Crown Hotel Okinawa Annex

For a long stay, this hotel offers a lot for the price: a carpeted 20m² room, which is larger than most budget city options, plus a 7-eleven on the ground floor. The area is quiet and good for concentrating. It also has many of the usual amenities found at other Japanese hotels, including ice machines, a fridge, and decent internet. The bed is somewhat firm and the pillows are just okay, but that wasn't a big deal. The main downside is the remote front desk and the lack of a waiting area for check-in. It's often unmanned, so with the front door locked you may have to wait for service. Checking in through a travel agent like trip.com can be inconvenient because the entry details needed to check in arrive by email.

The hotel was very quiet, and I was able to get work done on my computer efficiently. I didn't see any foreign tourists or even Japanese people during my stay, perhaps because of the location. It's in a love hotel district, about a five-minute drive from Aeon Ryukyu Rycom, so having a car makes getting there much easier. There are roughly 20 parking spaces, both in front of the hotel and in a section of the wedding venue across the street. A convenience store on the first floor is useful. The self check-in was a first for me, despite staying in hotels about 30 nights a year, and I found it interesting. The entrance needs a PIN or key card. Check-in is done on a tablet, followed by a video call with an operator after you enter your details. I thought it was a good hotel if all you need is a place to stay.

We got to the hotel around 7 PM, and both tablets failed when we tried to check in. We restarted the process four times, called staff, and even tried to explain things over video using a translator, but still couldn't get help. With no one at the hotel, we had to wait for a technician to come fix the tablets and room keypad. It took a full hour and 30 minutes before we finally got our room key. Extremely disappointing. If you're checking in, be prepared for no one to be there to assist you.