Hotel Okura Fukuoka

Located on a wide tree-lined avenue, Hotel Okura Fukuoka is an imposing 13-story building situated next to a charming canal. Marble covers the vast floor of the lobby, while massive marble columns stretch upward through a circular atrium. Large flower bouquets, antique vases, and traditional-style furniture complement the ornate decor scheme. Illuminated by soft lighting, the corridors are decked out in pleasing beige and ochre tones. The hotel is popular with business travelers thanks to its central location and close proximity to a subway station, but many guests staying here are also couples and families visiting Fukuoka as tourists.

Hotel Okura Fukuoka is located in a large shopping and entertainment complex -- Hakata Riverain --and just two minutes' walking distance from Nakasu-Kawabata subway station, which is accessible via an underground passageway. The Hakata Riverain is home to many shops, department stores, restaurants, art galleries, and a theater. There are several attractions within walking distance, including the Kushida shrine (10-minute walk), the Yatai Place street food stalls (nine-minute walk), the Tenjin shopping area (nine-minute walk), Tocho-ji temple (12-minute walk), and the Canal City Hakata shopping and entertainment complex (12-minute walk), while other sights can be easily reached via public transportation. The Hakata Train Station can be reached in 10 minutes via subway, while Fukuoka Airport is a 15-minute subway ride.

The guest rooms at Hotel Okura Fukuoka are more spacious than average Japanese hotel rooms, with Standard Double rooms covering a minimum of 270-square-feet of floor space, while Deluxe Rooms are double the size and include a sitting area. Rooms are bright thanks to large windows and tastefully decorated in pleasant beige and brown tones, complemented by soft lighting. The furniture is modern and unimposing, with clean lines. Amenities include flat-screen TVs, air purifiers/humidifiers, air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi access, minibars, safes, hairdryers, toiletries, free mineral water, and coffee- and tea-making facilities. Standard Room bathrooms are reasonably sized and have shower/tub combos, while those in Deluxe Rooms are more spacious and luxurious, offering full-size bathtubs and separate shower stalls as well as bidets. There are smoking and non-smoking floors available, and some rooms have scenic views over the river. 

A breakfast buffet is served for an extra fee at the Camellia restaurant, which offers a good variety of Asian and Western breakfast options and includes an omelet station. Buffet-style and a la carte meals are also offered here for lunch and dinner. Other lunch and dinner options include Yamazato, serving Japanese cuisine; Sazanka, a teppanyaki grill restaurant; Toh-Ka-Lin, which serves Chinese food; and Kogyoku, a sushi restaurant. Hakatagawa Lounge & Bar is open in the afternoons and evenings, and the Okura Brasserie offers beer brewed on-site. The hotel also has a gourmet bakery, while a French restaurant is scheduled to open in Fall 2015.

The fitness room is spacious and bright, with several weight- and fitness-training machines, while the swimming pool is immaculate and suitable for laps. There’s also a hot tub in the pool area and an adjacent outdoor deck with sun loungers. Other amenities in the health club include massage chairs, a beauty salon, an "onsen" (Japanese-style public bath), sauna, and massage room. Use of these amenities incurs an extra fee, however.

The hotel has on-site parking available for an extra fee, and free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.