Seaside Hotel The Beach — Hotel in Chatan

First of all, the name of the hotel is a little misleading. Calling something "The Beach" when in fact there is no beach seems a little like false advertising. Granted, there used to be a beach there - the 96th Infantry Division landed there on 1 April 1945 - but now it's all concrete. Still, if you had an image of a strip of sand where people can sunbathe or play volleyball, you would be disappointed. That having been said, it is near (though not ON) the water. It seems like it would be a very good location if you were planning to go scuba diving. In fact, they have their own dive shop, and run trips to the Kerama Islands. This was only one of a number of dive shops (and hotels) along the strip of land that used to be beaches. We didn't dive on this trip, so can't evaluate the dive shop, but will probably come back in the summer when the water is warmer (22° in winter, 29° in summer - big difference). The other thing not really mentioned on the website is the general noise level of the neighborhood. It's loud. This has nothing to do with the residents or other guests, but from the fact that the hotel is located at the end of the runway on Kadena Air Base. This means that from morning until evening there is a constant stream of F-15s taking off, landing, and circling. This is very cool if you like high-performance fighter aircraft - less so if you're trying to have a quiet conversation. The hotel itself was fine. The rooms were nice and very clean. The beds were comfortable. There was sufficient lighting, and the temperature was nice. There was a refrigerator in the room, as well as a hotplate so you could cook things if you wanted to. It was not incredibly convenient to the island's tourist attractions (aside from diving), but was only a 15-minute walk from a bus stop (several buses, including bus 120, which gets you to/from the airport for 820 yen) that could get you around the island without too much trouble, assuming you have a lot of time. It was only a short ride to restaurants and movie theaters. Breakfast was included in the rate. This was served at a restaurant on the 5th floor, and included scrambed eggs (cooked in oil, not butter, so not very good), something attempting to masquerade as bacon, and two small hot dogs pretending to be sausage. They also had corn flakes, miso soup, yogurt, and coffee (surprisingly, no fruit or juice). The point here is, don't be sucked in to paying the extra 2,000 yen for breakfast - it's better to just go to Family Mart or one of the many other nearby convenience stores and have a pastry and a coffee there. Lesson learned. This having been said, I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again, especially if I were scuba diving. The room was very pleasant and we really had no difficulties...

First of all, be clear that this is a budget hotel ("budget" by Japanese standards, of course). You will not get all the bells and whistles of an upmarket chain. Furthermore, the trip from lobby to room gives the impression of a motel rather than hotel - if it's raining you'll likely get wet on your way to breakfast in the morning. ||||That said, this is a good place to stay. The room was large, spotlessly clean and well-appointed. Heating and A/C were quite efficient and the shower was fantastic. The beds were fantastically comfortable as well. There is TV and safe, hairdryer and internet cable (no WiFi in rooms, though). ||||Breakfast is Japanese style, not really to my tastes but fairly good nonetheless. The food at dinner was not bad but a little pricey for what you got, though the cheap Asahi during happy hour made up for it.||||As another reviewer has said this is very close to the Kadena Air Base and you can watch the military aircraft coming in to land. It can occasionally be noisy during the day but the flights stop between dusk and dawn and I experienced no problems with noise.||||Overall,...

The Hotel is well kept and the rooms are clean, neat, and tidy, well appointed and comfortable & is surrounded by many scuba diving businesses. Has to be the best location in Chatan-cho.The view from the Hotel is best seen from the buffet-dining room on the top floor, where there is even an open spa for you to lay back and enjoy the view across the roof tops, and the bays. Breakfast is very generous and is buffet style, and is Japanese or/& Western – and has to be the best value and the best miso soup ever - all for a mere 1000 Yen. Free of charge from the reception is a small router for wi-fi in your room – very effective : be aware though the cleaners will only clean if you hand in your one and only key to the front reception - and they will replace only what you have used. This was not a major problem, because down below, cheap food and drinks of every kind are available everywhere around the immediate premises and foreshore. The front doors are locked after 11pm, but there is a back entrance/exit that is...