OMO5 Okinawa Naha by Hoshino Resorts

With small kids, expect some complications. Kids stay free, but there’s no breakfast included for them, no paid kids’ meals, and no cribs or bed rails or gates. Breakfast also has a strict 09:30 cutoff. We arrived six minutes late and were first turned away, then got takeaway boxes after pushing a bit. Parking needs a payment top-up each day too, which is inconvenient. Staff were kind, though their English was limited. The hotel is central and easy to reach, and the rooms were spotless, medium-sized, and had limited storage. The beds were comfortable, the bathroom was excellent with great water pressure, and there were no noise issues. The Japanese tatami-inspired design is stylish and cozy, and our four-year-old loved the room with the double floors. If you speak Japanese and are okay with very policy-driven service, it seems great for couples.

The workspace on the second floor has charging points, which makes the hotel appealing for remote work. There are luggage lockers for temporary storage, though early check-in isn’t allowed. The design is stylish and looks like the photos, and the service was responsive despite the language barrier. I do wish the room packages were more flexible. It’s currently breakfast included or not, and that seems awkward for longer stays. Someone staying a week or two probably won’t want the same breakfast every morning, but might still like to have it occasionally. OMO5 is on a main road with lots of other hotels nearby, which presumably helps keep prices competitive for guests.

The hotel puts on some guest experiences, including a nightly market in the lobby and occasional performances on the second floor. The rooms are modern and, by Japanese hotel standards, a reasonable size, with everything we needed. Staff were friendly, helpful, and accommodating. Laundry was the frustrating part: there are too few washers and dryers, so getting it done while other guests are using them can be a challenge. There’s an extra “ac” in the room if you tend to run warm, though I’d ask for another fan if they can provide one. Overall, a great place.

There’s lots of food around, and though there are plenty of bars near the hotel, we didn’t see many drunk people. The shopping district is about a 12-minute walk away. The rooms are typical Japanese hotel size, but our loft worked well with kids. Great location.