Tabinoteitaku OkinawaNaha

Having a whole room to yourself makes it easy to relax, and the washer and dryer with detergent were handy. Still, I'm not sure I'd choose this place again, since it feels like a risky setup. It's unmanned, and cancellation fees have to be paid in advance, about a month ahead. Guests are left to handle various risks themselves. If a typhoon is forecast in Okinawa, even when it's not expected to make a direct hit and flights are still running, you probably can't cancel. Depending on your plans, you may want to change destinations when a typhoon is predicted.

The bathroom and living room were roomy, and for two nights it felt like good value. The main issue was the double bed, which was extremely narrow. We're 165-170 cm tall and weigh 60 kg, and even turning over was a squeeze...😓😓 There was no housekeeping either, so we had to gather and pack all our own trash, which was a little inconvenient.

We had a clean, quiet family room with a kitchen, washer and laundry machine, separate bathroom and toilet, and separate bathtub and shower. Getting in was a whole ordeal, though. This is an unmanned guesthouse, and you need a six-digit check-in number in advance to use the tablet at the entrance. We hadn't received one and nearly couldn't check in. A kind Japanese neighbor helped us get in touch, and after about an hour we finally made it to the room. We later got the owner's email address, but email was the only way to contact them, and messages and replies were delayed.

Kokusai Street, Naminoue Beach, and several other sights are within walking distance, so the location is handy. MaxValu is only three minutes away on foot, and there are plenty of restaurants, which made a four- or five-night stay easy. Families can use the nearby park and playground, but rental bikes don't have child seats, so you'd need a taxi or the Yui Rail to get around. The room had a couple of irritating issues: the vacuum bag was full, suction was weak, and there were no spare bags. The toilet wipes in the box were dried out and crusty, which made me question whether the toilet gets cleaned regularly. Also, despite being on the fifth floor, there was no ocean view.