Culture11495734472
28 Jun 2023
I don’t know where to begin with this. We’d been to Ishigaki Island before but wanted to try somewhere more isolated this trip so booked in a few days at Hoshinoya Taketomi. It was incredible. The pick up at the port is efficient and fast. The arrival and welcome is like a warm tropical hug. Aya who greeted us and checked us in was so delightful and explained absolutely everything we needed to know. She was a real star throughout our trip and a testament to Hoshinoya’s impeccable levels of service. You get driven around the site on golf buggies which I always enjoy - although I felt guilty making the team carry my heavy suitcases around (I stopped them when I could!) The rooms are individual Okinawa-style houses and they are what really makes Hoshinoya special. You get a home away from home that is exquisitely designed, modern yet traditional, private, and well-equipped. The bedroom has an incredibly large bed that makes it easy to sleep. The bathroom is huge and really makes you want to spend time in it. We did in-room dining a couple of times and it is definitely not room service. It is next level. As guests stay in proper homes it really feels special. The menu features mainly Okinawa Japanese favourites and they’re all great. We had the beef sukiyaki on the last night which was one of the best meals of my life. The pool is a really unique feature of the property. It’s huge! The photos we saw online don’t do it justice - it is so welcoming and fun to spend time in. The only thing I wish they has was a way to have drinks outside by the pool - which is currently difficult given the issue the island has with overly friendly crows (Hoshinoya is apparently getting a hawk to deter them though). The lobby where guests congregate is a real centre of the hotel. They run lots of guest activities here such as daily Okinawan music shows, awamori tastings, and more. You can also get complimentary coffee, juices etc here. It’s great. The gift shop in it is awesome, too. The property is located within walking distance of everything on the island - although they run all sorts of convenient shuttle services to and from the beaches and central village. I really didn’t want to check out of this place that really felt like heaven on earth. I’d love to get back there someday. Thank you to the whole team - especially Aya and Yuki!
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