Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Kohamajima

The biggest letdown was dining. There was only one restaurant on site, serving the same menu each day for both breakfast and dinner. After three days eating the same buffet, we won't be back. Getting to the town's other restaurants was difficult too: they're about 3 km away, and the hotel didn't provide transport, so you'd need a booking at a restaurant willing to pick you up or you'd be stuck at the resort. It's a small resort in a country club, with a nice beach and golf course. The rooms were a bit old but still in decent shape. Compared with other Risonare properties, there were few activities for kids, and most water sports were outsourced.

Taketomi is lovely, full of flowers, birds, and butterflies. The beach has nice seats and cute little places to hang out, and watching the stars at night is beautiful. We even had dinner on the beach, which was a special experience. The hotel is well located, with comfortable rooms, friendly staff, and thoughtful beach and pool extras like water shoes and floaties. There are star-gazing beds and a beautiful golf course at a discount. Staff kindly take you around by golf cart, electric steps are available on site, and you can rent bicycles to explore the island. The food was tasty and well prepared, but breakfast, lunch, and dinner repeated the same dishes and ingredients each day. Even the beach picnic had the same food. During our four-night stay it got less enjoyable, and there was nothing available from 4 pm until dinner. Restaurant booking times were rigid; sometimes the system showed full when plenty of space was open, so you could end up with an early or late sitting. There's no bar at the pool, or anywhere to go after dinner, though that seems common in Japan. More choice and flexibility with meals would help. Also, the spa facilities were closed, which we hadn't known about and had been looking forward to using. That's why I gave it four stars.

Kohama Island is small and not very populated, and we found it easy to explore. We rented an electric bicycle from the hotel and could go around the island in about two hours. The beach was beautiful, with very clear water. A free shuttle runs between Kohama harbour and the resort, but do check its schedule. There are only a few restaurants in Ishigaki, so I'd suggest having lunch or dinner at the resort. The food was quite affordable and really good. Our room was beautiful, clean, and thoughtfully designed, with a big bathtub. From our room we could see the beach and Ishigaki island. Staff were professional, friendly, and gave each guest great service. Everything about our stay felt perfect. Thank you, Risonare Kohama, for a wonderful visit. We hope to come back.

We had fun here for three nights in a superior room, though this is a smaller resort than most beach resorts in Ishigaki. The room was medium-sized and had a few minor problems: black grime on the outside walls, a slight bathroom smell that was gone by the second day, and a flickering bedside lamp. Lunch and dinner at the restaurant cost extra. The food was excellent quality and still really delicious, even if it wasn't the best tasting food I've had. The rooms are some distance from the beach, so there's a free shuttle at set times. Guests over 12 can also take an electric scooter there.