Days 4 to 6: Hotel JAL City Naha
Once happily sated with yummy ice-cream in our tummies, we headed to our hotel: Hotel JAL City Naha. I'd be honest. Given that we were to spend our last 3 nights in the same hotel, Hotel JAL City Naha was not my first choice. I had my sights on another hotel touted to have the best breakfast buffet in Naha city, but that one was fully booked.
Nevertheless, by the end of our trip, we were quite pleased with the hotel's location and mom even expressed that the next time she returns to Okinawa, she would want to come back to this hotel.
Hotel JAL City Naha is situated right smack in the middle of Kokusai-dori Street, the main shopping street in Naha. There's absolutely no way you can miss it from the main street, at least not with that walkway boldly advertising the entrance. And if by any chance you do miss it, then look out for the display windows of the Coach outlet store.
I had no idea when I made the booking that the hotel housed one of mom's favourite brands within its premises. Walk into the hotel via the main street entrance, turn and you'll be at the entrance to the Coach outlet store. In fact, the hotel reception was even further in from the store. Staying at the hotel also gave us an additional discount coupon which mom happily utilised later the next morning after our check-in.
By the time we reached the hotel, it started to rain and the winds were getting strong. Reception was however a warm, friendly welcome and staff were really quick to assist us in transporting our luggage from the vehicle and out of the rain. Even the interior of the hotel felt cozier and everything and everyone felt like warm sunshine amidst the grey skies gloom and cold.
Check-in was a breeze since the reception staff spoke English and in no time, we were in our room putting down all our bags and luggages.
Likewise, the bathroom was small but just spacious enough without feeling too cramped. The only complaint I really have, is that I have to climb into the bathtub just to shower. It can be quite hazardous for my elderly parents and clumsy me.
My mom is someone who insists on having breakfast in the hotels that we stay. She really loves her breakfast buffets. Hence even though we were on the main shopping streets where food (and breakfast) is aplenty to be found, we had our breakfast all in the hotel.
The breakfast buffet spread while not huge, was decent enough. We had the typical cold stations of hams and salads, then the hot stations with the eggs, sausages and local Okinawan dishes, the fruit section and beverages. Nothing terribly exciting to wow about in that sense, but decent and yummy enough to still sate the morning appetite.
What really pleased the parents with this hotel, was its location. Apart from the Coach outlet store (and hotel discount), mom was so happy to find out that her favourite Ichiran ramen store was just a few steps away. When we ventured out that rainy night we checked in, and upon her discovery, mom refused to let us move further and decided that dinner would be her favourite ramen. Subsequently, later in the trip, she even went back a second time just to have her fill of the ramen.
Apart from Ichiran, the Yu rail, Don Quijote, etc were all within walking distance of the hotel. In the short 3 days that we were there, my parents got confident enough to venture out on their own. In fact, my mom claimed that the street was simple enough with sufficient landmarks that she knew how to get around on her own. And that's precisely what she did one morning, walk out on her own to the market to get fresh fruits!
And like I mentioned earlier in this post, she's already decided that she'll be back staying in this very hotel the next time she's back in Okinawa for the Churaumi Aquarium.
Tourist Information
Hotel JAL City Naha
Address: 1 Chome 3-70 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa 900-0013
Tel: +81 98-866-2580
Website: https://www.naha.jalcity.co.jp/
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