Worst check-in of my life – discriminatory staff & shabby hotel
I have stayed in Japan five times and have always praised Japanese hospitality.
Sadly, Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Fukuoka (staff Hakatsu & Hamada) destroyed that image in minutes.
Extorted extra money at check-in. I had already paid for the extra guest through the booking site. Instead of checking their own system, both clerks repeated like parrots, “Pay first or no room key,” refusing any explanation. It felt like a threat.
Open hostility & anti-Korean attitude. Their faces were twisted in annoyance from the moment they heard my accent. Not one apology, not one attempt to clarify.
Unsafe, rundown property. The hotel sits inside an old shopping mall. At night the ground floor is dark, with drunks and loitering teenagers. Hall carpets are stained; our room carpet still had hair on it. For a rate higher than many better hotels in Fukuoka, this felt closer to a neglected hostel.
No real “weather-proof” benefit. Advertised indoor access to Solaria Plaza is useless unless it is pouring rain—and even then you drag luggage over bumpy, worn carpet.
After hundreds of hotels worldwide, this was by far the most disrespectful welcome I have ever received. I will avoid this chain and advise other travelers—especially Korean guests—to stay elsewhere.