LiVEMAX AMMS CanNa Resort Villa

The room was in such poor shape that we chose to leave. There were rotten patches in the floor, and the bathroom and most of the metal fixtures were badly stained. The rooms looked dilapidated, and the photos online didn't resemble the property or show how bad it was. We even passed a mound of trash on the drive in. Check-in went smoothly, which was about the only part that did. The staff were understanding when we left.

The rooms are basic but roomy, which works especially well for families. The villas have a nice pool and lovely beaches, particularly at low tide, with an easy walk down to the ocean just below the pool. Breakfast at the buffet is worth adding. Beach towels and laundry are available too. It's a bit out of the way, but having a car makes that a plus.

We were here for two nights for a wedding at the nearby church. There was plenty of room for four people, and the washroom had both a tub and a shower. The villa and its furniture weren't especially new, though the cleanliness met Japanese standards. It's a long way from Naha, about a 60-75 minute drive, so it may not suit people without a car.

The pool stayed open until 10 PM, and our night swim there became my most memorable moment in Okinawa. There's not much around the resort, though, so you'll need your own ride. Other restaurants and a CVS are 5-10 minutes away. We came as four families, 13 people in all, and stayed three nights in four rooms. For July-August, when many Okinawa resorts are extremely expensive, this was a reasonable deal compared with other Motobu resorts. The facilities were exquisite, and the amenities were DHC products. There are two restaurants, but they open at different times, so we only tried one, which also served breakfast. Food choices at the resort felt limited. That restaurant only took reservations, and since it couldn't seat all 13 of us together, we split up and went separately. The food was delicious, the staff kind and gentle, and breakfast was nice with a changing menu each day. Reception and concierge service were good, but checking in took a long time because they didn't speak English well and had many questions about the reservation, inquiries, and breakfast time. There weren't many employees, and we saw the same person working at the pool, restaurant, and reception. They multitasked, and mostly managed whatever we asked for.