Hilton hotel in Japan denied rooms to Cuba diplomats

Nov. 14 (UPI) -- A Hilton hotel in Japan is under fire after refusing to accommodate the Cuban ambassador to Tokyo, according to multiple reports.

Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk said Wednesday Ambassador Carlos Pereira and other embassy officials were denied rooms because the company was complying with U.S. sanctions, the Asahi Shimbun reported.

Representatives of the hotel told Kyodo News Hilton's status as a U.S. corporation requires it to be in compliance with U.S. law overseas.

The Japanese government may not be happy with the outcome.

The rejection came on Oct. 2, but is being reported this week.

The Cuban embassy alerted the Japanese foreign ministry following the incident. Since then, Tokyo's health ministry has said denying guests accommodations is legal in Japan only if customers are believed to be carriers of infectious diseases.

Hilton is expected to discuss the incident with the Japanese government, but continues to defend its decision.

"We are declining stays by government officials and those related to state-run companies from countries subjected to U.S. economic sanctions, such as North Korea, Iran and Syria," a Hilton source told Kyodo.

Cuban President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez was recently in North Korea for a three-day visit to Pyongyang.

The Cuban leader met with Kim Jong Un, who gave the Cuban delegation a red-carpet welcome last week, according to Yonhap.

The summit was comparable to Kim's hosting of a South Korean delegation in September, according to South Korean press reports.