Hotel Dengan Pools di Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Grand Mercure Okinawa Zanpa Beach truly impressed us with its spacious, comfortable rooms and stunning ocean views. The well-equipped swimming pool and other facilities make it an ideal choice for family trips. The friendly and attentive staff further enhanced our stay, making it a thoroughly satisfying experience.

The check in was very easy, as was finding the location along of the villa on the beach. The condo/villa is absolutely stunning with a view of the ocean that cannot be beat. We appreciated the gorgeous sunsets, the pool and soaking tub on the 2nd floor balcony, and the outstanding views of the beach and island (Yojima) in the distance. The beds were some of the most comfortable we slept in while in Japan. We deeply appreciated the amenities - breakfast and food delivery (sausages, veggies, fresh bread, eggs and drinks) upon arrival, and found the layout of the house was fantastic for our family of 5. With two sleeping areas downstairs (kids), and an upstairs master bedroom (parents), we had MORE than enough space. One thing we would have liked about the location description online is an understanding that there is VERY little near by in terms of restaurants, convenience stores, etc. Depending on the weather, not much is walkable within 15-20 minutes. We ate at the Taco Rice restaurant, and walked 30 minutes to a local supermarket, and we drove the other places we needed to go. Also, the general impression we got from the website was that you can access the beach directly from the villa - sort of a, ”walk out to the sand” idea. You cannot. There is a 6-foot wall that separates the bottom floor of the villa with the actual beach area (needed for water level rising during storms, we get that :))... but there is no way down without jumping, nor a path to the beach (from our #3/C Villa, at least). We ended up jumping down the retaining wall using their small gate, walking around to a local business area that had a clear path, and accessing the beach that way. This was fine, don't get me wrong. Also, while the view is spectacular (and it really is), there is a TON of rebar from a former construction project (unfinished, we asked around) that sticks up out of the ocean at low, or extremely low tide (both of which we experienced while visiting - the extremely low tide happens each new/full moon, we were told). When this occurs, the beach stretches for 550 yards. We were able to ”walk and explore” (careful of course of the coral!), but for 1.5 days, we had a view of tons and tons of rebar sticking straight out of the sand, that stretched for 100s of yards in each direction. Again, this did not ruin anything, but it would be nice to know when booking a pricey room. I think the views are outstanding, given the timing you take the photo :) Overall, we would likely not stay again for the price, but it was a relaxing and splurge-y way to get that Okinawa sunset in at the end of long trip (5 weeks) in Japan. We are grateful for this adventure and my shared experience in this review is simply to help families understand more about the property. We traveled in mid-July. Thank you!

The hotel has a minimalist design. We were upgraded to a lagoon view room, and the water was beautiful on a good day. There are two small, enclosed beaches, but the sea was still quite cold in May. The two pools close early and apparently won't be open late until September. There are a few massage hot spring pools which are quite comfortable. For breakfast, sometimes you have to get a number and wait for a table. The French toast with cream and jam was super delicious, the bread was so soft it melted in your mouth. The pudding bread was also good. Overall, the desserts and bread were outstanding. The dishes varied daily. On the first day, there was freshly grilled steak, and the bitter melon scrambled eggs were very tasty. On the second day, there was Agu pork hotpot.

Although it's an older resort, it's very clean and the service is excellent. As I'm pregnant, I'd requested a non-smoking room in the special requests section. They not only offered valet parking every time but also provided a pregnancy body pillow. It was also great to be able to check room amenities and activity statuses via a QR code in the room. Breakfast was superb!

The staff were really nice. Even though there was a language barrier with the lady downstairs, she was very patient and used a translation app to communicate with us. However, the app wasn't very accurate. When we went upstairs to check in, it turned out there was a ********* person at the front desk, which was great. Still, we had to wait quite a while to check in, even though there was no one else at the desk at the time. The room was pretty spacious, and everything else was fine. The location is also quite convenient, and the restaurant downstairs is good. After checking in, it was past 3 PM, so we went downstairs to eat. The server asked if we wanted the restaurant or cafe. When she gave us the menu, we realized we only had about five or six minutes before lunch orders closed, but they still took our order! The set meal and the beef rice bowl were both really delicious. Definitely worth trying if you're staying here.

