Our first-ever trip to Fukuoka, Japan was sadly cut short by a pet-related medical emergency—he’s fine, thanks for asking. Anyway, our arrival at the Hotel Okura ended up being three days later than we originally intended, but thanks to the hotel and our third-party booking site our room was held for us, and our breakfast coupons as well. This was a promising start to what ended up being an excellent stay. Location Hotel Okura is located in the Hakata ward. You can take the Kuko train line in from the airport, but we transferred via taxi instead. The immediate area around the hotel was fairly quiet (at least during the day) but Tenjin and the rest of the city is easily accessible via Nakasukawabata Station, connected to the hotel through the basement of the Riverain shopping mall. Room Well aware of Japan’s notoriously small hotel rooms we made sure to book a Superior Double (#1139), which came with a nice, firm king-sized bed and ample space for a couple with oversized luggage.Our room faced northwest (I think?), with a nice view of the Naka river and beyond. The bathroom had a shower/tub with a sliding glass door, a Japanese washlet and enough counter space for our toiletries from home, plus extra goodies from the hotel. Breakfast There are no less than seven restaurants on the property but due of time restraints our on-stie dining was limited to Camellia, on the ground floor. We arrived just in time for the Christmas Day dinner buffet, which was alright, but the breakfast… well, that was on a whole other level. All manner of western and eastern dishes were available, including an omelette station, bread pudding, ice cream… A personal highlight for me was the French toast; as a Canadian I think I can speak with some authority on this dish, and the Okura got it exactly right—thick cuts of bread without crusts, cooked to perfection and offered with real maple syrup. Servers in the restaurant were always standing by for coffee refills with a smile. Their English was maybe not as uniformly strong as with the staff at the front desk, but their eagerness to help was no different. Verdict If this is reading like a single dish at the breakfast buffet was the standout feature of the hotel, it most certainly was not. Rather, our excellent stay there was the sum total of many little things—a clean room, friendly service, good food and more. So my advice is this: you needn’t worry about having a great time at the Hotel Okura.…
I think "good" would be the best word to describe the overall quality of the place. We flew in from Hong Kong so it was something of a shock to be in such a subdued environment. English-language skills were almost universally lacking. People seemed to scurry away when they thought you were approaching with a question. Having said that, the room was good, if a little antiquated, and the breakfast was okay.
very central with friendly and efficient staff comfortable room for 3 ...no complaints Breakfast was either Japanese or Western...we enjoyed both easy to obtain taxis as there is a taxi queue. within 10min walk over the river to shopping e.G Don Quoixte and eating e.g. Ichiran
This was my first time in a decade staying at an Okura, and on the whole I was pleased, if a little bemused. Although I read a review about the lack of usb ports in the rooms, my room came with a combo lighting and mini usb cord next to the control unit/alarm clock on the bedside table. The staff, particularly in the lobby and reception are truly practitioners of Omotenashi. They are pleasant, courteous, and helpful, but never servile. The wait staff at the Camellia restaurant at breakfast is spotty. Sometimes I couldn’t get a second cup of coffee, although I know enough of the language to request it in polite Japanese; other times the server was practically hovering at my elbow with a steaming carafe of coffee at the ready. The major issue with the breakfast is that the western buffet is extremely limited and everything is served cold. Not room temperature: cold. Others have mentioned this in their reviews, but management has not corrected the issue, therefore my 3 star rating. The rooms are pleasant in a kind of retro ladies powder room or boudoir way, but could use a refresh: the carpet in my room was very worn. The bathroom was small, and surprisingly old fashioned for such a seemingly modern building. The main issue in the room for me was clutter: so much information and amenities were provided that there was actually very little empty space for your own things, particularly in the bathroom, where most of the sink counter is taken up with items you may never use or need.…
This review is based on two separate stays within a few days - one night in a Standard Double room and two nights in a Standard Twin room. The Okura is conveniently located between the city centers of Hakata and Tenjin, adjacent to the Nakasukawabata subway station (with underground access through a shopping mall). It's a full service hotel with a grand lobby, multiple restaurants and bars, a gym and swimming pool (not complimentary). We tried the Hakatagawa lounge & bar on the G/F which featured a more contemporary decor than the rest of the hotel and served decent drinks. There are plenty of shops, cafés and restaurants in walking distance. The Standard Double is a lot smaller than the identically priced Standard Twin room so the latter is definitely recommended. Pros: Practical design; good sound insulation; quality toiletries and towels; ocean view (on 11/F); complimentary newspaper; comprehensive minibar. Cons: Iron and ironing board only provided upon request; small and old-school bathroom; carpet floor; only two bottles of water provided; small TV. During our second stay we had an incident: Right after check-in we took a nap and after waking up, we noticed two small, apple seed shaped black bugs crawling on the pillow and the duvet. While I couldn't confirm that they were bed bugs, I rather wanted to be safe than sorry so I immediately went down to the reception to inform the staff and request a new room. Within 10 min a staff member came up and showed us to our new room. While the situation was swiftly dealt with, there was no further action beyond a minor acknowledgement during check-out. I hope a proper pest control protocol is in place to ensure that no infestation can take root. Staff are generally friendly, attentive and professional, and have a decent level of English. Any request (e.g. for extra towels) was promptly dealt with. The concierge was helpful in recommending and making reservations at quality restaurants nearby. Despite the mixed feelings the bug incident left me with, I can still recommend this hotel given the dearth of premium options in Fukuoka. It's a positive flashback to the days of formal, full service hotels with early 90ies decor.…
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