Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel in Fukuoka, Japan
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こんにちは (Konnichiwa)!
Fukuoka is the 5th largest city in Japan but too often overlooked as a city destination. The city is the birthplace of tonkotsu ramen or Hakata ramen, as they call it in Fukuoka. Big name ramen chains Ichiran and Ippudo hail from Fukuoka. If you love ramen, then Fukuoka is a must visit city.
When figuring out where to stay in Fukuoka, like most big cities, you’ll want to be close to the city center. A good point of reference for Fukuoka’s city center is its main transit station, Hakata Station. We stayed at the Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel which was just a 10 minute walk from Hakata Station.
Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel is part of Canal City Hakata, a popular shopping and entertainment complex in Fukuoka. You can reach Canal City Hakata directly from the hotel elevator! Just outside Canal City Hakata is the rest of Fukuoka at your doorstep, making the Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel the perfect place to stay in Fukuoka for its location. But luckily this hotel has more to offer than its superb location.
CANAL CITY FUKUOKA WASHINGTON HOTEL
Address: 1-2-20 Sumiyoshi, Hakata, Fukuoka 812-0018, Japan
Check in: 2PM
Check out: 11AM
Phone number: +81 92-282-8800
For more information, visit the official website.
The Location
Hakata Ramen from Ramen Stadium
With Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel being connected to Canal City Hakata, there are plenty of things to do, see, and eat at your fingertips. Canal City Hakata is a city within a city, offering more than just a wide range of shopping and dining options. The complex is also home to Ramen Stadium, a food court consisting of ramen restaurants from all over Japan.
To add to its name, Canal City Hakata has an artificial canal running through with a series of fountains. If you’re lucky, there may be a few fountain shows going on during your stay at Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel. We were able to catch a great One Piece fountain show.
With Hakata Station just a 10 minute walk from Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel, you’ll be able to get anywhere you want in Fukuoka and beyond! The Fukuoka Airport (FUK) is just a 5 minute subway ride away from Hakata Station. Think about it, you could fly into Fukuoka and be at your hotel in 15 minutes if you stay at Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel.
The Room
Free coffee and tea with accompanying kettle!
Free toothbrush/toothpaste, razors, etc.
We stayed in a triple room at Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel which had a wonderful view facing eastern Fukuoka. Overall the room was comfortable and clean, it even had a cozy seating area to enjoy. The room was surprisingly spacious for a hotel room in Japan and was one of the larger rooms we stayed in during our month long trip, though by western standards it would still be considered small.
Free coffee, tea, slippers and toiletries are provided with the room, a common feature we’ve noticed in Japanese hotels. Not that we’re complaining, we love the tiny toothpaste bottles! While this hotel didn’t have a separate toilet and bath, the mirror had a great heating feature that prevented it from fogging up which was so cool and greatly appreciated. It’s the little things that matter!
The Food
Mentaiko (pollock roe), a Fukuoka specialty!
Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Bonjour Plus, Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel’s restaurant, is located on the first floor and offers a great spread for breakfast. The buffet in the morning is a mix of Japanese and western dishes including a few local Hakata specialties such as mentaiko (pollock roe) and motsunabe (hot pot). Breakfast at the hotel is an additional cost but totally worth it, especially for those who want a hearty meal before tackling Fukuoka.
BONJOUR PLUS
Hours: Open daily 6:30AM – 10AM (11AM on weekends, holidays)
The Service
The morning we arrived in Fukuoka, it was 9AM, 5 hours before the official check in time of 2PM at Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel. Luckily like the other Washington Hotels we stayed at, the hotel was able to hold onto our luggage before we could check in. But not only were we able to drop off our luggage before venturing off to explore Fukuoka, we were also given a pass for Canal City Hakata. The pass came with a piece of paper that detailed all the shops and restaurants that offered freebies and discounts with the pass, exclusively for Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel guests!
The pass provided a great starting point for things to do in Fukuoka, the concierge at Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel helped us the rest of the time. The staff is multilingual and very helpful, they do their best to ensure you have a good stay in Fukuoka.
The Verdict
From check in to check out, everything went smoothly. Staying in a hotel attached to a shopping and entertainment complex was a first for us, but definitely made Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel a fun place to stay in Fukuoka!
The Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel provides a great location to stay in Fukuoka, which played a huge role in us having a fantastic time in the city. If you’re trying to decide where to stay in Fukuoka, we highly recommend the Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel.
What’s the coolest feature you’ve encountered at a hotel?
Comment below!
We were guests of Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel, but as always all opinions are our own.
ありがとうございます(Arigatou gozaimasu)!
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I did not know this about Ippudo restaurant chain (which I eat at frequently), and I do love Tonkotsu ramen – I have just put Fukuoka on my desired destinations list. Thanks very much for the helpful tips on where to stay and eat, I look forward to seeing the Ramen Stadium! Your pictures of the Bonjour Plus breakfast spread are also particularly intriguing (in the delicious sense)!
This looks like a pretty decent family hotel in Fukuoka. Sometimes local hotels can be a bit hit and miss so it’s great to see photos of the room, especially. The food looks hearty and delicious.
You had me at Ramen! If i’m honest I’d never heard of Fukuoka so It was interesting to find out it is the 5th largest city in Japan. The Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel looks like a great family hotel to base yourself at whilst exploring the city.
I never knew Fukuoka was the birthplace of Ramen! Your hotel looks like a great choice for exploring the city; I always see there are 3 beds in Japanese hotel rooms! The breakfast looks interesting; I love seeing what other cultures eat to start their day.
The Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel sounds like a pretty cool place to stay while visiting the city. Would love to try the food, especially the Hakata Ramen from Ramen Stadium and the motsunabe (hot pot)
I’m such a bad traveler; I’d never heard of Fukuoka, Japan before this post. I guess that’s because Tokyo is always touted as the "big" place to visit. But I do LOVE ramen, and I do LOVE being within walking distance of great food and fun sights when I travel, so this hotel is now definitely on my radar. Especially with the addition of the Canal City Hakata pass. What a win! Thanks for the review. 🙂
Hubby and I really want to visit Japan and since we both like Ramen I am considering adding this city as a stop. The hotel selections sounds perfect. Centrally located and with all the necessary amenities. Will have to bookmark for when I start my planning process.
I haven’t been to Japan yet, my friend and I really want to go. I get so nervous visiting high density areas because of how cramped it is. But this looks awesome! I like how it is spacious, clean, uncluttered and most of all — how much light penetrates each photo & area you visited. I will keep this in mind for when we go.
Japan is always on my wishlist. Fukuoka Washington Hotel looks like a perfect stay in Hakata. Rooms look big enough with comfortable beds. It is very good that you got City Hakata Pass before check-in.
I may go for the breakfast alone! Oh and of course being next to a shopping center doesn’t hurt either.
I tried booking with this hotel that you recommended and I got the large double bed for my husband and I but the room is nothing like the one you posted -it’s a tiny room with a tiny window and the bed is up against the wall. The room you posted seems quite nice. Maybe they gave you guys a special room because of the feature write up you’re doing-