Mikazuki Sea-Park Hotel Katsuura

The view from the higher floors is incredible. Even when the sky is cloudy, the beach has an eerie aura that adds to the atmosphere. The buffet hall is lavish and inviting, and I’d recommend trying either breakfast or dinner. The stay felt worth the money at this magical hotel. The one problem was that my room was quite far from the central building, so the Wi-Fi connection was horrible.

The breakfast buffet was a treat, especially the unexpected free-flow sashimi. Three kinds of sashimi, how extravagant! There’s free parking for hotel guests, and the beach is close by. It’s the largest resort in the area, with two floors of spa facilities and two floors of Japanese-style public baths for relaxing. Rooms also have USB Type-A ports.

The sauna was great and properly hot, which is hard to find in Japan. The pool, though, was the pool from hell: crowded and packed with kids. I also paid for all-you-can-eat and wasn’t impressed, it felt like an all-day breakfast at a family restaurant. The place itself was nice enough.

Aqua Palace needs serious renovation. The decor and lights are falling apart, some spa jets don’t work, and both the atmosphere and music are pretty bad. I went there hoping to relax and soak after traveling, but the amenities don’t really match what the hotel website advertises. I also wish the windows were fog-proof so you could see the ocean from the baths. There were no signs or explanations in English or any language besides Japanese. I’m giving it 2 stars because I only needed somewhere to soak, but I wouldn’t recommend going.