【Fukuoka】The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka – The first luxury hotel in Kyushu

“There are no luxury hotels in Kyushu.”

This word, which I have uttered many times since I started my career in the travel industry, are now a thing of the past, as The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka, the first luxury hotel in Kyushu, opened in June 2023. As the sixth “The Ritz-Carlton” hotel in Japan, what exactly is The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka, which was created to provide a meaningful lodging experience for leisure and business travelers alike?

Location / Access

The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka is housed the Fukuoka Daimyo Garden City complex.

It is conveniently located just a 5-minute walk from Tenjin Subway Station, and a 15-minute cab ride from Fukuoka Airport, Hakata Station, and the Hakata Port, making it a great place to visit from afar.

Design Concept

The interior design was created by LAYAN Architects + Designers, based in Melbourne, Australia. Inspired by traditional Fukuoka crafts such as Hakata-ori, which is designated as a national traditional handicraft and one of the three major textiles in Japan, and Kurume Kasuri, the hotel expresses spinning threads and “weaving”. This “weaving” is the concept of the hotel, which connects all areas of the building horizontally and vertically to weave a single world.

Upon entering the entrance, you will find a passageway designed to look like a shoji paper sliding door, which creates a tranquil atmosphere separated from the outside world and raises expectations for your stay ahead.

The walls of the 1st floor Arrival Lobby are decorated with artwork featuring Munakata Taisha, one of the oldest shrines in Japan, as described in the Chronicles of Japan.

The elevator halls on the 1st and 18th floors will be decorated with a series of works by Motoko Maio, a Japanese-style framing artist whose works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The traditional folding screen is used to depict a scene of the moon and the Genkai Sea.

Guest Room

All of the 14 types of 167 guest rooms are over 50 square meters in size, and the guest rooms are located on the 19th through 23rd floors, and offer a wide range of views, including “Skyline View” overlooking the city, “Park View” with the abundant nature of Ohori Park and Maizuru Park, and “Bay View” with a view of Hakata Bay and Noko Island.

Deluxe Double Skyline View (50sqm / 538sqft)

I stayed in the entry category “Deluxe Double Skyline View”. The bathroom is an accent in this minimalist and sophisticated Japanese modern room based on solid wood. Boldly patterned stones are used on the walls, making it seem as if you are looking at art. The bathroom is glass-walled and has a style that can be made private or open by opening and closing the bamboo doors.

Bath amenities were Diptyque, a fragrance brand from Paris, France. The hair dryer is a top-of-the-line Repronizer model that can be used as a hair beauty device.

The welcome sweets, The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka original monaka, were placed by the window. In addition, coffee and tea were available, as well as “Japanese-style dashi soup” and “Western-style dashi soup” by Kayanoya from Fukuoka. This is hospitality with a touch of Fukuoka character.

The hotel is located in the tallest building in Fukuoka City, so the view from the room is outstanding. We were able to see the entire city of Fukuoka and the sunset from our room.

Club Deluxe King Bay View (50sqm / 538sqft)

This room is on a floor with lounge access and has a view of Hakata Bay from the window. The corner room has a great sunset view.

Dinning

The hotel has four restaurants and two bars.

Located on the 18th floor, the all-day dining restaurant Viridis, which means “green” in Latin, is a Western-style restaurant that serves dishes using vegetables grown in Kyushu under the concept of “farm-to-sky local production for local consumption (farm to sky).”

This time we had a buffet breakfast here. For the eggs selection, I chose the Croissant Eggs Benedict. I also chose the signature omelet featuring Fukuoka’s famous cod roe sauce. The buffet table was filled with a wide variety of dishes, including fresh vegetables and fruits carefully selected from all over Kyushu, as well as local delicacies such as sesame kanpachi and mentaiko (cod roe), making for a very satisfying morning.

In addition to Viridis, the hotel offers several other dining options: Diva, a sophisticated jewelry store-like cafe; Genjyu, which offers three types of Japanese cuisine: kaiseki, sushi, and teppanyaki; The Lobby Lounge & Bar, the heart of the hotel, which offers a warm and relaxing atmosphere; and Bay, with its chic interior inspired by the ships passing by Hakata Bay, where you can enjoy charcoal-grilled dishes, tapas, and original cocktails.

The Ritz-Carlton Club (Club Lounge)

The Ritz-Carlton Club, the club lounge, is open from 6:30~11:30 pm (after 10:00 pm, staff is not available for self-service) and is a great place to relax until late at night. Food presentations are also plentiful, with five per day.

The Ritz-Carlton, Spa

On the top floor of the hotel is The Ritz-Carlton Spa, a tranquil sanctuary of peace and healing. Wellness facilities here include a swimming pool, gymnasium, steam and dry saunas, and private rooms for luxurious spa treatments.

Fitness Center

The fitness center is available 24 hours a day, free of charge to guests. The fitness center is equipped with a wide variety of running machines and strength training machines manufactured by Technogym. Guests can exercise on their favorite machines while enjoying the view of the Fukuoka cityscape.

Pool

This swimming pool has windows on three directions from Hakata Bay, Tenjin, and Ohori Park. About 25 meters long, it is large enough to satisfy those who want to swim well. There is a charge for this service, but Club Lounge users can use it free of charge.

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The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka is a beautiful and sophisticated space where you can experience the traditional culture and cuisine of Fukuoka. The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka is sure to brighten your stay in Fukuoka.