Yamagata Ryukyu Hatago Onna Bokairo

From the pool, we could take in the sunset and the stars, which was lovely. We rented the whole house for a July stay with our family of four. The kitchen is small and there's no dining table, so a full meal is awkward, though it works fine for fruit or prepared snacks. With the house up in the mountains, insects are to be expected, but we found a few centipedes indoors too. We caught them when we saw them, but I wish there were some other way to keep them out. There weren't any slippers, and walking barefoot felt scary.

It's in a quiet spot partway up a mountain road, roughly a ten-minute walk from the beach and izakaya. I think there was a convenience store nearby too, and a supermarket is just a few minutes away by car. At night, the lack of streetlights made walking feel a bit unnerving. The whole place has a stylish, resort-like feel, with a pool, a relaxing living room, an Okinawan-style Zama, and lots of art that gives it a mysterious atmosphere. There's a jacuzzi in the bath, and one bedroom seemed to have a queen bed. But the upkeep let it down: ants were all over the entrance and pool area, rubbish was scattered around, and some shoji screens were torn. I tried calling the property manager that day but couldn't get through. There was a mosquito net over the bed, though I noticed lots of dead bugs on it, and oddly, no toothbrush among the amenities. I just didn't feel very comfortable. It's a shame, because the property has a lot going for it. If they could sort out those issues, I think it'd be a five-star stay.

The facilities themselves were quite good, especially the living room, toilet, bathroom, and tatami room. We came for a multi-generation family trip, but the check-in left a bad first impression. We arrived around 3:10 for the 3 PM check-in and the cleaning still wasn't done. I understand people do the cleaning, but there were two kids inside drinking something, presumably the cleaners' children, and we were told it would take another five to ten minutes. When I asked about a later checkout to make up for the delay, they said it was possible for an extra fee through the management company, even though we were the ones kept waiting. After settling in, we found several things that bothered us: there was no regular frying pan, just an egg pan and a deep pan; the rice cooker had no rice paddle; there was some half-used ice in the freezer, probably left from a convenience store; and an unidentified toothbrush was sitting in the dish rack. There were so many things to point out that everyone was shocked. The pool might also bother people who don't like insects. There's lots of grass around, and little gnats kept getting in, making it feel a bit iffy to float in the water. It's a shame, because the place has good facilities. Everyone said they wouldn't stay here again.

The villa was comfortable for our group of 11 over three days and two nights. We had planned to BBQ, but the area was dirt and had lots of centipedes, so with small kids along we decided against it. A bigger BBQ space with a concrete floor would be a great improvement. If they fixed that, it'd be perfect.