EM Wellness Resort Costa Vista Okinawa

Nice hotel but this isn’t the location for an Okinawa vacation

EM Wellness Resort Costa Vista Okinawa is a massive hotel operation of brilliant white sitting in the hills of Kitanakagusuku, about 10 km north of Naha. The first question one might ask about EM Wellness Resort Costa Vista Okinawa is, “What the hell is it doing in this part of Okinawa?” It has all the hallmarks of a beach resort but without the beach (it’s a good 2 km to the nearest bit of ocean), or swimming pool for that matter. Still, here it is - a huge hulking mass of upper-end, mid-range Okinawa holiday accommodation - with not that much of interest in the immediate vicinity. Starting at the lobby, which has the look of a small shopping center (there’s a gift shop here if you’re in dire need), things are bright and pleasant at the Costa Vista, with reception staff who are painfully kind, as well as English-speaking. One assumes they might be able to speak some form of Chinese, too, as at least 70% of the guests I saw here appeared to be from China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan. Thankfully though, we didn’t have anyone take luggage to our rooms, which always makes me feel uncomfortable. And to the rooms we go along well-maintained spacious, if uninspiring, corridors. A nice feature of the rooms at the Costa Vista are the large balconies many of which overlook one of the army bases and semi-urban scene below. It’s a particularly attractive scene at night. Inside, rooms are what you might expect at this level. Ours was a twin with plenty of space. Beds and bedding were very comfortable, there was plenty of storage space, a set of chairs and table sat near the balcony windows, and overall warm and comfortable vibes. The sizeable flat screen TV didn’t have any English-language channels, which one might have expected from a hotel of this grade. The bathroom situation was clean and new. Dinner at EM Wellness Resort Costa Vista Okinawa was a hit with this traveler. It was a buffet affair which. if paid for separately, was around 3,000 yen. I was particularly fond of the dessert, so often a let down in these things. Lamingtons, anyone? Breakfast, however, was disappointing after such a nice dinner. Again, a buffet but this time yet another testament to the unfortunate matter of Japan being crap at breakfast. The Costa Vista has a cozy looking bar on the first floor but there were few takers during our stay. The travel partner, a bit of a gym enthusiast, was impressed by the hotel gym (again, no takers during our visit) which seemed to be fitted with all the necessary equipment (although the barbell had the weights but no bar!). There’s also a spa attached to the hotel which, depending on the kind of stay package that you book, could come included with your accommodation. The immediate surrounds of the Costa Vista have little to write about, but there are some views to be had in these parts, and there’s a massive Aeon not far away. Unfortunately, if staying here, you’re really going to need a car. There are no shops around the hotel (not even a convenience store, although there are a couple of restaurants) and public transportation in these parts is limited. If you have car, you’re set. American Village / Chatan are only about 10 mins away. As all-round nice as the EM Wellness Resort Costa Vista Okinawa is, again we come back the question of why one would stay here. This is neither business conference territory nor resort territory. In fact, it isn’t even sightseeing territory, and the facility itself isn’t the kind of place where you’d come to escape from the rigors of life. Perhaps it’s this strange location that keeps prices down? I’d give the facility itself four stars, but the location brings it down to three.