this without provocation. I don’t know whether the reason was racism, xenophobia, mental health issues, or that she’s used to being abusive and then playing the victim, but none of that would excuse it. I was taken in by the hotel’s good ratings, but this was a vile experience. The hotel still ignores all my refund requests. Feel free to share this if it helps others avoid something traumatic. I’ve heard police reports can be tricky and that police tend to side with locals even when tourists are fully in the right, though I’m not sure how true that is. Japan’s strict privacy laws also make filming for self-protection difficult, even in dangerous situations.

The balcony looked out over a small river and had a lovely city view. We were on the seventh floor, and it was very quiet at night. There’s a 24-hour supermarket called “Sunny” about four minutes away. The room was relatively clean except for the exhaust fan and duct, and staff were friendly and helpful when available. It’s 18 square meters, bigger than most three-star hotel rooms, though not especially spacious. The double bed isn’t queen-size, so you or your partner may feel cramped if over 1.8 meters tall. The mattress and pillows were soft. The kitchen was fully equipped, but there was no table or proper chair to sit at for a meal. The room had lots of modern equipment you might expect at a four- or five-star hotel, including an IH heater, microwave, fridge, bathroom ventilation system, and washing machine. The closest subway station is Watanabe-dori, N15, exit 2, about a six-to-seven-minute walk. Walking back and forth could be very hot or rainy in summer. The reception area is tiny in this ten-storey building, so if you’re new and nobody’s around, getting help could be frustrating.

For the ¥¥ I paid, it was very good value. The room was spacious, with three beds for up to four guests, plus living and dining areas. There was a kitchen with a microwave, a bathroom with a washing machine, a separate toilet, and a balcony with a great daytime view. A 24-hour supermarket nearby had most necessities. The location was the main limitation. There’s no subway close by, only buses, so I took a taxi from the airport for about 1,700 yen, which wasn’t too expensive. At the end of July, the curtains let in so much sunlight that the whole room was bright at 6 a.m.