Hotel Relief Kokura Annex

The lobby is really nice, and I liked the cafe. They also offer free curry and rice, plus drinks, and there's a library with manga and comics. The reception staff were nice. My room was okay, though a little dusty, and the bathroom could have been cleaner.

The double room had more space than the usual budget rooms in Japan, and the WiFi was fairly strong. Our plan didn't include housekeeping, but they brought amenities each day. The free drinks, bread, and curry were a nice extra, especially the croissants and pain au chocolat. The service left a bad impression, though. Most staff were courteous, but a few weren't. At check-in, the concierge didn't greet us or try to communicate, even in Japanese. She just pointed to the name field, said “passport” to copy it, and handed over a guest information sheet. We'd stayed at several hotels in Japan, and this was our first encounter like that. We didn't feel welcome. A check-in machine would have been better. My partner was unwell and wasn't ready to travel, so we paid 1,500 yen to extend checkout by an hour, until 11am. Looking back, we should have stayed until the 12pm latest checkout instead. A little after 11, we were in the empty lobby, with my partner visibly unwell and resting on the table. We planned to leave at 11:30am. We weren't eating the “free” lobby food. Staff told us we couldn't remain because we'd checked out. We understood the policy, but even after I explained my partner was sick, the lack of compassion was very disappointing. I hadn't realized basic sympathy had to be bought. We went to a cafe to recuperate. Good for the wallet, but a poor experience.

For the price, the room quality was nice, even if the rooms felt a little old and dusty. They also provide free curry and udon, so this is a good budget choice. Nice hotel overall.

Easy to get to and budget friendly. I loved it, especially as a solo traveler ❤️