The Hilton Seahawk Resort is a hotel that has seen its fair share of ups and downs, just like Japanese economy.

The story began in 1995 when this hotel opened under then retail giant Daiei.  At the time, I heard a rumor that despite the upscale appearance, the in-room fridges were filled with Saving (the retailer's low-cost private label) products. 

After Daiei's business failed, management of the hotel passed to JAL in 2005. However, JAL filed for bankruptcy in 2010. The airline could no longer take care of the hotel. 

Since 2010, the hotel has been owned by a Singaporean fund and managed under the name Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk. Coincidentally, Japan was losing its proud economic status and becoming a cheap country. 

And now in 2024, according to some news reports,  the hotel is to be put up for sale. I wonder who would own this too-big-to-fail hotel?. Vietnamese? Taiwanese? or Burmese?

This hotel is one of the legacies of Japan's bubble era. Its ridiculously inefficient use of space and complicated structure are not be seen in any modern building. It embodies the last glory of our bubble days, when everyone believed our economy would only grow. 

In a practical sense, if I were a tourist visiting Fukuoka, I wouldn't consider this hotel as a candidate for my accommodation, unless I planned to enjoy staying in this particular hotel itself, or I needed to isolate myself for whatever reason. It is too far from the main train stations and the airport. Although the hotel offers a shuttle service, it is only to the nearest underground station, not to Tenjin or Hakata stations.　To make matters worse for this rather antiquated hotel, the Japanese chain Prince Hotels has announced that it will be opening a brand new hotel in the Momochi-hama area, just a few blocks away. As you know, the newer the better and more popular when it comes to hotels of this type.