The Moon Beach Museum Resort

The Moon Beach Museum Resort has stood on the seafront of Onna Village on Okinawa's main island since 1975, a resort hotel built to wrap right around a crescent-shaped natural beach.

True to its name, the hotel is built around a "museum" concept, with plants, paintings and objets d'art lining the corridors and atriums throughout. Family reviews often say that children want to walk around on their own and that it feels like an adventure, so on a family trip with a lot of moving around, the hotel itself becomes a form of entertainment.

The biggest draw for families is the year-round indoor heated atrium pool, which is unaffected by the weather. The water is heated even in winter, so it can be enjoyed at any time of year, and several reviews mention having no trouble spending time at the pool even on a rainy day. The outdoor lagoon pool operates from April to November. The private beach, which you can step onto directly from the restaurant, is shallow near the shore, and guests give high marks to being able to walk straight from breakfast onto the sand. There is also a snorkeling tour to the uninhabited island of Yo-jima, and some families report that it was easy to join even for children who cannot swim.

A welcome feature for families with small children is free breakfast and free co-sleeping for children aged 5 and under. Cribs and strollers are also available to borrow free of charge, both with advance reservation. On the other hand, baby food is not served, so families with younger babies will feel more at ease if they prepare their own supplies and meals in advance. Children whose plan includes meals are served a kids' set meal at the Japanese-Ryukyuan restaurant Yuragizuki, and the indoor pool includes a children's pool. Food allergies can be accommodated by consulting the hotel in advance.

Dining centers on the all-day dining venue Corallo, where guests can enjoy a buffet of Japanese, Western, Chinese and Ryukyuan cuisine. Breakfast is highly rated, and the ocean-view setting adds to guest satisfaction. The hotel also has a communal bath, but it is worth knowing in advance that it costs extra on top of the room rate, around 600 yen per person, and only opens from the evening.

The hotel is about 60 minutes by car from Naha Airport. It sits in the Onna Village resort area, in a location that also makes it easy to take in the Churaumi Aquarium in the north. Note that there are many level changes throughout the hotel, and several reviews mention difficulty getting around with a stroller, so asking at the front desk during check-in about a route with fewer steps can make moving around easier with a baby.