HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island

Thank you to everyone at Taketomi, especially the people running the transports and shuttles. The staff really made a difference with how dedicated they were. We were lucky to meet «Lilico and Shintaro», who were very professional and gave us such personal attention. They made our stay comfortable and arranged activities. The spa massage sessions were really good too. The surroundings were perfect and our room was really nice. The à la carte menu could have had a bit more variety, but everything we had for dinner and breakfast was delicious. All the restaurant staff were kind and very respectful. Thanks to the whole team!

The main problem was damp and condensation. Stains were obvious on the walls, and a large dehumidifier kept humming away, which spoiled much of the quiet. The staff were friendly but disorganized: nobody met us getting off the ferry, and there was no clear process for checkout, collecting bags, or getting a ride back to the ferry. The setting itself is lovely, with beautiful grounds and a huge pool open around the clock. Our Japanese cabin was large and spacious. It's in a quiet part of southern Taketomi, about a 25-minute walk from the village.

The Terroir meal on our last night was a highlight, with refined dishes made from local ingredients and a thoughtfully paired drinks option. The menu at the hotel's only restaurant had enough variety for our three nights, though I can imagine it getting repetitive on a longer stay. There are several lunch spots in the village, including Kanifu, which we'd recommend, and some also serve dinner without needing too much advance planning. We booked the hotel restaurant ahead after reading reviews that it can fill up. That may not have been necessary, but it let us pick our preferred time rather than risk an early meal or the kitchen being closed. Activities were a good part of the stay. Canoeing in the mangroves on Iriomote Island and snorkeling in the lagoon were trip highlights. We also rented bikes, swam in the pool, and tried local Awamori cocktails in the lounge. After dark, you could see the Milky Way. The island's best beaches are to the west, while Hoshinoya is in the east, so we used the shuttle. The closest beach to the hotel had a lot of plastic washed ashore by currents and tides. It's not the hotel's doing, but working with local authorities on cleanup could help protect the island's nature and habitat. We found the staff friendly, helpful, and cheerful. There were only two groups of native English speakers staying while we were there, but we didn't feel the language barrier affected us. The village-style accommodation was spacious and well appointed, with a welcoming sense of community while still giving us room to enjoy the quiet and serenity. This was our third Hoshinoya stay, after Hoshinoya Fuji and Hoshinoya Okinawa. We spent three relaxing nights here at the end of a two-week East Asia trip, and the slower pace was exactly what we needed after lively Seoul and Hong Kong before heading back to the UK. There was enough to do at the hotel and on the daily activities while still keeping the calm. We'd definitely stay again.

The hot pot in-room dining wasn't available to me as a solo traveler, which felt unnecessarily restrictive. I also found the sun lotion policy baffling: it was complimentary only for parties that included a woman, so as a man traveling alone I couldn't get it. Hospitality shouldn't depend on that. My trip overlapped with a typhoon warning that could have affected both my safety and onward connections, so I left a day early as a precaution. The hotel refused to refund the unused night. Given the serious weather beyond my control, even partial credit or a goodwill gesture would have seemed reasonable. Another disappointment was the traditional Okinawan sailboat Sabani, promoted as a signature activity. You could only request a place after booking, and my reservation was non-refundable. Only then did I learn the activity was full. There was no clear notice before payment, even though it had helped persuade me to choose the property. The stay turned into a frustrating run of disappointments instead of the memorable, authentic Okinawan experience I expected. The hotel promotes experiences it can't provide and sets arbitrary limits on dining and amenities, with little flexibility when safety is involved. I can't recommend it, especially for solo travelers.