Rizzan Sea Park Hotel Tancha Bay

The western-style dinner buffet was much better than the Japanese barbecue restaurant. We’d booked through Booking.com with breakfast and dinner included, and paid for a corner room with an ocean view. The view in the video says it all, but we didn’t ask to switch since we were only there for two nights over a holiday weekend. The walls and floors are very thin: a big group upstairs ran around until 10:30 PM. We weren’t trying to sleep yet, but it was still surprising. Between lunch and dinner, there was only one small dessert café open where we could hang out, and its ocean view was just mildly decent. Otherwise, I can’t complain about the room.

The food was a real highlight, especially the high-quality buffet with Okinawan specialties and delicious bread baked right at the hotel. There’s a lovely beach in front of the restaurants, plus a walkway above it that leads to the wedding space. The heated indoor and outdoor pools are clean and roomy. The rooms and resort are a little dated, but the rooms are spacious and I had a great experience overall.

My room was really nice, but the service was appalling and I wouldn’t stay here again. I love the area, though, so if I came back I’d probably choose the Sheraton next door, even if it costs a little more. I’d take that over bad service. Nobody offered to take my bags, or explained that it was an option, and I had to ask about activities and amenities too. I only learned about those from a brochure I picked up while waiting to check in. When I lost one of my two keycards on the beach, the woman at the front desk sent me asking at every amenity desk before helping. Then she said I’d have to wait for someone to turn it in. When I asked what if nobody did, she basically shrugged it off. Thankfully, the woman who checked me in noticed I was irritated, came over, and immediately sent someone to let me into my room. I don’t know if I was treated this way because I’m not Japanese, or because I’m young and alone, but the whole experience felt ridiculous. This felt more like a three-star hotel than a properly run four- or five-star one.

There’s a lot to do here, from the game room and indoor pool to the spa, restaurants, and outdoor activities. The rooms are large, and the price is good, so it’s a solid choice for families. They’re old, but I liked the nostalgic feel, like the 90s, when things weren’t all high tech. The one thing I wish were better is the Wi-Fi. It was slow and inconsistent in my room.