Relax in Your Own Private Space! Top 10 Luxury Resort Hotels in Okinawa

About Okinawa

The first things that come to mind when someone mentions Okinawa are its warm climate and sparkling crystal-clear seawater with an emerald green hue. However, those are not the only things that Okinawa is famous for, as it is also home to many nature-rich areas that have been registered as World Natural Heritage Sites, including the area called Yanbaru in the northern part of the main island, and Iriomote Island that is a part of the Yaeyama Islands.

Even Okinawa’s culture is unique. Its distinct culture is a result of the Ryukyu Kingdom, established in the 14th century, actively trading with China, Southeast Asia, and other neighboring countries for a long time. In 2000, its Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

Apart from the main island, there are many islands that make up the Okinawan region, such as Miyako Island and Yaeyama Islands. A visit to the region is a great opportunity to enjoy its rich nature and experience its diverse culture.

Top 10 Luxury Resort Hotels in Okinawa

1. Halekulani Okinawa

Situated along the beautiful coastline of Onna Village in the Kunigami District which has been designated as a quasi-national park, Halekulani Okinawa is a hotel that boasts three infinity pools that seemingly extend to the sea! If you are staying at this hotel, you will get to marvel at the emerald green sea and the setting sun while munching on some light snacks and drinks by the guest-exclusive pools.

All 360 guest rooms in this hotel command a view of the ocean outside! Even the standard room is quite spacious at 50 sq.m. In the morning and at night, you can go out on the cozy terrace and take in the murmuring sound of the waves.

If you do decide to stay in a luxury hotel, you might as well go for a guest room that gives you access to the club lounge. Only the Premier Club Oceanfront and a limited number of other rooms come with such access, so avoid the crowds and head to the club lounge for snacks, afternoon tea, and cocktails.

Halekulani Okinawa is a luxury hotel that started in Hawaii more than a century ago. Here, every guest is guaranteed to be treated with the kind of hospitality that its long-established brand is known for.

2. The Busena Terrace

The Busena Terrace offers guests a lot of dining options inside its premises as well as marine activities in facilities near the hotel. Located in the center of Cape Busena in Nago City, this hotel has just had all its guest rooms in the main building renovated in 2022.

If you stay here, there really is no need to go far for sightseeing. Also, when it comes to dining options, there are eight restaurants that specialize in teppanyaki, Japanese cuisine, Chinese food, Italian dishes, barbecue, and many more, and all of them serve unique dishes that generously use the delicious ingredients that can only be found in Okinawa.

Out of all the rooms here, the Gazebo Suite is the one that is particularly suited to long-term stays, as it has a lawn leading to the beach, jacuzzi, daybed, and kitchenette. It can fit four beds, so it is perfect if you have children in tow.

If you stay at this resort hotel, it would be really easy to engage in various marine activities since they have marine programs you can join and equipment you can rent. So, how about going diving to play with the tropical fishes that live in Okinawa’s gorgeous sea? Maybe even go water skiing and jet skiing? 

3. Shigira Bayside Suite Allamanda

Shigira Bayside Suite Allamanda is located on Miyako Island. With a free shuttle bus service, getting to the hotel from Miyako Airport is a breeze. 

The Pool Villa Lagoon building has 64 suites with private pools. Experience a moment of bliss by lying on the daybed by the window while gazing at the blue sea of Miyako Island! You can feel the sea breeze all over your body without having to leave your room during the day. 

There are 32 restaurants, cafes, and bars, so you can indulge in the best ingredients Miyako Island has to offer. A major plus for this hotel is that it has a lengthy list of Japanese restaurants where you can eat whatever you want, be it tempura, a full-course kaiseki meal that fuses Japanese and Ryukyu dishes, sushi, or soba noodles. The way they cook the fresh seafood makes them look especially appetizing.

If you want to sample the local cuisine, having come all the way to Okinawa, then you should visit Paikaji Yataimura. It is a restaurant with a casual ambience where you can eat Okinawan dishes while watching free live performances of Eisa, a kind of Okinawan dance, and Sanshin, an Okinawan stringed instrument, every night.

The resort also offers its own programs for guests, including various marine and field leisure activities, so do check those out, too!

4. The Uza Terrace Beach Club Villas

The Uza Terrace Beach Club Villas, which is located in Yomitan Village, Nakagami District, offers guests villa-type rooms where they can spend quality time in total privacy. There are also spacious villas with a living room and two bedrooms where you can spend a relaxing time even when you are with a large group, such as with family or friends. The pool attached to the room is open from April to October.

The hotel’s restaurant mainly serves grilled dishes using fresh local ingredients. One thing that sets this hotel apart from the other hotels in the area is that it has a farm of its own. At the cafe inside the hotel, you can order hot soup made with fresh organic vegetables and herbs harvested from that farm.

In the mood to try the various activities available around the hotel? You should consider chartering a boat and going snorkeling! They will take you to the Kerama Islands which are famous for having one of the clearest waters in the world. There, you can swim with the fishes while surrounded by beautiful coral reefs.

5. Condominium T-Room

Located in Yomitan Village in the Nakagami District, Condominium T-Room is, as the name suggests, a condominium with only four rooms. All the guest rooms here have a kitchen that is equipped with a microwave, oven, stove, dishwasher, and other appliances. Condominium T-Room is the kind of place where you make your own food during your stay, so it is recommended for those who prefer to get ingredients from the local market and cook their own meals, or for those who want to make baby food or have special dietary needs like being on a gluten-free diet.

Each room has slightly different interiors and furnishings, so depending on the room you choose, you can either enjoy a glorious view of the outside from the bathroom or have a terrace where you can barbecue. Everything about the guest rooms will make you feel as if you are at home, but with Okinawa’s unique vibe enveloping you. 

