Hotel Terbaik dengan Gimnasium di Ibusuki

I write this in the midst of the great pandemic of 2019-2022 ? I was fortunate enough to squeeze through the stringent Covid protocols to enter Japan for a brief period of time during December of the year 2021. I had always wanted to see Southern Kyushu, and so we were looking for a centrally located place on the southern peninsula. The Iwasaki Hotel looked fantastic on the brochures and website but was at a much lower price point than the more opulent Ibusuki Hakusuikan. We booked a triple room on the 5th floor of this curvy retro futuristic behemoth and settled in to its aging but comfortable rooms. Looking more like a hotel befitting the coast of Kā‘anapali, there is definitely a Hawaiian vibe to the meticulous tropical landscaping and room appointments. Devoid of tourists, the emptiness of this vast hotel was a little spooky. In its heyday one could imagine hordes of happy Japanese vacationers taking in the endless venues for activities like black sand “bathing” golfing, huge natural looking pools surrounded by tropical foliage and a HUGE arcade of noisy, brilliantly lit games of every sort and color. There is a virtual shopping mall in the basement with locally produced omiage and clothing shops to suit any taste in fashion. There is even a full sized bowling alley ! The weird part was that despite every shop being fully staffed, there were absolutely no customers. Each time we would walk by, the staff looked eager even if we took a passing interest in their wares. I almost felt sorry that I couldn’t load up my suitcase with useless trinkets just to give them a sale. The vast dining room was beautiful. With a extensive wall of windows facing the sea, the views were spectacular and the staff very attentive to our every need. We had a very nice yaki niku dinner with a wide assortment of Kobe beef and seafood. The Kirin Ichiban was icy cold. Sure this place is showing it’s age. I’m not sure how long they will be able to stay in existence without a serious influx of money and tourists, but it was a very interesting time capsule of Japan’s opulent heyday of excess. It’s definitely worth a stay unless you’re fearful of long dark hallways of empty rooms, rusting spiral staircases, and spookily silent bowling alleys. PLEASE go visit this place. The grounds are gorgeous, the staff are attentive and the rooms are clean with beautiful views toward the sea. This place won’t be around for long unless YOU come to visit !