Miyako Resort Shima Bayside Terrace

The room was the biggest letdown. Our renovated Deluxe Twin had a color scheme that suited Ago Bay and a comfortable bed, but the bathroom and toilet looked untouched. Their dated style clashed with the rest of the room, and the bathroom had a lingering sewage smell. It wasn't a cleanliness problem, but seemed tied to the aging building. Without major work on the bathroom, toilet, and plumbing, it would be hard to fix. For a property in the Kintetsu Group, one of Japan's largest private railway groups, that felt unreasonable given the price. I hope other travelers pay attention to what to expect from the bathroom and toilet. Maybe I notice this more as a foreigner, but I've found people often don't pay much attention to them. We chose MIYAKO Ressort Shima Bayside Terrace after looking at other reviews and considering its mid-to-high price range. I booked a Deluxe Twin Room with two meals. Dinner at Marena Shima was a French feast with Ise lobster, abalone, Matsusaka beef, and venison, costing over 60,000 yen. A coupon brought it within my budget, so I decided to book. The staff were a bright spot from the start. Someone helped with our luggage before check-in, and the front desk team were polite and welcoming. Dinner was better than I expected and not as bad as some reviews suggested, with attentive, thoughtful service. Breakfast was expensive, but had lots of variety, tasted good, and felt carefully prepared. With the staff and restaurant food in mind, I wouldn't rate the stay below three. Without those, I would.

We had a great time wandering around the beautiful hotel and taking photos. The lobby shop had some cool handmade things, and the amenities were really good quality. Dinner and breakfast were both super delicious. We'd love to come back in summer.

It feels like Europe in Mie, and the service was some of the best I've had in Japan, where the standard is already high. There's not much else to do nearby, so I'd take off points for the location, but the hotel itself is nice and easy to enjoy as a stay on its own. The free shuttle to the station also saves you taxi money.

We came for the pool, but it was closed, even though it was full of clean water and they were cleaning it. Breakfast was frustrating too. If one person wants Japanese breakfast and the other wants Western, they won't let you sit together, even when it's because of a dietary restriction. Ridiculous. No flexibility.