This condominium is located at Cape Zanpa and Cape Maeda, just about a 10-minute walk to the Zakimi Castle Ruins, a World Heritage Site. Also nearby is the Okinawan pottery theme park "Yachimun no Sato,” where 19 studios and workshops form a community that resembles a village. With pottery making studios, showrooms, and a cafe that uses ceramic dishes, you can fully immerse yourself in the charms of simple yet clean Okinawan pottery.

6. Ishigaki Resort Hotel

Ishigaki Resort Hotel on Ishigaki Island combines the convenience of a hotel with the flexibility of a condominium. New Ishigaki Airport is just 10 minutes by car. All 33 rooms at this hotel have an ocean view, and its facilities include restaurants, an outdoor pool, beauty salon, fitness center, and gym.

For breakfast, you can have a buffet or American breakfast, while for dinner, you can eat Ishigaki Island’s very own brand of beef at the hotel's restaurant. You can also have barbecued Ishigaki beef.

In addition to the traditional comforts of a hotel, the guest rooms here have a kitchen and a washing machine with drying functions. You can wash your clothes after swimming in the sea, so it's convenient if you’re staying for an extended period. Some rooms have two bedrooms that can fit families or a group of friends.

The nearby Miyara River has a mangrove forest, where lots of people go stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and cruising on a canoe. You can marvel at the magnificent vista created by the mangroves that only grow naturally in tropical and subtropical wetlands.

7. Haimurubushi

Haimurubushi is Japan's southernmost resort hotel as it is located on Kohama Island, which is right in the middle of Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island. In local dialect, the term “haimurubushi” means the Southern Cross constellation. Of the 88 constellations recognized in the world, 84 can be seen from this island, making it the largest number of constellations that can be seen from a single area in Japan. To top off its list of natural wonders, it has the largest coral reef in the northern hemisphere as well!

The hotel has a gorgeous, shallow beach that is open to hotel guests only. You can also book marine activities such as canoeing, SUP, and diving.

The hotel's buildings are scattered over a vast 400,000 sq.m. area within Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, and you move around the premises on a rental golf cart. There's a wide variety of rooms available, such as ones with an outdoor bathtub where you can soak while admiring the sea, or others with a terrace that has a hammock. 

One of the unique features of this hotel is that you can have the dinner buffet to go and eat it in the comfort of your own room, as well as have breakfast at the beach, under the shade of a tree, or wherever you like. You can also have your meal out in the park. 

During your stay, you can spend time in a truly private space without worrying about other people.

8. Sesoko Sansui

Located on the small Sesoko Island that is connected to the main island of Okinawa by a bridge, Sesoko Sansui is a high-end resort hotel where guests get to stay in a whole villa. It boasts a prime location that is convenient for sightseeing and enjoying nature, as it is just 15 minutes by car to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium and 6 minutes by car to Sesoko Beach, said to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the main island.

Anchi Beach, which is only 5 minutes on foot, is the hidden gem of this resort. There, you can enjoy swimming in crystal-clear waters.

The rate to rent the villa does not change however many people there may be in your group, as long as you are within the maximum number of guests allowed. Hence, it is a great option if you are traveling with two households or a group.

The main villa has two rooms with the same floor plan, as well as two kitchens, two bathrooms, and two bedrooms, ensuring that each group gets to be in a private space that is all their own. It also has a pool and is equipped with a kitchen and barbeque equipment. There is a parking area, too. The pool is illuminated at night, making your holiday feel even more luxurious.

The annex with four guest rooms has an open-air bath overlooking the sea. You can relax while watching the setting sun cast an evening glow onto the sea. There are also rooms with Japanese-style interiors such as tatami mats.

9. Blue Ocean Hotel&Resort MIYAKOJIMA

Blue Ocean Hotel&Resort MIYAKOJIMA is a luxury hotel where all 24 guest rooms are designed with opulence in mind. You can choose between villa-type and hotel-type rooms. The villas come with a private pool and jacuzzi.

The interior is bright and fresh, inspired by the image of Miyako Blue (a nickname of the island that comes from the vivid blue color of the surrounding sea). Feel the sea breeze as it blows through the living room. You can also go out to the terrace and have a bottle of Okinawa’s Orion beer from the mini-bar while marveling at the breathtaking landscape.

The view from the restaurant is also impressive! Over the horizon is the emerald green sea and stretching over the water is the gently curving Irabu Bridge. The creative original dishes they serve fuse Western and Japanese influences and incorporate the local ingredients of Miyako Island, boasting flavors you won’t taste anywhere else! For dinner, try the Miyako beef. 

10. Magachabaru Okinawa

Magachabaru Okinawa is a luxury hotel overflowing in the feeling of privacy that is located in Nakijin Village in the northern part of the main island of Okinawa, known for its lush subtropical greenery. This hotel is recommended for those who want to spend quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Here, the guest rooms are extremely spacious at 135-175 sq.m., and they each have a mini counter and washing machine to make long-term guests more comfortable. The interior walls are bare concrete, while the interior is modern and stylish in design. There's a large private pool, too.

At the restaurant MAGACHABARU, which is exclusive to hotel guests, you can relish dishes made with the freshest local ingredients such as Japanese Black beef and Agu pork. Definitely don't miss out on the dinner offering that fuses Japanese, Western, and Ryukyu flavors!

A Truly Luxurious Vacation at Okinawa

Staying in a high-end hotel where you can have your own private space is a sure way to have a relaxing vacation away from the noise and stress of everyday life. Soothe your tired mind and body by basking in Okinawa’s wonderful, lush nature while staying in a place that feels like a vacation villa. 

 

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