Fukuoka Fanfare

• Singapore Airlines SQ656 Singapore – Fukuoka [Business]
• The Ritz Carlton Fukuoka
• Hotel Oriental Express Fukuoka Nakasu Kawabata
• Lounge Fukuoka
• China Airlines CI111 Fukuoka – Taipei [Economy]
• Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport
• EVA Lounge Safari
• EVA Air BR215 Taipei – Singapore [Royal Laurel Class]

Another new RC to get my heart pitter-pattering!

Address – 2 Chome-6-50 Daimyo, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, 810-0041, Japan. Website.

Contact – Tel: +81 92-401-8888. Email: rc.fukrz.reservations@ritzcarlton.com.

Location – This newish luxury property is located in the Tenjin neighbourhood with close proximity to the Akasaka Station and connected directly to Daimyo Garden City which is pretty much an office building with a handful of retail. The hotel is very walkable however to the rest of the Tenjin neighbourhood which offers plenty of streetside shopping and a plethora of departmental stores, high end boutiques, as well as the Tenjin Underground Shopping Street.

Price – an eye watering JPY113,000++ (averaged out between the nights) booked via Hotelux for a Club Lounge Access, King, Sofa Bed, for 3 adults under the STARS Promotional Offer. With a 3rd pax charge of 23,000++ per night, my total bill including taxes was JPY510,500. This package included:

• Breakfast for 3pax daily
• Club access for 3pax
• USD100 hotel credit per stay
• Additional USD100 hotel credit for a stay of 2nights or more which was an icing on the cake!

Pre-arrival – my pre-arrival experience started 5months prior to my stay when I applied my Nightly Upgrade Awards to the 3-night stay hoping to score a Suite as options for their Premium and Deluxe Suites were showing up. What I didn’t think then was how the email confirmation does not say what room types were the Awards used for.

I even emailed them to enquire about the difference between the two, and they responded with details and even appended the floorplans for each for my reference. Great service!

I did not expect it to become a problem – at worst it doesn’t clear, right? Wrong.

So after a few months’ wait, I started checking their Suite availability for my stay dates and each search turned up available Suites. One week out, it was. 5 days out, it was. 3days out, it still was. And I knew the automated system will start clearing NUAs at that time.

So 2 days prior, I decided to reach out to reconfirm some arrangements and at the same time asked about the chances of my NUA clearing. The reservations team responded to inform that Suites are not included as part of NUA edibility and they can only put ‘a strong request’ for me.

Huh?

So naturally, I pushed back explaining how this sudden change in messaging came as a surprise to me and how the Suites were still showing at the point of my NUA application. As it was already so near to my stay dates, I also called the Titanium helpdesk to seek recourse and was told they would open a case for me and I should hear back from the hotel within 24hrs (though the CSO initially maintained that Ritz Carltons are not participating in NUAs which is not correct – why do I have to explain their own T&C to them?).

Shortly after that, I received an apology email from the hotel and that a Premium Suite has been accorded AND the NUAs will be returned to my account. Win win I guess, but quite an unfortunate bump to the start of my stay.

Getting There – Because we were arriving so early, I bit the bullet and paid JPY13,040 plus 5% handling fee for the property to pick us up, with the hope that they’d be more likely to give us our room early. We received the driver’s information a day prior and he was waiting at the arrival hall with the RC logo for easy recognition when we walked out. The ride took only about 20mins which made our ride really expensive but sometimes comfort is worth more than it.

Check In – when the car pulled up at the hotel driveway, there were so many staff greeting us the hotel driveway that I almost felt embarrassed. but I later realized that it’s actually the standard MO throughout my stay which I thought was rather…. interesting. Even the chap who helped with our luggage introduced himself while we were being escorted for check in.

Even as we were so tired from the flight, I could see that the main entrance of the hotel is super pretty and makes for quite the grand impression with a touch of Japanese classiness, while maintaining some form of privacy. It is designed like a meandering U-turn of sorts which I supposed was designed to impress (and it did!)

