HILTON FUKUOKA SEA HAWK - A Beacon of Hospitality on The Bay

Well situated on the waterfront with the oceanic views of Hakata Bay, the Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk is perfectly positioned to create some unique experiences not only for the locals but the increase of international travellers that flock to the city for its vibrant lifestyle. mylifestylenews writes.

Being Kyushu’s largest and one of Japan’s ten most populated cities because of its closeness to the Asian mainland such as South Korea than to Tokyo, Fukuoka has been an important city for many centuries and was even chosen by the Mongol invasion forces as their landing point in the 13^th century. Today’s Fukuoka inherited its old heritage culture and tradition and has been eminently developed into a new and vibrant city and beyond, modernized by the fusion of two cities in the 1889 when the port city of Hakata and the former castle town were merged into one city called Fukuoka, the capital of Fukuoka Prefecture with Hakata remains the name of one of Fukuoka’s central districts and of the main railway station.

Sited on the northern shore of Kyushu island, Fukuoka is a city rich in its historical sights such as ancient temples, museums, Maizuru Park that contains ruins of 17^th century Fukuoka Castle, scenic coastline and beaches,  modern shopping malls including Canal City, vibrant food culture and more with easy access by public transport and the International airport is only 10 minutes away to the heart of Fukuoka city. While the Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk is only less that 10 kilometres from Hakata station, the gigantic waterfront facing hotel operates 1,052 rooms with a few signature restaurants that perfectly caters to MICE business. Because of the strategic location and beach access, it is popular with locals and international tourists alike for leisure staycations which piqued our interest.

It is also next door to big MARK IS shopping mall as well as the space station like Mizuho PayPay Dome in an unique architectural design which is where the major baseball matches are held, so you only stand a slim chance to have your room secured as the hotel will be fully booked especially when the matches are on, not forgetting major conferences and exhibitions hyped up by the entire area and surrounds.

Given the proximity to the city centre, after alighting from the Shinkazen ride via Osaka, we hopped on a local bus for a short scenic ride to the hotel, crossing the Seaports, with the Hakata Port Tower on the right and  further along, the Fukuoka Boat Race Stadium on the left, as the bus stops just right outside and actually comes into the hotel side driveway for the return journey, so connectivity for tourists and locals alike is so easy. Besides, it is also conveniently accessed to Fukuoka Art Museum and the scenic Ohori Park.

The Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk is easily visible from afar for its design reminiscent of the shape of a ship to reflect the location is also one of the very eye-catching structures in Fukuoka besides the nearby Fukuoka Tower being the tallest seaside tower in Japan since 1989. We arrived at a quiet time and quickly made our way to the Club Lounge on the 33^rd floor for our check-in, which didn’t go according to plan at the beginning with a few technical issues and eventually the misunderstanding cleared things up, it was then on a smooth sail during our 2-night stay.

We were opening the door to our Executive King Suite on the 32^nd floor in complete darkness as curtains were closed to block the direct sun from outside and also to maintain the cool temperature in the room.

Once the curtains were drawn, we were immediately blown away by the views of the city and the bay on a beautiful blue sky sunny day. Basically, the entire city of Fukuoka can be been through the giant windows and it takes time to soak in such a majestic vista.

The 56sqm room was incredibly spacious with entrance via a large hallway, chaise lounge, sofa, super king bed, which then segues through the walk through wardrobe with luggage storage area as well as a make-up counter into the spa bathroom. The spa bath is situated in an elevated position at the window for you to admire the views without much interruption.

The branded bath amenities from Crabtree & Evelyn were great to enjoy, along with the ubiquitous Japanese bidet toilet. The bathroom vanity counter was extremely large, so spreading ourselves out was a breeze. The only downside was the bathroom door, when it opens inward, it will be pushed towards to the bidet toilet and you will need to close it outward before adjourning to do your business. However, the living room has a good Nespresso coffee machine and well equipped with a good selection of coffee as well as some locally sourced green teas. While the decor was a little bit dated in its own way, it was well kept. Not much had been missed out and we were extremely comfortable for the duration of our stay.

