Dormy Inn Hakata Gion — Hotel in Fukuoka

Dormy Inn group is always my favourite Japanese hotel chain. I don’t usually get to stay due to its higher pricing than my Budget. This time I found a lower rate here - Yay! I like the chain for its Onsen and breakfast spread. |For this visit I had booked via Agoda for a 3 nights stay with breakfast. I realised later that I won’t get to have breakfast on the final morning due to my very early morning ETD. Thus, I booked a additional single night for the 3rd night for a room w/out breakfast. I couldn’t reduce my original booking online from 3 to 2 nights so I contacted Agoda to assist. They managed to do so after consulting the hotel (maintaining the old rate). Thus, I had 2 reservations. Prior to arrival I sent an email to Agoda to assist in communicating to DI to combine the 2 reservations so we won’t need to c/out after the 2nd night and re-c/in. I never received written confirmation from DI if this would be possible. ||CHECK-IN|Was happy to report that DI had taken note on this issue (w/out prompting). Secondly, my request for the highest floor was honoured as well (to the highest floor under my room category - 6/F). ||ROOM|We booked the twin room, which was large enough for our 2 medium sized luggages. Still had space to move around freely. Large singles. Clean. Quiet. We left the window opened through the night and the traffic noise level wasn’t too bad (We had the partial view of the main road, no obstruction from any close-up building). ||FACILITIES|Great Onsen but the rotenburo was a tad too small. Luckily it’s Long-ish so once I had to share it with 3 other bathers and it wasn’t weird. Sadly no view whatsoever from the Onsen. |3 washers/dryers in the ladies’ Onsen area. Similarly with the male Onsen. Free washer and ¥100 for 20 min drying, free detergent. High security with entrance code for ladies. ||FOOD|Great breakfast spread but I think it’s almost the same on my 2 days - |Western: Pastries (croissant, waffle, bread), yoghurt, scrambled as well as omelet and fried eggs, sausage.. Japanese: Croquettes, prawn katsu, onsen tamago, grilled salmon & sanma, few types of mentaiko, many types of zensai, natto, pickles, pork Shabu2, chicken soup, miso soup, porridge, rice..|Desserts: Few types of cut fruits and sweets..|Drinks: Coffee (terrible), tea, 2 juices, milk...||LOCATION|Excellent - Very close to Gion Machi Bus Stops and Gion Subway Station. Taxi to the airport (at 5:30am) was slightly more than 5 minutes and cost ¥1300. ||SERVICE|All staffs were excellent. Everyone I encountered spoke English to some level. Very good service and I had a few helps:|1. Assisted to book 2 restaurants. |2. Came up to the room to help open the window within 10 min. |3. Showed me a double room (Very small room and bed is 140cm - slightly smaller than a queen [150cm]). ||I would stay at a DI in a heartbeat if there is a reasonable promotional rate. It always gives me a Feel...

Dormy Inn group is always my favourite Japanese hotel chain. I don’t usually get to stay due to its higher pricing than my Budget. This time I found a lower rate here - Yay! I like the chain for its Onsen and breakfast spread. |For this visit I had booked via Agoda for a 3 nights stay with breakfast. I realised later that I won’t get to have breakfast on the final morning due to my very early morning ETD. Thus, I booked a additional single night for the 3rd night for a room w/out breakfast. I couldn’t reduce my original booking online from 3 to 2 nights so I contacted Agoda to assist. They managed to do so after consulting the hotel (maintaining the old rate). Thus, I had 2 reservations. Prior to arrival I sent an email to Agoda to assist in communicating to DI to combine the 2 reservations so we won’t need to c/out after the 2nd night and re-c/in. I never received written confirmation from DI if this would be possible. ||CHECK-IN|Was happy to report that DI had taken note on this issue (w/out prompting). Secondly, my request for the highest floor was honoured as well (to the highest floor under my room category - 6/F). ||ROOM|We booked the twin room, which was large enough for our 2 medium sized luggages. Still had space to move around freely. Large singles. Clean. Quiet. We left the window opened through the night and the traffic noise level wasn’t too bad (We had the partial view of the main road, no obstruction from any close-up building). ||FACILITIES|Great Onsen but the rotenburo was a tad too small. Luckily it’s Long-ish so once I had to share it with 3 other bathers and it wasn’t weird. Sadly no view whatsoever from the Onsen. |3 washers/dryers in the ladies’ Onsen area. Similarly with the male Onsen. Free washer and ¥100 for 20 min drying, free detergent. High security with entrance code for ladies. ||FOOD|Great breakfast spread but I think it’s almost the same on my 2 days - |Western: Pastries (croissant, waffle, bread), yoghurt, scrambled as well as omelet and fried eggs, sausage.. Japanese: Croquettes, prawn katsu, onsen tamago, grilled salmon & sanma, few types of mentaiko, many types of zensai, natto, pickles, pork Shabu2, chicken soup, miso soup, porridge, rice..|Desserts: Few types of cut fruits and sweets..|Drinks: Coffee (terrible), tea, 2 juices, milk...||LOCATION|Excellent - Very close to Gion Machi Bus Stops and Gion Subway Station. Taxi to the airport (at 5:30am) was slightly more than 5 minutes and cost ¥1300. ||SERVICE|All staffs were excellent. Everyone I encountered spoke English to some level. Very good service and I had a few helps:|1. Assisted to book 2 restaurants. |2. Came up to the room to help open the window within 10 min. |3. Showed me a double room (Very small room and bed is 140cm - slightly smaller than a queen [150cm]). ||I would stay at a DI in a heartbeat if there is a reasonable promotional rate. It always gives me a Feel...

Make sure that you know you put in this Dormy Inn's address onto Google Maps, or whichever service you use. I almost went to the Dormy Inn Premium that was a block away when I was first arriving in town! ||The only two main complaints I have are that walls and/or ceilings did not suppress sound between rooms as well as in my other hotels. I could hear some movements of other people getting ready in the morning. Wasn't too loud, but I could hear some floor creaks. The furniture and tables looked a little worn and older as well, but other than that, everything else was good.||Despite the room looking a little dated, it was comfortable and clean. I loved the pillows too. They felt kind of like a memory foam material that your head sinks into a little but is still supportive (I would definitely consider purchasing one for myself!)||I didn't have breakfast at the hotel, but I did have the free ramen in the evening two out of the three nights I was there. The gentleman that cooked the ramen both nights was very kind. On the second night I stopped by he asked if I needed just one bowl of ramen, remembering how I only ordered one for just myself the previous night. I'm sure it helps that I was non-Asian, but I still appreciated that from him. The dining area is simple and spacious, with plenty of seating by the windows if you want to people-watch or just enjoy watching the cars drive by below. ||The onsen was lovely as well. For women, you get a code that you enter in on an electronic number pad (so the numbers change positions every time someone goes in.) The changing room and onsen were in really good condition, and they even have soap, shampoo, and conditioner at the baths too if you don't want to bring your own. If you aren't familiar with onsens, they give you a pamphlet with a QR code that has a link to watch a short video on how to do so. They give you a Japanese or English option. But basically, it's to wash yourself down before you enter the baths! I would highly recommend trying it out if you never have been to an onsen before.||I would definitely stay at this chain again. Glad I chose this...