After you actually get to the lift, it takes you to level 18 where the main hotel lobby is. The entire area is bathed in natural lighting due to the full window panels and the check in desks are all seated style as this is Ritz after all.

We were attended to pretty immediately but after checking and realizing we had club access, we were escorted to the club level located on 22 to complete the process.

This required another change of lift where we had a seated check in at the club while invited to partake in the buffet spread even though our breakfast entitlement technically only starts the next day (more on the club later).

However, the staff who attended to us seemed to be relatively inexperienced as although he was faultlessly polite, he misinformed us that there was an extra charge for the extra bed set up for the 3rd pax and that breakfast was only limited to the club’s instead of the main restaurant – both of which were not true. I had to ask him to please check before he came back to apologize and confirm that what he said was indeed not true. A minor bump which I thought it shouldn’t happen for a RC.

We were then informed that our room was unfortunately not ready and we may only get our room at 3pm which is the standard check in time. Bummer but we thought we’d explore the area and try and come back to enjoy a leisurely lunch before that. When we returned at 1pm, we were informed that our Suite was ready – yays.

We walked away with a couple of letters – a welcome note (though in Japanese), a club info sheet, a hotel info sheet, and a Titanium welcome letter.

Room – Our Premium Suite, 2314, was absolutely gorgeous! At 87SqM, it was a huge space for 3pax and it was an awesome start to our holiday.

The door opens up to a spacious walkway and right to the left is a half bathroom which was a super useful feature for 3pax – it was a generous size and has its own washbasin too.

At the end of this entrance were 2 stone lions (?) before turning right into an elongated walkway containing a long desk and a chair. This is supposed to be the “work desk” but it became our charging station for the stay – plenty of points here for 2-pin / USB/ USBC spots. We also later realized that mirror charging spots are also peppered in various corners of the Suite which to me was a very thoughtful touch. This area is also right behind the headboard of the king bed which contains sliding panels to separate the space is need be.

Following this length is the expansive living area which felt like it can accommodate 5pax! A super long sofa (a part of this would later be the sofa bed) + solo chair + coffee table PLUS another round table with 2 chairs with a shelving design for more storage space.

Part of this space is a big TV and the super pretty mini bar – its not complimentary but it did come with free water, tea, and nespresso coffee as necessary. I actually really love the new RC mini bar concept where a drawer-esque design is used – very classy!

On the coffee table were a stock of welcome amenities (not sure if they were a Titanium or a STARS rate thingy) – local prawn crackers, a tea set with butter cakes, and oranges and beancakes in porcelain containers. So nice!

Making a U-turning from the living area is the master bedroom where the very comfy king bed sits accompanied by 2x bedside tables with lighting controls and more charging ports, facing a huge TV. Included in this space is a long ottoman which is useful as a separate sitting area of sorts.

The massive bathroom is up next – a great space of double sinks with plenty of countertop spaces, a fancy bathtub (which we didn’t use), a separate standing shower space, and a functional toilet. Toiletries are the RC Diptyque brand which works for me.

I liked that they put in a separate vanity area where the amenities are stocked – I was also impressed that they offer Marvis toothpaste and mouthwash – so atas.

Finally, there is an open concept wardrobe area which acts like a shortcut between the entrance area and the bathroom which was convenient – this is also where the in-room safe was located, alongside pajamas for your use during the stay. They were super comfy and I asked if they can be brought home as souvenirs and was quoted JPY50,000+ for a set. I personally think it’s ridiculous to charge SGD500 for a pair even for a RC so even though they were really comfy, no thanks.

[pardon the mess in the pics!]

What I don’t have dedicated photos to show for are the fact that all around the Suite are full window panels offering great views no matter which corner you are in – with section-based controls for the blackout and sheer blinds so you can customize the permutation to your liking. It is also worthy to note that the Suite comes with sliding panels to separate sections if need be which was a very useful feature for 3pax staying in the same room as it allowed us to get stuff done individually.

