Hoshino Resort Iriomote Island Hotel

During this season, the lobby of Iriomote Island Hotel was filled with the scent of peach vine. While it does not offer the all-inclusive, attentive service found at Resort Hotels on Okinawa Main Island or Miyako Island, Iriomote Island Hotel has its own unique comfort and is surrounded by magnificent nature. Once again, we were able to fully enjoy the scenery and atmosphere that can only be experienced here.

If you’re looking for international high-end in-room amenities and highly attentive, luxury-style service, some hotels on Okinawa’s main island or Ishigaki Island may be a better fit.That said, a simple comparison is difficult. When spending time on vacation, feeling “at ease” matters most of all, and this hotel’s approach—quietly blending into the World Heritage-listed natural surroundings—is truly commendable.What stands out in particular is that right near the hotel you can enjoy the Milky Way and shooting stars, reefs that can only be crossed at low tide, and walks through mangroves.One thing to note: these experiences are heavily weather-dependent. I strongly recommend staying multiple nights rather than just one. In my case, the weather improved from the second night onward, and I was able to see spectacular meteors.Also, it felt like the staff enjoy these activities as a personal passion rather than simply as part of tourism; sharing more of that local knowledge would be especially appreciated by guests staying longer.One tall staff member who seemed to play ball sports provided genuinely wonderful, comfortable hospitality throughout this vacation. Having memorable staff like this is another reason well worth choosing this hotel.