Villa Amalfi Palm Springs Miyakojima Resort

The rooms are nice, the location is pretty good, and there are free bikes at the property. But our airport transfer request for 18.00 wasn’t understood, so we had to find and book a taxi ourselves at the last minute. That was stressful.

Palm Springs Miyakojima Villa Resort has very capable staff, and you’ll be in good hands there. It felt like a comfortable place for Western guests, such as Europeans and No Americans, with an authentic Japanese-style bathroom as well as a separate stand-up shower booth. Breakfast is served at the restaurant beside the guest service center. This was our first trip to Miyakojima, and we stayed four nights in the Malibu Villa at the start of our vacation. There were five of us: two grandparents, two parents and our four-year-old son. The villa is a single-family home and was brand new. The bedrooms are upstairs, with big twin beds tall enough even for my six-foot husband. The air conditioners worked really well, and our little guy loved the two swings in the living room. A nice little touch.

Having a clean washer-dryer, toaster oven, fridge, and toilet made the stay easy, and the room had more space than I expected. I could spread my suitcase out on the shelf under the wall-mounted TV. The location was great for getting to Irabu Island, too. We borrowed bikes for free in the evening and rode into Hirara for dinner. Being able to stop at different spots was fun, though the hills were tiring. I’d suggest biking in cooler weather, since midsummer could be rough. Bikes are available until checkout, when available. The bathroom only has a shower, and I wish the shower head could be replaced. There’s no pajamas, so bring your own.

I spent three nights on Miyakojima and booked this place for the final night. The location and breakfast were excellent, and the in-room washing machine, bathroom dryer function, and freezer made the facilities feel well equipped. Staying here longer as a base could mean packing less. My main room complaint was that the air conditioning didn’t seem effective. I also found the shower head clogged, which made it hard to wash properly, despite the hotel being fairly clean. The shuttle request was frustrating. I’d first said I didn’t need one, but then realized the rental car couldn’t fit both the people and our luggage. I asked about a shuttle at around 5:20 p.m. and was told reservations had to be made by 5 p.m. the day before. I hadn’t been told about that cutoff, and thought dispatching a car within 20 minutes might be possible. The receptionist handled it rigidly and didn’t even check.