The Park Hotel Jodogahama — Hotel in Miyako

Hotel staff, especially Maekawa-san, went above and beyond for us when, at the end of our five day stay, our four-year old came down with the stomach bug. They washed and folded our soiled clothes, provided us with thermometers and made sure that we were still able to get dinner, and shuttled us to the Miyako station early. Japanese hospitality is known world-wide and we've never had a negative experience in Japan- what made this experience special is that staff, and Maekawa-san in particular, asked so genuinely about how our child was doing and never made us feel like we were asking too much. We felt truly cared for and the human touch of Maekawa-san meant a great deal to us.

We would recommend a Japanese-style room facing the ocean, as the view is ever-changing and spectacular. The beach is about a 10 min walk down a steep set of stairs and at the bottom is a pathway that curves around the little bay, connecting a several rest houses with restaurants and piers where you can catch various ferry and boat rides to view the rocks more closely. A flock of seagulls follow the boats, as tourists can feed the gulls little rolls. I don't know if this is great for their health but it was fun for me and the family. The water is crystal clear and a bit chilly, but it's also refreshing. Bring water shoes as there are spiky sea urchins around.

The food at the hotel is mostly buffet style and was a delicious mix of Japanese and Western food. The onsen was clean and had an outdoor option which opened on to a lovely view of the rocks. It's a decent six hour trip from Tokyo by train and bus. There's a charming local train from Morioka, but the bus route also runs along a river through beautiful country.

Nearby is a newly built museum dedicated to the Jomon people and there, we also had a wonderful  time with staff. They were so sweet to our kids and we'd love to go back. After the impact that 2011 tsunami had on Miyako, I'd love to see more revitalization in the area and hope that the hotel and...

A special Hotel in a very special place, one of our best stays ever. Prior to our arrival I had arranged with the hotel to be picked up from the station. As promised a taxi arrived and drove ourselves and a couple of other guests the 15 minutes or so to the hotel.||Staff were waiting outside to greet us and show us to reception where checkin was effortless as desk clerk spoke good English. Unusually we weren’t expected to pay or leave a credit card on file, payment is when you leave.||We had booked a suite with sea views primarily because we needed western beds and chairs as we feel that sadly, the days of sleeping on the floor are behind us.||In fact the rooms are described as The Royal Suite and it lives up to its name. There are three large rooms elegantly furnished. The double aspect room with large windows allowed us to appreciate the spectacular views of the bay, An absolute delight was the wet room with its shower and bathing pool, big enough for two, which afforded a view of the bay.||Needless to say everything was spotlessly clean and comfortable, the wifi worked well, but the star of the room was certainly the view and the strange sense of peace and spirituality, which we both felt.||Dinner too was a highlight partly cooked on jot plates at the table it was a feast of food from the sea. We ordered a bottle of white wine to go with the meal. It was Japanese and was, well….. interesting and not unpleasant.||The bed was large and comfortable and the view at night with a full moon sparkling on the sea was amazing.||The weather was cold with snow on the ground so we did not venture down to the beach.||Breakfast was again most enjoyable and all too soon it was time to check out and take the shuttle bus to the station.||Our stay was not cheap, but to put it in context much less than an average room in a Tokyo hotel, but considering the space, the excellent food, the service and above all the sense of peace was well worth it.||A very special...

The location is unbeatable, but this hotel is really relying on that. Everything else about this hotel was disappointing. The service when we checked in was fine, but not particularly welcoming. We had just travelled a very long way (as anyone does to get to Miyako) and were asked about shuttles into town that had to be booked in advance and whether we wanted dinner in the hotel the following night. We really just wanted our room keys and to be able to go to bed.

The rooms felt like no one had really cared for them in a few years. The table had stains on it, the sliding door had damage to it, the bedroom and bathroom had fluorescent lights which were unpleasant and the whole place honestly felt like it needed someone to love it a little bit. The view out the window was a sea view and was obviously completely beautiful.

The breakfast in the restaurant was somewhat disappointing. The lay out of the breakfast made it a bit difficult to figure out a coherent meal, and many of the items just had signage in Japanese and not also in English. The food was fine but not really amazing as one would expect from a hotel like this. The first morning, one of the wait staff was wearing a face mask and coughing and sweating a huge amount which was honestly concerning.

The staff were able to provide me with helpful information on local trains and buses, which was useful for me.

I wouldn’t stay here again, which is a shame because the views from the hotel and the beach are incredible. This hotel could be so good if they invested in loving the...