The Grand Residence Hotel Hakata

The room itself was spacious and had useful things like a stove, wash basin, hair dryer, cutlery, washing machine, and bathtub. But this felt more like a residential apartment dressed up as a hotel. The check-in lobby was small and unmanned, and the whole building has just one lift. The so-called queen bed was only 1.5 by 2 meters. The “futon” was a mattress about 5 cm thick before anyone lay on it, not enough for winter. It was 5 degrees outside, and even using the blanket as an extra layer didn’t keep out the cold. My check-in code was missing, so I called the service hotline. They kept hanging up, saying they didn’t speak English. I spent 30 minutes outside in 6-degree weather trying to sort it out, until someone kindly helped explain the problem in Japanese. It then took another 15 minutes before I could get in.

I really liked having the toilet and shower in separate rooms, and the place was quite spacious for the price and for Japan. There’s also a little kitchenette and a washing machine. The bed is on the small side, but there’s an extra mattress you can pull out. My biggest complaint is that there’s nowhere to store luggage before check-in or after checkout.

The check-in was a hassle because the tablets didn’t work properly, and it took ages to get inside. I also found the apartment locker hard to use, especially figuring out how to open it from inside. It’s a small, street-facing budget studio with a kitchen, so it does the job for a short stay. But the furniture is basic, there’s not much personality, and without double-glazed windows it can be quite noisy. It was okay for one night, but I wouldn’t stay longer or recommend it.

I was nervous after reading the reviews, but getting checked in was easy once we arrived. We just followed the tablet instructions. We were on the 14th floor and had a beautiful view. The studio had a double bed and an extra mattress for more than two people, plus the essentials, appliances, utensils, and even a washing machine. There’s no dryer, though, so clothes have to hang on the veranda. The shoe cabinet door and a door inside the room were faulty and sometimes awkward to open or close. Still, we had a lovely stay.