Cuban ambassador denied room at Hilton hotel in Fukuoka due to U.S. sanctions

How many times have guests from the other countries actually stayed there at the Hilton? We will never know the truth. It's only because he is the Ambassador that this made the press. It's just an extension of Trump at work here!

It's just an extension of Trump at work here!

No it's not. It is an extension of Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2, and now Trump.

Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk told Kyodo News that it refused the ambassador's stay to comply with U.S. laws as an American company.

I'm fairly sure that if it's operating in Japan, it's a Japanese company and subject to Japanese laws.

I'm fairly sure that if it's operating in Japan, it's a Japanese company and subject to Japanese laws.

Just because a company has offices here does not make it a "Japanese" company. While it is here, it is required to follow the laws of Japan but it does not make it a Japanese company.

No it's not. It is an extension of Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2, and now Trump.

I stand corrected, but if you want to get "detailed" here, it goes all the way back to Eisenhower.

And every following president with the exception of Obama.

Following American laws in Japan, why?

Just stay at a Japanese hotel chain. How about APA Hotel?

Just stay at a Japanese hotel chain. How about APA Hotel?

U.S. hotels have a reputation for being some of the best hotels in the world. They definitely have the hotel thing down. I would never stay at a Japanese hotel in Japan if I didn't have to...... Now Ryokan is a different story.

Cubans should do the same with their Japanese embassador. By refusing him entry or service in some places. Show them what it feels like.

Interesting.... do other countries restrict their businesses and citizens in such a way. Do they force them to follow laws that are not on the books in the foreign country but laws of their own country?

Ridiculous. The hotel is in Japan, it must follow japanese law. Period.

If we have to follow American laws, we should get free USA residency, funding for pensions and healthcare and the right to vote in America.

Also, every time I go to Nagoya, I eat lunch at the Hilton with family. Never again.

Am sure he quickly found a room elsewhere ...

Since the "local government" has instructed Hilton to correct its ways I think Mr. Pereira should go there again and see what happens. I would be curious and I think this would be a righteous challenge.

Regardless of whether or not Hilton is a U.S. Corporation it still must abide by whatever laws exist in the country it is operating in.

I feel sorry for the employees there stuck in the middle of this.

Pretty lame Hilton, US laws do not apply in other countries. Someone doing their job wrong.

I'm fairly sure that if it's operating in Japan, it's a Japanese company and subject to Japanese laws.

I’m not sure if that’s 100% true - an American client I do work for has to follow US KYC/AML regulations.

What the Hilton did was not only disgraceful. Period.

As for “If we have to follow American laws, we should get free USA residency, funding for pensions and healthcare and the right to vote in America,” be aware Social Security may be cut back to help pay for the Trump deficit, there is no universal health care and you may be hit with voter fraud, as in Georgia. You may also get shot by a cop for no good reason.

If you want to protest what the Hilton did to the Cuban ambassador, stay way from the Hilton and other American hotels.

Also, every time I go to Nagoya, I eat lunch at the Hilton with family. Never again.

Eating lunch at the Hilton is a very nice experience compared to a lot of other local Hotels in the area. I think that once you try lunch somewhere else you will surely understand the value and good service that the Hilton and many other U.S. hotel chains in Japan. Lunch at the Hilton is wonderful.

He should have called Paris. She would probably have accommodated him.

If we have to follow American laws, we should get free USA residency, funding for pensions and healthcare and the right to vote in America.

That sounds like a really poor deal. When in Japan follow Japanese law, and thank your lucky stars you aren't bound by free USA residency, funding for pensions and healthcare and the right to vote in America - all worthless and with the elevated risk of getting shot, to boot.

If you want to protest what the Hilton did to the Cuban ambassador, stay way from the Hilton

Yes.

Lunch at the Hilton is wonderful.

It's also wonderful at lots of other places that don't have bigotry and prejudice on the menu.

I'm sure the Ambassador and his party found somewhere much nicer to stay.

Also, every time I go to Nagoya, I eat lunch at the Hilton with family. Never again

Is this your boycott of the day?

Why should tge Cubans do that? The Hilton violated the Japanese hotel laws. The problem is on the American side.

But the people that did that were japanese.

Once again I find I feel a need to apologize to the Japanese people for the egregious discrimination brought about by Donald Trump.

The hotel shouldn't do business on japan if it don't follow Japanese law unless Japan government have impose the same sanction .This is stupidity at it most.

@thedude. No. Also BDS and GMO products. And paying 10%tax to drink coffee outside a combini and 8% inside.