Ritz Carlton Club

Like an impeccably furnished home away from home, the intimate Ritz-Carlton Club unites comfort with exclusivity in an enhanced experience of our legendary luxury. An enticing array of culinary offerings is presented throughout the day, and a bar and a private room make this a convenient place to conduct meetings. Dedicated concierges meet your needs with an extra measure of personalized care

From official site

I was super excited to check another RC club off my list and this was certainly very hyped up in my mind!

I really liked the way they designed the space – spacious layout in a compartmentalized living-room-esque style much like my recent experience in Xi-an. There is a staffed desk right off the entrance, then a semi private area for big groups, followed by the proper dining area where the F&B area is located alongside plenty of seats, a second area with dining tables and the bar set up is, and finally a large chilling area with more seating arrangements but with low tables.

This RC Club is located on the 24th floor of the hotel and the space is busy throughout with a constant flow of guests, and the couple seats by the windows are the popular spots although it can get a bit glaring during certain hours due to the full panel windows.

Breakfast (6:30-10:30am)

This session set the stage for my first meal here upon arrival and it was a surprisingly modest buffet spread of the usual breakfast nosh alongside some local touches, but it worked for what it is and most stuff were tasty enough to fill us up.

Cold items like juices and yoghurts and cut fruits were placed in cold fridges which one would almost miss easily.

Guests also get to choose an ala carte item from a small menu to supplement the buffet – and this became an almost hilarious experience for us. Upon being seated on arrival day and as we were settling in, we were distributed this menu but they were quickly snatched away (I’m not kidding) by another staff as apparently, our entitlement to choose an ala carte item would only start the next day, not the day of arrival. Fair enough but we just thought it was funny how they panicked and tried to snatch up the menu in the midst of its distribution not in a rude way of course. But still, quite funny.

We later picked to have breakfast at the main restaurant for all our mornings as the club did not offer any special dish for club guests which I thought was a lost opportunity as it was essentially then an abbreviated version of what was on offer downstairs. That said, I wouldn’t pay a supplement to dine at the main restaurant if it’s not included with my room.

Light Lunch (11:30am-1:30pm)

We had this on two out of three days and saw some thoughtful rotations of items although the spread was a little smaller than expected – almost like how small dainty portions of food is expected from guests. Each day saw a small selection of cold canapés, fuits, desserts, as well as 2-3 hot dishes + 1 soup, and the breakfast fridge remains available for taking though I don’t think they actively refill the fridge contents for this session.

As an RC club lounge tradition, there is also a not-so-secret secret menu of one dish offered each day and this was also on rotation I believe. We only had 2 sessions of this we were out some days and the quality was decent and came as a set which was generous of them.

Afternoon Tea (2:30-430pm)

I was impressed that the spread is curated by Pierre Herme Paris – really atas. I was surprised it came deconstructed instead of a tier but ah wells. In terms of quality, the savories were okay, while the scones were disappointingly not the best I tried. Can’t say much for the sweets as I usually abstain from them so I’d say it wasn’t life changing enough for me to make a deliberate trip back to the hotel for this session.

Hors d’oeuvres (5:30-6:30pm) / Hors d’oeuvres & Cocktails (6:30-8:00pm) /

My favorite part of the evening every night sees a slightly more generous spread of daintily portioned cold and hot apps, alongside 4 hot dishes + soup.

Like lunch, there is also a hot dish on offer each night but with no menu, you’d have to actively ask for it and the staff will explain what it is. But things get lost in translation esp in Japan so the ‘raw pork’ told to us one evening turned out to be prosciutto.

Cocktails are available during the 6:30-8:00pm session, and we tried some, most of which were passable, with popular mixes not in the menu upon request eg gin tonic and mojitos.