An absolutely delightful choice! The room was spacious, with a separate wet and dry area in the bathroom, a tatami zone, a sofa and coffee table, and a large balcony (which even had a patch of soil for planting!). The hotel's outdoor environment is fantastic, featuring a semi-indoor pool, an outdoor infinity pool, and a specially designated beach swimming area. It’s an amazing experience when the weather is good. Since we arrived just before a typhoon, we were lucky enough to book the last snorkeling trip before it hit (you're supposed to book by 4 PM the day before, but the staff probably offered it because all offshore activities were canceled for the next day). Snorkeling was 6000 JPY per person, and they provided masks, snorkels, fins, and life vests. However, they really didn't teach anything else [facepalm emoji]. But when the two guides came into the water to show the kids sea cucumbers and played underwater, hearing their hearty laughter, I quickly let it go. They probably assumed everyone knew how to do it naturally [dog head emoji]. The kids could stay on the floating board, so the safety factor was quite high. There were 7 of us in total for this session, which lasted from 1 PM to just before 2 PM. For beginners, it was a pretty good experience. The next day, due to the typhoon, all facilities except the semi-indoor pool were closed. We booked the limousine bus at the front desk; they helped us purchase tickets, which were cash-only. It goes directly from the hotel to Naha Bus Terminal or the airport, with departures around 9 AM and at 11:31 AM. It took about an hour to get back to the bus terminal, which was much faster than the OAS bus we took on arrival. Overall, extremely satisfied!

The room was incredibly noisy; I couldn't get any sleep. The curtains weren't blackout, and the window faced a busy road, plus the windows weren't soundproof. The entire hotel felt more like an open apartment building, with all areas directly exposed to the outside, meaning no air conditioning in the common areas. The most shocking part was when the staff opened our door before 10 AM, well before check-out time. There was also a mirror with a super bright light that wouldn't turn off, and we eventually had to unplug it. It felt like the photos made everything look great and the facilities were new, but the management was really lacking. Also, everything, contrary to what the pictures suggested, came with an extra charge.

It was the perfect environment for a hotel getaway. Since we had young children, the hotel's pool and activities were excellent and very helpful. We used the buffet restaurant all day, and the availability of sofa seating was a great help! I highly recommend adding Club Savvy benefits. The food and drinks in the lounge and the concierge service were simply fantastic. The exceptional hospitality made me want to return.

I visit Okinawa several times a year, and when my usual hotel was fully booked, I started looking elsewhere. I was drawn in by this hotel's location and newness, so I decided to book it. Upon arrival, the luxurious building really stood out. The moment I entered the room, I knew I'd hit the jackpot! The room itself was fantastic, very spacious, and apparently all rooms come with a washer-dryer and a mini-kitchen. It wasn't just new; the room was decorated in soothing, consistent tones, making for a truly relaxing and wonderful stay. The public bath also provides towels, and the flow from the pool is excellent, making it incredibly convenient for families with children! I used the small gym daily, and it was easy to access with a water cooler available. When I wanted to do some light cooking in the room and asked the front desk for assistance, they immediately brought up plates, knives, pots, pans, spatulas, and a wine opener. Out of all the hotels I've stayed at in Okinawa, this one easily became my favorite! My family and I are already talking about visiting again, and if we like it just as much, we might make it our new regular spot! Regarding operations, I did feel there were still some areas for improvement. Check-in wasn't very smooth, and using the parking lot was a hassle (having to tell the front desk the car number every single time, and it being a multi-story garage meant taking a while to get the car in and out). There was also a delay in getting a response about a lost item. However, considering it's a newly opened hotel and every single staff member was incredibly kind and pleasant, I didn't feel uncomfortable at all during my stay. Thank you for a dream-like time!

The hotel is located on Kouri Island, with a very nice view of Kouri Bridge. The room is large and equipped with cooking utensils. It can accommodate many people. The cleaning time was very random and did not follow the schedule, and the hotel staff came into the room to clean without prior notice. I was a bit dissatisfied. Since I had notified the hotel through Trip.com before departure that I would arrive very late, but when I arrived, I found that the front desk was closed, and there was no prior notice from Trip.com or the hotel about the key collection arrangements, which made my group very panic. Fortunately, I found Trip.com customer service to find the password. Thank you to the customer service and compensation for helping me handle it that day.