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SoraNews24
7 hours ago
- SoraNews24
This Hakata hotel is worth a little extra thanks to its all-you-can-eat steak breakfast buffet
Bargains are getting harder to find, but this Fukuoka hotel still feels (and tastes) like a good deal. When looking for budget-friendly hotels while traveling in Japan, a lot of people set 'less than 10,000 yen (US$69) a night' as their target. We're no different, but with hotel prices continuing to creep upwards, it's getting harder and harder to find a room that limbo-slides under that price, especially in convenient neighborhoods of big cities with a lot of things for travelers to see and do. So when we were looking for a hotel near Hakata Station, the major rail hub in downtown Fukuoka, we were braced to have to spend a little more than 10,000 yen for a Sunday-night stay. Sure enough, we ended up paying 10,640 yen for a night in the Hotel WBF Grande Hakata, but our package included something that made us willing to roll the dice on the extra expense: all-you-can-eat steak. The hotel is about a 10-minute walk from the Tsukushi Gate exit of Hakata Station, so there's a bit of legwork involved. Considering how this still puts you in the heart of the city, and how just about any sightseeing excursions in or around the city will have you routing yourself through Hakata Station, though, this is still a pretty great location. We were a bit worried that the lower price would mean that the room is dirty or rundown, but that didn't turn out to be the case at all. Though not palatially large, our Standard Double-class room was spotless and tidy. With a shower/tub, bidet-equipped washlet toilet, midi fridge, hairdryer, and roomwear, it had everything we needed to get clean and cozy. If you're looking to stretch out a little more in the bath, there're also Japanese-style communal bath facilities up on the 14th floor, the same floor where you'll find the for-guests Sky Lounge with free drink dispensers and a sweeping view of the city. All of this combined for a great way to unwind and get some solid sleep that night… …but like we said above, the thing that really convinced us to stay here was the breakfast that came included with the 'Sakiraku 28' accommodation plan, which required us to book our room at least 28 days in advance. The buffet breakfast is served from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m., though you have to get there by 9. Perhaps we'd been just a little too relaxed the night before, because we ended up sleeping in and getting to the buffet just a few minutes before 9, when most of the other diners were already done and gone… …but we were still in time for steak! In Japanese restaurant parlance, the fare is what's called 'cut steak,' meaning that the steak is cut into pieces before serving. This saved us the hassle of having to cut our own meat, and also allowed us to take the exact amount of steak that we wanted to eat. Or, to put it more accurately, it allowed us to take the exact amount of steak that we wanted to eat for our first plate, because obviously we went back for more, again getting the exact amount that we desired. Aside from the steak, a highlight of the buffet was the mentaiko (spicy cod roe), a local specialty of Fukuoka that was available to scoop onto white rice. There was also an extensive variety of salad components and nimono (simmered vegetables) to choose from and a baked goods corner with not only toast, rolls, and croissants, but an awesome basket of little pancakes to grab. And finally, if you want both steak and karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken) for breakfast, that combo is totally doable at the hotel's buffet. So while we weren't quite able to get on the inexpensive side of the 10,000-yen-a-night line, we've got no complaints about our stay at the Hotel WBF Grande Hakata, and along with the Tokyo hotel with a custom onigiri rice ball bar, it's one of the best travel breakfasts we've had so far this year. Hotel information Hotel WBF Grande Hakata / ホテルWBFグランデ博多 Address: Fukuoka-ken, Fukuoka-shi, Hakata-ku, Hakataeki Minami 2-2-5 福岡県福岡市博多区博多駅南２丁目２−５ Website Top image: SoraNews24 Communal bath and Sky Lounge photos: Hotel WBF Grande Hakata All other photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
MSC Virtuosa 'murder': Emergency 'call for help' blasted as man 'on stag do' killed in 'fight'
The MSC Virtuosa set sail from Southampton for a two-night mini cruise to Bruges in Belgium - but hours in, a brawl reportedly broke out, resulting in the death of a man aged in his 60s A Brit onboard a mini-cruise at the centre of a murder probe has described the moment an urgent call for help was issued onboard after a man in his 60s was allegedly killed during a stag-do brawl over the weekend. Laura May Matthews, who was on the MSC Virtuosa cruise with her husband, said staff bravely sprung into action and erected a huge sheet along the deck - seemingly to shield the man from view - before an ambulance appeared at the bottom of a gangplank. She told the Mirror: "My husband and I were sat in the Sky Lounge overlooking the deck 15 area when we heard the emergency call for medical assistance on deck 15. Shortly after that, we saw staff members valiantly trying to shelter off a section on deck 15 despite the inclement weather. A huge sheet was held up to prevent people seeing or passing on the starboard side. It went on for some time then was just removed." Laura said an ambulance then parked up at the bottom of a gangplank in Zebrugge on Sunday morning upon disembarkation. She added: "It remained for some time, watched as we had breakfast, but with no obvious movement. During Saturday and Sunday, polite yet firm 'requests' were made over the public request system for a number of people to attend the public relations office. "Monday morning saw a number of different people respond to these requests as we sat drinking coffee at the Infinity Cafe," Laura said. "The security people meeting them seemed professional and at times took people away. At this time we did not know what had happened. We assumed someone had died but no murder." The MSC Virtuosa set sail from Southampton on Saturday evening for a two-night mini cruise to Bruges in Belgium, but hours in, an altercation is said to have broken out, resulting in the death of the victim, aged in his 60s. Since the ship was still in British waters when the man died, the Virtuosa turned back and docked in Southampton, where Hampshire Police boarded and arrested a 57-year-old man on suspicion of murder. The man, who is yet to be named, has now been released on bail, police said. MSC Virtuosa offers guests trips to destinations like the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and Norway for up to £2,000 per person. Hampshire Police said the man died on the cruise ship following an altercation at around 8.30pm on Saturday May 3, shortly after the ship left Southampton. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist police officers. A passenger of the cruise ship believes the man was on a stag do, and an 'army medic' tried to save him by doing CPR. Lynda Hardiman-Pearce was onboard MSC Virtuosa when the incident unfolded shortly after the ship left Southampton at 6pm. Ms Hardiman-Pearce, who runs a catering business in Southampton, said there were "hen and stag parties causing chaos" on the boat. She added that she was on the ship for a trip to Zeebrugge in Belgium, and returned to Southampton this morning. Ms Hardiman-Pearce said: "On Saturday night we were in a bar onboard and I was chatting to someone whilst waiting to be served He told me his son was an army medic and had tried to help by doing CPR on a guy that had collapsed but unfortunately couldn't revive him. Apparently, the [man] was on a stag do." She described seeing five police officers at Southampton Docks when she disembarked on Monday (5th) morning. Ms Hardiman-Pearce added: "The cruise was full of hen and stag parties causing chaos. Since getting home we talked to our family, and they all said it didn't sound like any cruise they had been on." Speaking on Monday (5th), Detective Chief Inspector Matt Gillooly, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: "We want to reassure you that this appears to be an isolated incident on-board, and we want to thank the crew for their cooperation and assistance with our enquiries. If anyone who was on-board has information that could assist, please contact Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary on 101 with reference 44250193676." A spokesperson for MSC Cruises, which owns and operates the cruise ship MSC Virtuosa, said: "Following an incident on board our ship, the relevant authorities were contacted, and we are cooperating fully with their investigations. We are providing full support to those impacted."
