Onna Spa Hotels

"I come to Okinawa almost every winter for vacation and have stayed at many ocean-view hotels here. Halekulani Okinawa stands out for both its significant strengths and weaknesses. **Pros:** (1) As a newly built hotel, the facilities are much newer than other hotels. The rooms even have smart tablets to conveniently book restaurants and check out various amenities. (2) Although the restaurant prices are noticeably higher than other hotels, the quality of both the buffet and à la carte restaurants, and even room service, is excellent and worth the price. (3) The service is very good. If you're taking public transportation when checking out, they'll even provide a car to take you to the station. (4) If you skip breakfast, you can change it to lunch, which is convenient for those who like to sleep in. **Cons:** This seems to be a common issue with Western hotel brands. Halekulani Okinawa, along with two other Hilton hotels here, shares the following problems. I believe this might stem from differences in Western brands' operational philosophies. However, for a hotel like Halekulani, which costs more than double other ocean-view hotels, these shortcomings are quite unacceptable. (1) The hotel lacks a well-stocked convenience store and souvenir shop. Other Japanese-owned ocean-view resort hotels usually have one or two such stores with a wide variety of items. Here, there's only one shop selling some Halekulani branded merchandise and a very limited selection of ”eco-friendly, natural” snacks, with hardly any beverages. If you want something to eat, you have to walk a few hundred meters outside the hotel to a chain convenience store. (2) The mini-bar drinks in the room are chargeable, and the prices are 4-5 times higher than at outside convenience stores. Considering this hotel is 2-3 times more expensive than others, and many other hotels often offer free mini-bars, this difference is quite significant. The main issue is the lack of an internal convenience store, forcing guests to frequently go out to a convenience store a few hundred meters away for a wider selection of drinks and snacks. Not to mention, it's truly unpleasant to go out when it's rainy or windy. For someone like me who enjoys staying at a comfortable and convenient hotel for several days or even a week, it's hard to stay long if a resort can't meet all my needs in one place. (3) The price for the self-service laundry and dryer (700/800 JPY) is also about three times higher than at other local ocean-view hotels (200/300 JPY). While the hotel's price is more than double that of others, the convenience and comfort aren't significantly higher (aside from newer facilities). Coupled with a mini-bar and self-service laundry that are several times more expensive, and the need to go outside to buy necessities due to the lack of an on-site convenience store, it feels like they're trying too hard to squeeze every penny. It's more suitable for a short, 'check-the-box' experience rather than a prolonged, relaxing stay. The quality of the seawater is also just average compared to hotels in Onna Village and Cape Zanpa."