This hotel far exceeded my expectations. A free shuttle service was provided from the airport, and the driver was there waiting for me despite my flight having been significantly delayed. Travelling alone can be lonely and a little scary at times, but the staff at this hotel really made me feel less alone. They went above and beyond, responding to my panicked emails about calling a taxi when I was caught out in a storm at night with a broken umbrella and a broken phone and ensuring I made it back safely, and also taking note when one of my tours was cancelled thanks to said storm and offering to book me onto a different tour (at no extra cost) without my having to ask. The staff were all incredibly kind and were always happy to help. I really cannot thank them enough for their hospitality. My room was spacious, quiet, and comfortable, the bathroom was clean and warm, and the amenities provided were excellent. The hotel also has a shop, cafe, restaurant, laundrette, and hiking gear rental area within the building, so I was able to relax and eat after long days hiking and exploring, do my laundry, and grab some souvenirs and snacks for the next day before heading to bed. The hotel is also conveniently close to the ferry port, being almost directly across from it. It took me about five minutes to reach the departure point for my ferry while dragging a heavy suitcase upon leaving the hotel. If I ever return to Yakushima, I will stay at this hotel again.

I honestly cannot think of anything that could have been better.

Hands down, one of the best hotels I have stayed in Japan so far. Everything about is is great: the location right next to the Miyanoura ferry landing, the decor, the gift store with a great selection of items, the restaurant (abundant breakfast options + amazing kaiseki dinners), the kind English speaking staff, the spacious elegant rooms with all necessary amenities… You can even get your tours around the island sorted out here!

The coffee shop could open earlier (9 am). Breakfast is extremely crowded and at times you need to wait for a table - it would be desirable to have more tables, and space out the food stations better so that the movement around them is swifter.

The room was very comfortable, breakfast was excellent, and the onsen was decent. The location near the harbor and town was very convenient. The staff went above and beyond by preparing a lunch for us in place of breakfast when we had to leave early for a morning hike. They also offer a shuttle to popular trailheads and have gear rentals available on site, which made things even easier.

We had a beautiful beachfront view, but unfortunately there was quite a bit of trash (plastic, fishing nets, and other debris) washed up on the shore that stayed there throughout our stay. It would make a huge difference if cleanup happened at least weekly to really take advantage of the amazing location. The stay also felt a bit pricey compared to other options, so overall the value wasn’t the best. That said, the cost was clear upfront, so that part is on us.

Great location to get to UNESCO sites for hiking, beaches, and other points of interest. It was also only about 15-20 min from the airport. Our hotel room had a full glass wall that looked out onto the ocean, and the shower room also had a full glass wall that looked out onto the ocean. The buffet breakfast was also great. On the day we left, our flight was delayed by a few hours, which then caused us to miss trains to get to our next destination. One of the receptionists went out of her way to help us notify the hotel and car rental company to let them know why we wouldn't be showing up on time and to hold our reservations. She helped us with the trains we needed to take and translated everything we would need to tell people into Japanese and wrote it down for us.

We have stayed at the Hotel Yakushima Ocean and Forest several times and it is always a relaxing and special stay. The staff is kind, helpful, and polite. The view is amazing. Our Japanese style room was clean, comfortable, quiet, and beautifully laid out, with a gorgeous view of the ocean and many amenities (fridge, tea, water kettle, toiletries, hair dryer, etc.) The food at the hotel is delicious and there a couple of vegan and vegetarian selections, which was important to us. You must make reservations if you want the full set meal, but we were also able to get ala carte items when we arrived without a reservation. There are also several izakaya within walking distance (10-20 minutes walking) or by car. The hotel is also convenient to the port and there is a shuttle service to the airport as well. This time, we also booked a hiking tour to the Jomon-sugi. This was an amazing experience! It was also simple to book, and the tour guide picked us up and dropped us off right at the hotel, which was very convenient.

Nothing. It was all perfect!

They have the most amazing breakfast!! Even for Japanese hotel standard, this one absolutely stands out with so many options of locally sourced fresh fruits, salad, bread/pastries, rice, fish, meat, soup you name it they have it. My family and I loved it so much so that we made sure that we were the first ones to arrive for it every morning. The hotel doesn't look much from the outside, but they've made really nice upgrades to the interior and gave it a very calming, nice atmosphere. They have a coffee shop by the lobby which was a nice spot to chill looking over the water. We chose dinner option, and did not regret it. They served a different set of meals every night we were there with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and everything was a delight from appetizers to desert. The hotel staff were extremely courteous and helpful. I would absolutely stay here again and cannot recommend the accommodation highly enough.

