Okinawa Oriental Hotel

I stayed here overnight before taking a morning boat from the big Tomarin Takahashi Port of Naha to the tropical islands. The hotel is on a quiet, quaint side street right in front of the port. The area isn’t fancy, but the price is extremely low and reasonable, and having a relaxed evening before an early boat made it well worth it. The rooms are quiet and clean, business-hotel style, with the basics: WiFi, TV, a fridge, a washlet toilet seat, toothbrush and shaving sets, and sleeping pajama Yukata. The air conditioner controls are right by the bed and work very well. Probably best not to open the window, since there are no mosquito nets. There are nice traditional restaurants and a large Aeon supermarket just a few minutes away on foot, handy for buying food to take to the islands. The low price would also make an extra night affordable if high waves kept your ship from crossing the ocean. From here, it’s easy to take the monorail to the city center for shopping, then return to the port area for the night. All the front desk staff were kind and attentive. They kept a non-smoking room for us, even though none had been available when we booked.

I’d planned to stay five nights, but after the first night I wanted to move out. Something near the room, maybe a water pump, made a noise every few dozen minutes and kept waking me. I asked to change rooms. I couldn’t hear the pump in the second room, but cars and motorbikes outside were still extremely loud at night because the windows aren’t soundproof. If you’re after a cheap, old room where you can hear traffic instead of sleeping, this hotel is for you.

For a night near Tomari, this is a comfortable and safe option. It’s an older style of hotel, with a large room and a simple bed and shower. The owner and other guests were friendly and smiled at us. There’s a water cooler on the first floor, and reception sells drinks for VERY cheap.

I only came for the buffet lunch, not to stay overnight. You choose one main dish and can eat as much as you like from the buffet, though the selection is limited. At 2,000 yen per person, it’s a bargain for a hotel lunch buffet. The front desk and dining room staff were very nice.