Hotels met Pools in 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.

The structure of the hotel is old, but the rooms have been updated and were very comfortable and new. I absolutely loved the retro charm of the place and the common areas such as the atrium pool and inside courtyard area were beautiful spaces. What the marketing doesn’t show is the vast open spaces at this hotel, the stunning landscaped gardens and the art-spaces such as artist in residence and exhibition space. I was blown away by this and enjoy a fantastic painting workshop with the artist who focuses on the local flora and fauna of Okinawa. The best point about this hotel is the staff. They are all incredibly lovely. Lisa and another lady name starting with H on front desk especially were so amazing, very helpful! One night there was an error with our dinner and the chef personally came to apologise. He replaced our meal with a local menu which was incredible and after eating he said the bill was on him as a gesture of apology. I was truly touched by this gesture of kindness. Areas for improvement: the kitchen being closed outside of designated times. If you want food at 10am for example, no chance. Also nowhere to buy drinks near the pool and beach. Food options are not great and the buffet is really mediocre. Also, I would expect their approach to sustainability to be better on an island like this. There is an overuse of plastic, especially single use such as straws and each tiny piece of cake at the buffet being individually wrapped. Really no need for that. I do worry where all this plastic is going. Beach is smaller than it looks. Can’t swim, very shallow full of seaweed and dead coral. Very quiet. Very strict lifeguard: no throwing a ball, no jumping, splashing, laughing it seems. We were using an empty bottle to collect water and build a sandcastle -he removed it. No standing on inflatables. No swimming outside of the fenced off area. From what I’ve seen this is an island-wide thing though, not limited to here. Local area: really not much to see and do outside of the hotel.

We arrived almost midnight after a long day, looking forward to a good rest. The room (Deluxe Twin) was okay and comfortable, nothing much to complain about. However, the service was quite disappointing. We booked a Deluxe Twin under one name and naturally expected breakfast for two persons. Upon check-in, we were told breakfast was only for one, and we had to top up more than ¥5,000 for the second person. That was quite a surprise. What made it worse was the receptionist repeatedly making remarks in Japanese mentioning “Singaporean” during the conversation. Even if we didn’t fully understand everything, the tone and body language were uncomfortable and unnecessary. After a long journey, you really hope for warm hospitality — unfortunately, this was not the experience we had. Just sharing our experience.

Outstanding Family Resort Experience We had a wonderful stay and would highly recommend this resort to families visiting Okinawa. The service throughout our stay was excellent. Every staff member we encountered was warm, helpful, and genuinely committed to making our holiday memorable. One of the best decisions we made was purchasing the Savvy Club package. It offered excellent value through discounts on restaurants and activities, and an added bonus was that lunch and dinner were complimentary for children under 12. For families, this made a significant difference and enhanced the overall experience. The range of activities available was truly impressive. Beyond the usual water sports, there were opportunities for snorkeling, diving, and unique marine life programs. Our children especially loved the experiences with the sea turtles and dolphins, which became the highlight of the trip and created memories they will talk about for years to come. Swimming with the dolphins was particularly special and an experience we will never forget. Another standout feature was the indoor water park. It was a huge hit with our children and provided the perfect alternative when the weather was either rainy or simply too hot to be outdoors. Having such a high-quality indoor facility meant there was always something fun for the kids to do regardless of the conditions. What stood out most was the level of care shown by the staff. As we had a very early flight on our departure day, we informed the hotel that we would be checking out before breakfast service started. Without hesitation, they kindly prepared breakfast bento boxes for our family to take with us. It was a thoughtful gesture that perfectly reflected the hotel’s exceptional hospitality. From the facilities and activities to the outstanding service, this was one of our favourite family holidays. The children are already asking when we can come back, which says it all.

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.