Give the hotel some slack.

The Hilton was stuck between a rock and a hard place since they do need to abide both laws.

The US sanction does prohibit doing business with listed nations in which subsidiaries are also required to follow.

The Japanese local law is required to be followed in Japan.

Basically the hotel was in a no win situation where they will be hit with penalties regardless of their actions.

They were also honest on why they refused the request which may not had been the best way to solve the situation but is at least honorable.

The Japanese government could have stepped in to mediate the situation but I guess they were too busy as well.

I’m not sure if that’s 100% true - an American client I do work for has to follow US KYC/AML regulations.

Company regulations do not supercede country laws.

I'm sure US sanctions apply to all subsidiaries and affiliates of US companies abroad, but the Hotel/Inns law in Japan is quite clear that you can only refuse accommodation to people who have a contagious disease or are likely to engage is immoral behaviour during their stay. Hilton seems to have violated Japanese law. If they can't abide by both laws they should sell their operations in Japan and get out. Non-US hotels will be happy to buy them out.

The Fukuoka Hilton is owned by Hilton Worldwide, which is an American corporation. So while it has operations in Japan it is not a "Japanese company" (as in one incorporated under the Japanese Companies Act), though of course it is obliged to comply with all Japanese laws while it operates here.

That places it in an awkward situation because the US law on this Cuban issue is so stupid. As an American company it can be penalized for doing business with the Cuban government even if that occurs outside the US. In this case that means discriminating against the Cuban ambassador in apparent violation of Japanese law. Its a no-win situation for them.

Also, I think its fair to slam Trump for this. Recall that Obama was in the process of normalizing relations with Cuba, which would have eliminated this stupid law. Then Trump came along and boom, sanctions against Cuba are back on because....its the opposite of what Obama was doing. No other reason.

Should not” is open ended - Will Not is decisive ! Government ditakes

kills private enterprise!

In Fukuoka, I strongly recommend 海ノ中道ホテル：https://www.luigans.com/

Well, I certainly will be avoiding Hilton from now on.

BTW, I've always been please with my stays and lunches at APA.

No hotels or inns inside Japan have ever refused service to anyone based on their nationality? Hilton can't be the first.

American companies are held to all sorts of US laws regardless of location. Payoffs/kickbacks are illegal, for example.

I come across US sanctions of varioujs types in my profession.  The way they operate and some of the outcomes (like this ridiculous one) are often bizarre.  And what exactly they achieve in the real world is debatable.

This is getting ugly. And this Canadian will continue to sanction travel to the US. In fact, this Canadian will now visit Cuba for six weeks, instead of Japan.

Such stupidity astounds me!

In Fukuoka, I strongly recommend 海ノ中道ホテル：https://www.luigans.com/

Uminonakamichi is pretty but its in the middle of nowhere and very difficult to access from downtown.

The Fukuoka Hilton is owned by Hilton Worldwide, which is an American corporation. So while it has operations in Japan it is not a "Japanese company" (as in one incorporated under the Japanese Companies Act), though of course it is obliged to comply with all Japanese laws while it operates here.

Have you actually looked into the ownership of this particular hotel? If this hotel is like 95% of Hilton hotels around the world, Hilton Worldwide doesn't even own the building. A Japanese company would own and manage the property while using the Hilton name in exchange for a fee and agreeing to follow Hilton's rules. Much like a restaurant franchise.

BigYen

You can boil it down to two choices. The Fukuoka Hilton was either:

> ignorant of the laws in the country it was operating in, most culpably those laws relating to its major business, i.e. accepting and looking after guests - or:

It knew what the laws were, but decided to break them, either due to an ill-advised decision of its own, or a directive from its head office in the USA, or because of political interference from elsewhere.

So they were either professionally ignorant, or they deliberately broke the law - or were pressured to break the law - of their host country by discriminating against a particular ethnic group, i.e. Cubans. Neither is a good look.

I agree 100%.

At the bidding of their American company.

In Japan

So naive.... the company is owned by a U.S. entity and under U.S. Law, no company shall do business with any Cuban government entity without permission. Also.... the Japanese government regularly allows small Japanese businesses to decide if they want to accept foreigners at their establishment. Would it not by hypocritical for them to berate the USA over this. Its OK if we discriminate in our own country but you can't.

So naive.... the company is owned by a U.S. entity and under U.S. Law, no company shall do business with any Cuban government entity without permission. Also.... the Japanese government regularly allows small Japanese businesses to decide if they want to accept foreigners at their establishment. Would it not by hypocritical for them to berate the USA over this. Its OK if we discriminate in our own country but you can't.