We never managed to stay til Desserts & Cordials (8:00-10:00pm) each night but based on past experiences, it probably is nothing really staying up for.

Cocktails aside, the rest of the alcohol menu is available all-day up til 7pm.

The Ritz branded Cuvee was lovely to drink all day, and the wines were okay as well. I was more surprised that there was no sake on offer because Japan, right?

The night I did ask about sake, the staff very kindly offered to procure some from the Japanese restaurant at no extra charge – kudos to them! But I still felt this was a lost opportunity to showcase some local sake as after all, it’s a RC Club.

Other than this, we were sadly not impressed by the service at the Club in general. Other than the fact that being addressed by first names didn’t happen at all other than at check in, the service simply felt a little lacking of an RC with drink refills not proactively offered and soiled plates not cleared efficiently. At other times, understaffing seemed to be an issue as there were occasions where food and drinks remained un-refilled over prolong periods of time, forgotten offers of the dinner dish, and waiting almost an hour for a lunch dish. And these happened when the club was perhaps only at 50% capacity.

Breakfast @ Viridis (6:30am-10:30am)

We had breakfast here each morning as the selection was far more varied than the Club’s for sure! The restaurant is located on level 18 (same as the main reception) and is one of the more peaceful hotel breakfast spots I’ve never been to which was so nice – its not overwhelmed even at 9am!

The space is laid out in an L-shape with plenty of seating configurations without feeling the squeeze, with again the window seats being the popular choice though not for us due to the glare.

The buffet spread is laid out in an L-shape too and everything was high quality even as the spread is not the biggest I’ve seen – plenty of local delicacies and Kyushu highlights which was so nice after seeing one too many international spread of non-quality nosh.

As mentioned earlier, we do get to choose an ala carte dish from a menu and we tried several over the course of our stay – all well executed and absolutely delicious.

If you are not fond of the buffet for whatever reasons, you can pick to have a Japanese bento for breakfast but this will not accord access to the buffet spread nor the choice of ala carte dish. I tried this one morning and it was a refreshing experience – all the items were high quality and very refined though definitely not for big eaters.

Staff at the restaurant was all smiley efficiency, even offering a hand to those who seemed to be juggling too much on their plate (literally), or even toasting a single piece of bread to bring to the table for you. Impressed. One nice lady even remembered my request for a straw from the previous morning and proactively brought me one the next time. Awesome.

Only a small blip happened on our first morning where again, we were told that we did not have access to the restaurant for breakfast. It cleared up quickly after some clarification but again, a miscomm like this should not happen at a RC.

Facilities – The Spa (9:00am-9:00pm), Fitness Centre (24hrs), and Pool (6:30am-10:30pm) are all located on the same level as the Club on level 24.

We made full use of the Fitness Centre during our stay, sometimes twice a day, and found the space adequate for a hotel this size. Although it has no rower (boo), the rest of the equipment was sufficient for a decent workout.

We didn’t use the pool at all but it certainly looked nice and inviting for an indoor swim should the inspiration come.

And of course we didn’t use the spa as the prices were scary but we used our USD200 hotel credit here – which snagged us a total of 2x RC lion set which has one boy + one girl lion as well as a decent size bottle of cleanser. Since included, why not.

Service – Other than mentioned above, service in general was great and this was the only property so far in all my travels that had staff stationed at every publicly accessible intersection / turn of the property to greet you – its almost like their sole concern is guests feeling lost. Staff also proactively help with lift buttons (we didn’t even to press them ourselves most times) and would wait for the lift with you, then say their goodbyes with a bow until the door closes. Truly only in Japan.

Check Out – seamlessly done at the Club while we enjoyed our ‘last lunch’ there inhaling as much champagne as we could. Yay.

In Summary,

no regret about burning some of my retirement funds here though if I do pick this property again next time, I will prob skip the club access and just get breakfast via a STARS rate or pay ala carte.