SEAWOOD HOTEL

The free-standing Villa House on Kurima Island and the Shuri House hotel wing

SEAWOOD HOTEL is a 169-unit resort on Kurima Island, reached from Miyakojima via the Kurima Bridge. Guest accommodations fall into two broad types.

The first is the free-standing Villa House, 107 units modeled on the idea of a "house." All are suites, and 102 units come with a private pool and 5 with a jacuzzi. The most common type, the Premier Pool Villa House (86 rooms), has a building area of 73 square meters, a plot of 149 to 311 square meters, a 7 m pool, and capacity for 2 to 3 guests. There is also the two-bedroom Royal Pool Villa House, which has a bathroom for each bedroom, and the Presidential Pool Villa House, with a building area of 237 square meters and a plot of 865 square meters. The Executive type includes rooms with a mini-kitchen, a practical option for families who want to prepare baby food or children's meals.

The second type is the hotel-style Shuri House, 62 rooms, modeled on symbols of Okinawa. It comprises 60 Deluxe Rooms of 48 square meters and 2 Junior Suites of 82 square meters. All rooms are Western-style; there are no Japanese-style tatami rooms. Every room has a separate bath and toilet, and all rooms are non-smoking.

Because the Villa House units stand apart from one another, families don't need to worry about a baby's crying or children's voices reaching the room next door. On the other hand, the grounds are large, and it's a distance to the restaurants and front desk. Rental carts are available for getting around the property.

Rental items including a crib, baby bath and formula-preparation pot

Baby items available to borrow include a crib, baby bath, toilet-training seat, bed guard, formula-preparation pot, diaper pail, stroller and step stool. Hot water for formula can be boiled with the in-room kettle, but a formula-preparation pot can also be borrowed. Children's pajamas are available too; if you would like them, you need to request them when booking.

Board game rentals are extensive - around 16 kinds, including building blocks, LEGO Classic, Life (the board game), Jenga, Othello and Ninja Rush, can be borrowed free of charge. There is no game corner or playroom in the hotel, so on rainy days these games are what families use to pass the time in their room.

On the other hand, there is no childcare facility. There is no activity corner in the hotel either, and guests are directed to the Miyakojima City Crafts Village, about 25 minutes by car. Depending on the season, stay plans that include a parent-and-child touch therapy experience at the spa (for one adult with children from age 3 through elementary school) are sometimes offered. There are no children's goods stores nearby - the nearest Nishimatsuya is about 20 minutes by car, and the nearest convenience store about 10 minutes. It's safest to stock up on diapers and formula before you arrive.

The pools: a 25-meter main pool and the private villa pools

In front of the Western restaurant Beach house Restaurant KISSHO is a 25-meter main pool, free for staying guests to use. It operates from April 1 to November 30, from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with guests of middle-school age and under able to use it until 6 p.m. There is a locker room and a swimwear spin-dryer, and towels are provided poolside. However, there is no rental equipment such as floats or kickboards (swimwear is sold at the shop).

The Villa House private pools are not heated. Whether children who are not yet out of diapers may use the pool is not stated, so if you're considering a swim diaper, please confirm in advance. The hotel has no communal bath, onsen or private-hire bath - bathing takes place in your room's bathroom.

Dining and allergy accommodations

Dining is at the Japanese restaurant Kissho (Kurima Island branch) and the Western restaurant Beach house Restaurant KISSHO. Room service is not offered; from 9 p.m. to midnight, only snacks, soft drinks and ice from the shop are delivered. All seats in the hotel's restaurants are non-smoking.

The kitchen can prepare meals with allergens removed, but there is no dedicated allergy-safe kitchen; dishes are prepared using separate cookware instead. You need to provide specific details of the ingredients when booking, at the latest by the day before your stay.

Bringing outside food and drink into the restaurants is not allowed as a rule, but retort-pouch baby food and formula for children are an exception and may be brought in. There is no information on whether these can be warmed. Bringing them into your guest room is unrestricted.

The surrounding area and practical details

About a 5-minute walk from the property is Nagamahama, known as a spot for spectacular sunsets. Ryugu Observatory, about 3 minutes away by car, offers a sweeping view over Maehama Beach and Irabu Island.

Check-in is from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and checkout is at 11 a.m. Early check-in is not accepted, and extending checkout carries a time-based fee - for example, 30% of the standard rate for an extension to 2 p.m. There is a free shuttle between Miyako Airport and the hotel, with reservations required by 5 p.m. the day before. Six coin laundry machines are available beside the Beach House Restaurant, from 7 a.m. to midnight. The hotel is barrier-free, with one barrier-free guest room. There are no vending machines; drinks and snacks are sold at the hotel shop. The hotel advises that the internet connection on Kurima Island may slow down at certain times of day.