That's another excellent point

PR stunt by Hilton Hotels...

This is getting ugly. And this Canadian will continue to sanction travel to the US. In fact, this Canadian will now visit Cuba for six weeks, instead of Japan.

Good on you!

Such stupidity astounds me!

Same here!

Someone from a Marxist–Leninist socialist state should not be staying at such an ostentatious symbol of capitalism. He should have booked a ryokan and saved his comrades quite a few yen.

I don't think it does the U.S. any good to continue to hassle Cuba. Friendly relations including tourism and trade is better for all. Why waste time hanging on to past grievances? I think it's time to let bygones be bygones and constructively move forward.

Agree with Bintaro, the hotel is in Japan, it must follow Japanese law, the ambassador should have been allowed to stay.

"How about APA hotel?"

Nah, way too small for an ambassador, lol.

The local government has to confirm the punishment. No matter who is who!

Everybody in Japan, maybe with the exception of diplomats, must follow Japanese law.  If in doing so they get sanctioned by some foreign government, so be it - they should take that sanction willingly.  If Hilton is not willing to follow the law, they shouldn't be here.  I suspect that Hilton, and other hotels will have learned their lesson, and it won't happen again.  But if it does, then they should be sanctioned by Japan.

Uminonakamichi is pretty but its in the middle of nowhere and very difficult to access from downtown.

Rainyday, it's within walking distance of a high-speed ferry that lands within walking distance of Fukuoka Dome. Not cheap, but very convenient.

regarding cuba, japan allows america to tell them what to do.

He shouldn’t feel too bad about not getting into Hilton. Even Paris Hilton can’t get a room there, because she is not allowed in Japan.

Wow, this kind of actions are getting out of hand, did the American head office of Hiton international issued a direct order in Japan ???.Then, does it mean that even though that there are Japanese working in that hotel ???. These Japanese are just following American rules ???.

Yet, they still sell Cuban cigars in this country.

Rainy day, it's within walking distance of a high-speed ferry that lands within walking distance of Fukuoka Dome. Not cheap, but very convenient.

Which itself is not particularly convenent itself to Tenjin or Hakata. Luigans is more like a country resort than a place for regular visitors wanting to do aomething in the city (I spent four years living nearby in Kashii).

Just because a company has offices here does not make it a "Japanese" company. While it is here, it is required to follow the laws of Japan but it does not make it a Japanese company.

You're right, I was wrong. A foreign company can either establish a branch in Japan or create a subsidiary (in which case it is a Japanese company, even if owned by a foreign one). I though creating a subsidiary was the only option. However I think most larger operations such as the Hilton group tend to form subsidiaries.

I've no idea of the ownership status of this hotel, but I guess it follows the pattern outlined by M3M3M3 above

I don't think it does the U.S. any good to continue to hassle Cuba.

That is your opinion. America will to hold the socialist Cuba govt accountable until they allow democratic elections, freedom of speech, freedom of travel (only since 2013), and property rights (just changed in July 2018!), among other human rights. Never forget with what sort of govt we are dealing. The 2 recent changes to the new Cuban Constitution are very good steps. I am hopeful.

The Cuban constitution says that free speech is allowed "in keeping with the objectives of socialist society" and that artistic creation is allowed "as long as its content is not contrary to the Revolution".

Without the US embargo, would these changes have happened? Doubtful. It took a new leader and the death of Castro before anything would change.

Japan is free to do business with Cuba and Cubans.

Americans and American companies are not.

The local government has instructed the hotel in Fukuoka to correct the practice as Japanese law prohibits hotels from rejecting guests based on nationality.

I was once rejected from a hotel in Japan for no apparent reason. Then only reason I can logically deduce is that it must have been my non-Japanese nationality. Now that I know that it is against Japanese law, if it happens again I will file a complaint and demand compensation.

That is your opinion.

It's mine too.

America will to hold the socialist Cuba govt accountable until they allow democratic elections, freedom of speech, freedom of travel (only since 2013), and property rights (just changed in July 2018!), among other human rights.

Does that include the right to medical care?

But America will happily deal with Saudi Arabia.

Franky I find it pathetic.

Seems to me that any company doing business in another country is automatically subject to the laws of that other country. Going against the laws of the host country could result in criminal and civil penalties. Besides which, the US and Cuba have exchanged diplomatic ambassadors, so why should the US seek to deny the Cuban ambassador the ability to stay in a hotel, anywhere in the world? Doesn't make sense.