TRIP POD MINOSHIMA

The place is well situated for sightseeing. Most places were 15-20 minutes by bus, and Hakata subway station, a large station with lots of shopping centers, was about 15 minutes away on foot and by bus. Checking in on the tablet was extremely easy. The room itself was extremely small and not clean on arrival. The shoe area had hair everywhere, and there was more hair on the floor. The loft ladder was very high and squeaky, and the futon was uncomfortable. The loft was too hot to sleep in and too steep to climb. The air conditioner ran, but didn’t cool enough without the fan, and the vents and unit had thick, clearly visible dust. There was also a bathroom sign warning that hot water shuts off if you shower for more than 10 minutes. The bathroom barely fit me at 5’3 and 150 lbs. The door wouldn’t close if someone were any wider, and I had trouble turning around to flush. There’s no elevator, and the stairs to the second floor are two very narrow flights. We didn’t have to stay long. I’d look for another place for a longer stay.

Within half an hour of checking in, I decided to book another hotel without staying here. The lack of a staffed front desk was a big concern. I arrived 30 minutes before check-in, had to wait downstairs until the machine allowed me in, and got no reply after messaging through the reservation portal. I’d expect staff to keep an eye on messages near check-in time. Flies along the road and in the waiting area, perhaps because it was spring, bothered me too. I wanted a 24/7 front desk in case of an emergency such as an earthquake, which is fairly common in Japan. Getting here was also a problem for me. It’s a 20-minute walk from Hakata Station with a big, heavy suitcase, and I needed to go to the station daily for seven days. There was a bus stop, but the buses weren’t very frequent, and Tenjin and Gion hangout areas were a little farther away. My assigned room was on the second floor, which meant struggling up narrow stairs with my large bag. The first impression wasn’t great for cleanliness either. There were leaves all over the ground floor and hair on the room floor. Bed comfort matters a lot to me, and the stairs were shaky, the bedding was thin, and there was a piece of wooden plank under it. I didn’t think I’d sleep well. Taken together, those issues made me leave for another place. I should have researched and chosen better when I booked about five months (?) earlier, but travel is a learning experience. The policy didn’t allow a refund, so it was an expensive lesson. I hope this helps other travelers decide. For solo travelers who need easy access to other cities, I’d choose somewhere else. This place might suit larger groups traveling only within Fukuoka for a short time.

I was meant to check in at midnight, but the iPad wasn’t working when I got there. I couldn’t reach anyone by phone for about 20 minutes. After calling over and over, I finally got through, but the staff member was really rude. I did get into the room, but the entrance had fallen leaves all over it, and there was hair and trash across the floor. Then I found a cockroach in the room. I expected some rough edges because it was cheap, but not this bad. I won’t stay here again.

The bedding was clean, and the room felt spacious with its high ceiling. It was handy to check in on the first-floor tablet, and the process was quick even though I hadn’t checked in ahead of time. There was a popular ramen place and a 7-Eleven right across from the hotel, so I went to both every day. The one downside was pigeons calling on the balcony each morning.