Back to the The Club Lounge, one floor above us on the 33^rd floor that can also be accessed by the stair case that offered all the usual accoutrements, such as refreshments throughout the day, Club Floor quality breakfast, afternoon tea and cocktail hour. The Club Lounge always has a daily special hot dish to please your palate and coffee and tea made to order if you wish.

The cocktail hour was equally enjoyable and the selection of beers, wines and sake was quite good, along with the variety of cold and hot canapés. Breakfast was enjoyable and more than adequate despite the limited selection on the amount of hot dishes. More importantly, you can always enjoy the full service buffet breakfast in Seala Brasserie & Lounge at the lobby level.

The only comment we would make is that closing at 8pm seems too early. Service was rather attentive and prompt even during peak hours, the team do have the ability to recognize their regular guests with greetings and offer their ever-ready hospitable services which was quite amicable. Do not hesitate to ask for some local sights and restaurants suggestions, you may be thrilled for what they could come out with.

We enjoyed breakfast at the spacious Seala Brasserie & Lounge on the lobby level which is like a plane hangar with huge 40m high ceilings and flooded with natural light and an equally huge arched window looking out to the bay, so starting your day here was always a pleasant experience.

The diverse breakfast buffet is enormous and encompasses all the usual international and local suspects, even with Korean food selection, given that Korean market plays contribute quite an handsome business to the hotel, but we particularly enjoyed the Hakata ramen (despite the second day, the broth was rather watery and less tasty) and hot dumplings.

It can get rather busy, but with so much space, it was not difficult getting a seat at peak hour and working our way through the lines for the hot dishes, as they were sensibly spaced out in different sections. It was indeed a great breakfast experience.

Should the need to exercise be your daily grind, they have a well equipped gym and outdoor swimming pool on the 5^th floor (which is closed once the summer season finishes), plus plenty of outdoor space outside the hotel to go walking or jogging and also beach access just across the road. Making your way back to the city is so easy with 2 bus routes stopping directly in the undercover hotel driveway that will get you right into the heart of two main tourist draw-card areas, Hakata Station and Tenjin locales, where you can enjoy endless shopping and dining.

Given the size of the hotel, other dining options include Chinese, Japanese sushi, Teppanyaki and lastly, Bar & Dining CLOUDS on the 3th floor. We enjoyed some drinks in CLOUDS right after our most delicious dinner in Teppanyaki Kinyohtei on the first night which was highly recommended.

The skyline bar takes up almost one whole side of the floor and we were entertained by the experienced mixologist Pryan, who was a font of knowledge and about Japanese gins, among other things and also could give us some tips about where to go in Fukuoka, the local way. We had some signature cocktails made from great premium gin with other concoctions such as our favourite yuzu juice while looking out to the late evening views behind the bar.

Before we checked into the hotel we weren’t sure if the location was right for us, but we were pleasantly surprised by how connected the hotel is to everything in Fukuoka – with only a short bus ride you are in the thick of attractions, shopping, local dining and plentiful historical sights to explore. We found ourselves walking many kilometres each day, so returning to the hotel always felt like an oasis on the ocean front which was a breath of fresh air. We had some very positive interactions with the main lobby concierge team who were quick to point us in the right direction and we appreciated all their efforts. The Club Lounge team were equally helpful and made our stay relaxing especially getting some insights from KhinKhin san and Sumitaka san and we felt very lucky and blessed. Shiawase desu ne!

The Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk has something for everyone, business travellers or family and it is best to be considered for your itinerary when looking to stop over in Fukuoka even just for a day or two.  While it is close to all the amenities you would want to explore, it also has a lot to offer on property for a bit of downtime to catch your breath from all the sightseeing and beyond, letting you enjoy the city from a different vantage point of the bay area from the heights of this hotel as well as the surrounds.
 

Tried & Tested:
Location: 4.5/5
Design & Decor: 4.5/5

Housekeeping: 4/4
Food & Beverage: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value For Money: 4.5/5
Experience: 4/5
 

Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk 

2-2-3 Jigyohama, Chuo Ward,

Fukuoka-shi,

Fukuoka, Japan

Tel: +81 9 2844 8111

Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.