The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka will open its doors on June 21, 2023, welcoming guests to the prefectural capital of Fukuoka on the island of
Kyushu in southern Japan with the Ritz-Carlton legacy of fine hospitality and sophisticated design. Situated within the main tower of the Fukuoka Daimyo Garden City complex in the tech hub of Tenjin, the 167-room luxury hotel is the first by Marriott International to open in the Kyushu region, whose capital is a major gateway between Japan and other countries of Asia. The hotel’s calm, modernist spaces will incorporate local art traditions such as Hakata-ori weaving and woven bamboo.
Located within fifteen minutes of Fukuoka Airport, the bullet-train-serviced Hakata Station, and Hakata Port by car or by public transport, the 11,900-square-meter Fukuoka Daimyo Garden City complex is a core feature of the Tenjin Big Bang site, an urban renaissance project that offers tax and other regulatory incentives to woo business start-ups from abroad. The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka will occupy the first, third, and upper floors of Garden City’s main tower, which rises 25 stories above a new 3,000-square-meter park created for outdoor events. Situated at the west end of the Tenjin district, the complex as a whole expands on the youthful energy of an area already popular for evening strolls, street music, and friendly street stalls serving up the city’s famous tonkotsu ramen and other local specialties.
The 147 guest rooms and 20 suites of The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka will be situated on the 19th to the 23rd floors, with standard rooms beginning at a minimum size of 50 square meters. A club lounge, spa, gym, and pool are planned for the 24th floor, along with a bar overlooking the ships and sparkling lights of Hakata Bay. In addition to a wedding chapel and banquet rooms, the hotel facilities will include a Japanese restaurant serving teppanyaki, sushi, and kaiseki multicourse menus; an all-day dining venue for Western-style cuisine; a lobby lounge and bar for cocktails and light refreshments; and a café for afternoon tea and takeout options. In atmosphere and offerings, these dining and relaxation venues will complement Fukuoka’s international status as a lively food capital.
Layan Architects + Designers of Melbourne, Australia are overseeing the interior design of the guest rooms and suites, public spaces, the lobby lounge and bar, café, club lounge, and spa. The design program playfully weaves in references to Hakata-ori, the yarn-dyed weaving tradition of Fukuoka, in the lighting fixtures, flooring, and decorative fittings. A three-dimensional piece of wall art in the first-floor arrivals lobby, for example, is rendered of thousands of pattern-dyed threads, while the carpet takes inspiration from the look and texture of Hakata-ori textiles. Light fittings recall the patterned punch cards of weaving machines.
The Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka continue their preparations to welcome guests on June 21 to spaces that carefully weave in both the pride of local traditions as well as the lively international spirit of this historical port town. The hotel is the brand’s sixth property in Japan, following on sister openings in Osaka (1997), Tokyo (2007), Okinawa (2012), Kyoto (2014), and Nikko (2020).
