Amami Resort Basyayamamura

We hired a car for the ten days we stayed. Our children and grandchildren live on the island and recommended this hotel. The island has plenty to see, including a great museum, a very good art gallery, wonderful beaches, cafes and restaurants, and striking mountain scenery. The weaving workshop and showroom is incredible, famous across Japan for its astonishing kimono fabric and astronomical prices. Don't miss the Snake display shop. We loved the island. The weather is good year-round, though typhoons are common in September and October. We arrived from Tokyo at the end of a typhoon, unsure if the plane would land, and ours was the first to arrive in some days. The whole island had no electricity. The hotel was understandably in rough shape: the pool was full of sand, palm trees had been torn out, and some buildings were damaged. Its restaurant had flooded and was closed when we arrived, but reopened a couple of days later. The beach was beautiful, with a dive shop and watersports center, and staff and contractors were working hard to repair the beach, plants, and trees. There's a small shop on site. The tropical-style restaurant serves good Japanese and Western food. This is a Japanese-style hotel, with most guests coming from mainland Japan. The rooms are quite small, with Western beds and a toilet and shower cubicle; to my mind, the hotel felt a little tired. There’s a modern new building next door that I think is part of the hotel, but it was closed. Guests seem to like the onsen-style spa and bath. The rates are good, lower than most hotels on the island. Staff were friendly and helpful, though English was limited, and my wife speaks a little Japanese. We visited in October 2018.

The ocean-side scenery and location make it a decent place for families with children to enjoy the sea. For others, it could be a bit disappointing. The furniture felt very cheap and inconvenient, and I wouldn't stay again. The powder area was tiny, with almost no mirror space. The doors made noise whenever people opened or shut them, disturbing others who were sleeping. The public bath also had little room for several people. The culture village wasn't open while I was there, and might only be open in the hot season.

We liked the beachside restaurant so much that we came back the next day. The view was relaxing, the food was good, and we ordered lobster sashimi both times. Yummy!

The room was spacious, with a pool at the center of the resort and the beach just a few steps away. There’s also a public bath or onsen you can use.