The Beach Resort Sesoko by Hilton Club

The HVGC lounge was handy for self-serve cookies and drinks, and I used it to arrange both a rental car and a taxi back to Naha. There’s no shuttle to the HVGC building itself. A hotel shuttle leaves at 9:30 and takes about an hour and a half to Naha for 2,500 yen, so book ahead and leave enough time for airport check-in and security. A taxi back costs 21,000 yen. The airport pickup was confusing too, since there’s only one shuttle to Sesoko each day. Renting at the airport makes sense; traffic is pretty calm compared with other parts of Japan, and parking at HVGC is free. This review is about the HVGC section, not the hotel. Every room faces the ocean, but there’s no direct path to the beach. You have to walk over to the hotel or ask staff to drive you in a buggy. In the humidity, I was glad to ride. At check-in, they discreetly ask if you want to buy hotel credits. If you do, they add a 15% bonus. You can charge things to your room and it gets adjusted when you leave. The front desk staff also speak English more fluently. For food, there’s a small cafe downstairs, and sometimes a daytime food truck in the lot with Okinawan donuts, soba, or ice cream. AYCE breakfast and dinner are at the hotel; lunch is available there too, but isn’t AYCE. There’s also an Italian place with takeaway pizza and a steak and seafood restaurant. Cold water, ice, and hot water are across from room 2X02, where X is your floor from the second through tenth. There are two washing machines on both the fifth and eighth floors. Pods are provided, and the washers also work as dryers, so there aren’t dryer sheets. Non-Japanese citizens can’t use the resort’s fleet of vehicles. You’ll need an International Driver’s Permit and a rental car. Renting is cheaper from October onward, after summer season. Sesoko is north of Naha and has just one bridge in. You’ll need to cross it to see more of Okinawa. Buses are infrequent, and walking in this weather takes a lot out of you.

Getting around was easy enough: we rented a car at the resort, though you can also pick one up at the airport. The drive from the airport takes about an hour and a half, and there’s an airport shuttle if your flight falls within its operating times. We had such a great vacation. The staff were friendly and helpful around the clock. Ayako and Natsumi especially went above and beyond what we expected. We’d highly recommend this place, and there’s a lot to see on Okinawa.

The views and food were great, though there aren’t many restaurant choices nearby. Cross the bridge toward motobu for a few BBQ spots, or drive 20-30 minutes to Nago. There’s a market and gas station near the bridge, about 5-10 minutes from the hotel. I’d definitely come back, but commuting to and from Naha would be a lot: it’s about a 50-60 minute drive on the toll road, roughly 1610 yen each way.

The staff were lovely, and I don’t blame them for the way things are run, but being charged extra for everything gets old when rooms cost as much as they do. I’d rather have stayed somewhere cheaper and closer to things. We used a family member’s points and came in the off season. That was a mistake. Places were closed all over the island, and the only thing open in this building kept hours of 10-8. There’s a free shuttle, but it runs at most about five times a day. I also got sick after eating at the Italian restaurant. The TV remotes have Netflix and Prime buttons, but I was told I’d need to plug in a Chromecast or Fire Stick to watch anything.