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Yakushima is a very distant island that have few accommodation options. I find Hotel Yakushima Ocean&Forest to be the perfect one among these limited options. First off, the location is just perfect. It is literally 5 minutes away walking from the dock if you choose to visit by the boat. If you arrive by a plane, worry not as they offer free shuttle bus services as long as you book early on their website. Speaking of their website, you can also book local tours on the website, it is so much cheaper compared to other sites but the guide would mostly speak Japanese. Going back to the location of the hotel, it is basically in the dead centre of the “city” centre of Yakushima. You can find souvenir shops, bike rental, tour agency, information centre and restaurants around the hotel all in walking distance. Speaking of restaurant, the hotel’s own restaurant is also amazing, I would recommend you to go and at least check it out for yourself. The public bath is clean but the view is not extraordinary, but it is just the best after a long day of hiking. They also have laundries, vending and washing machines if you need them. The room itself it exceptional, larger than average Japanese hotels and extremely clean. All the staffs were helpful but some of them cannot speak English well, but they always try their best to make you understand. With all of that, the hotel is not super expensive, for what you are getting on a remote island, I would say it is rather affordable. So, if you are looking for a standard hotel and not home stays or guesthouses, I would recommend Hotel Yakushima Ocean&Forest as a safe option for any fist time visitors.

Nothing at all, just a tiny nitpick on no bike rentals (they do have car rental services), but they will gladly point you towards a location where you can rent a bike or electric bike, it is literally 5 minutes away from the hotel, I do hope they can add this service later though.

This was an absolutely amazing hotel to stay at for our trip to Yakushima. I was worried due to the many negative reviews but none of the things the other reviewers said were true. I have been to many hotels all across Japan from business hotels to high class ryokans and I was overall very impressed and happy with this hotel. First, the service is excellent: the staff was polite, kind, and friendly. Remember this is rural Yakushima, not Tokyo, so staff English may be limited so do be patient and try to communicate using Google Translate if needed. The staff was also so helpful in helping us book tours and arranging everything during our stay. The room was excellent. We stayed in the newer Umisora wing and the rooms there have their own air conditioners so I recommend staying there. The rooms were immaculately cleaned everyday and were spotless. The kaiseki dinners were fantastic (make sure to book a room with dinner/breakfast, I highly recommend it). They used such fresh and local ingredients, mostly veggies and seafood, and the flavors were not overwhelming. The kaiseki here is not like the kaiseki you will find at ryokans. Here, it felt like a meal made at home though with the kaiseki philosophy - the food warmed our stomachs and our hearts. Breakfast was a grand affair with so many things to eat rivaling high end hotels in major cities. It also featured many local ingredients. Altogether, I was extremely happy with our stay at Hotel Yakushima. I was worried about the negative reviews but none of them were true. Hotel Yakushima made our trip to Yakushima so much more pleasant and comfortable and this will be the hotel I will always come back to in the future if I find myself in Yakushima again.

Nothing

Proximity to the bus stops, supermarkets and restaurants. We went to Shiratani Unsuikyo the day we flew in. Because the hotel is right near the bus stop we needed to go, we dropped off the bag and got on the bus in a matter of 10-15mins. If it wasn’t for the location, we wouldn’t have made it there so fast! The hotel is close to all the good restaurants as well. The breakfast was great. I particularly liked the banana smoothie and French toast. People working there are very nice.

The building is a bit old (having said that, some parts of the hotel appear to have been renovated and the lobby has a very modern cafe) and we didn’t get a view of the ocean.

The location is good and next to Miyanoura port (not more than 5mins walk), It is convenient. The staff are friendly and take good care of the guest. They checked if I need to order lunch bento for hiking, the hiking venue, with tour and on my own. When I back to hotel, they cross checked if i am the guest that safely return and marked it down. The Dining Care Misola ladies are warm, and they passed me the bread take away that I accidentally left on the table when I had dinner (not reserved) . The best beef i ever had , definitely top 3.

No onsen