Moon Ocean Ginowan Hotel & Residence

It took me a while to choose a hotel in Naha for our 6-night stay. Free parking was a big reason. It was ground-level parking with lots of spaces, more like what you’d find in North America, rather than tricky building parking. The condo had a kitchen, which mattered because my mom loves to cook and needs to. We asked for kitchen supplies at check-in, and they were delivered to the room right away. We were driving and didn’t plan to use the highway. Since Naha’s sightseeing spots are spread out, we wanted somewhere between them, with enough time for day trips and to return the car before our flight. I knew there were some great condo-style hotels farther north, but traffic in Naha was worse than I expected, especially closer to downtown. After spending 30 minutes driving 7 km on a weekday, I was really grateful we chose this place. It was within 30 minutes of the airport car-return location, and a huge duty-free mall and 24-hour grocery store were within walking distance. The grocery store doesn’t take credit cards, by the way. We were on the 3rd floor, so we only had a partial view of the port. That was fine, since the garden view was nice too, and the official website clearly said the price was for floors 3-5. The bathtub was beside the window, so you could enjoy a bit of everything while bathing. A couple of things could be adjusted. Cleaning was every other day, and we ended up with too many pajamas and bottles of water. With room cleaning often limited these days, I don’t think those need replacing every day. There was also a nice, quiet lounge on the second floor where you could get coffee and tea from around 10 to 6, I think, so cleaning every three days would be enough. The toilet and bathtub weren’t separate, which wasn’t a problem for us, but there was no separate shower space. You had to shower in the tub, which was too high for an elderly person to climb in and out of without steps or a stool. There was a staff member stationed on the open front porch. It had a roof, but was about 80% exposed to wind and rain. They were helpful with unloading luggage and showing us to the front desk, probably part of Japanese hospitality, but it was impossible to miss the entrance and there were luggage carts right there. I don’t see the point of having someone stand outside in those conditions. When I try on shoes in a department store, I don’t expect the salesperson to kneel or put them on for me. One day the weather was really bad, and I couldn’t bear seeing a staff member about my father’s age standing in the rain and wind. All in all, it was a great stay for the price. I’d definitely choose this hotel/condo again, and highly recommend it to people who drive.

The room was clean and nice, with a beautiful harbour view. It could use a bit of a makeover, but it was still pleasant to spend time in. The location was pretty accessible, and the beach was about a 5-10 minute walk away. It wasn’t right on the beachfront, and traffic could get a little noisy sometimes. The ocean-view balconies face the main road too. Even so, it was good value for the price, maybe because we went in low season.

I liked having a 24-hour UNION supermarket less than a three-minute walk away. You can borrow cooking utensils from the front desk and make food in the room. Just bear in mind the parking area is uncovered, so you'll get wet if it rains.

There are two grocery stores and a few restaurants right next door, and parking is plentiful. Every room has a lovely ocean view, and the sliding glass window does a good job keeping street noise out. The rooms are roomy, with a sofa bed in the living area, so they work for short or longer stays. It's around 15-20 minutes from Naha airport depending on traffic, and Kadena air base is about a 30-minute drive in moderate traffic.