We stayed at the main island of Okinawa for about 3 days where we got to experience The Busena Terrace, which is a wellness resort in the middle/northern part of Okinawa, also part of the hotel group – Small Luxury Hotels.
Here you can read all about our stay and what to expect as a guest at The terrace club at Busena.
Room Standard (Ocean View Adult)
During our stay, we got to experience the Ocean View Rooms at Terrace club at Busena, which is the more exclusive part of the Busena Terrace resort. Our room was big and had a modern interior touch with a kitchen island, and a small station for making coffee/tea.
The room also features a walk-in closet and a nice couch, armchair and big flatscreen TV, and wait for it, a bathtub where you can slide up the door and have a view of the room and TV while taking a bath!
Another top feature of this room is, of course, the view, hence the name “Ocean View Room”. The view is indeed spectacular and offers a panoramic view over the bay and the lovely turquoise water. The balcony is quite spacious as well, featuring a nice sunbed where you can relax.
This is what you get when booking an Ocean View Room
Comfy Bed with fluffy pillows and soft sheets
Livingroom area with armchair/couch and flatscreen TV
Kitchen Island with coffee/tea-making station + Minibar
Spacious bathroom with shower and tub
Walk-in closet
Balcony with sunbed
Air conditioning
Daily cleaning
Free & fast WiFi
Complimentary Water
Safe box
Breakfast
A continental/Japanese breakfast is served each morning with a focus on healthy options, which means that there are lots of veggies and fresh fruit available along with juices, honey, nuts and so on. And yes, meat is being served as well.
Omelet and scrambled eggs can be prepared at no extra cost, which is quite nice to have in the morning. One of the plus features from the breakfast at Busena Terrace was, of course, the healthy options, but also the freshly squeezed orange juice.
Concentrated juice is not uncommon unfortunately at some hotels, although here at the Busena Terrace, you don’t have to worry about that since you can enjoy a freshly squeezed juice every morning along with a cup of tea or coffee!
Outside the room
Outside the hotel room, you’ll find a gym, an infinity pool, a Thalasso-Spa, restaurants, bars, and cafés. There’s also a convenience store and a couple of souvenir shops for you to have a look at.
There is no real need to leave the Busena Terrace resort area since you have everything you could possibly want here. This hotel is a great place to relax and focus on the wellness of your body and soul.
Afternoon Tea
Another plus by staying here at the Terrace Club at Busena is the afternoon tea, which is being served complimentary each day at 4 pm. At the afternoon tea, you can pamper yourself with some healthy drinks or tea, or coffee if you prefer that.
They also have a smaller selection of cakes and cookies to munch on while enjoying your beverage of choice.
Dinner & Lunch
As already mentioned, there is no shortage of restaurants at the Busena Terrace. While staying at the Terrace Club at Busena part of the resort, you can try some fine dining, which was quite nice with a selection of Okinawan and Japanese food.
At the Busena Terrace property, you can choose between 8 different restaurants, serving all kinds of food, ranging from Chinese to Japanese to Italian and Seafood. When you’re done eating you can go to some of the many bars available throughout the resort.
We had lunch at the Chinese restaurant, which is serving authentic Cantonese food. And also, don’t forget to try the Busena Terrace’s own beer! Yes, they actually have their own brewery and make 5 different kinds of beer. My favorite was the lager!
Staff
I think the staff was very friendly to all of the guests and very polite (as is common all over Japan). Everyone said hello, and the instructor at the Thalasso-Spa was great. She made us feel comfortable and were happy to show us around.
Thalassotherapies
One of the highlights of staying at the Terrace Club at Busena is without a doubt the Thalasso Spa where you can enjoy thalassotherapies. We tried their Thalasso Bio pool which consists of Seawater from Cape Busena and several stations where you do exercises to improve blood flow and wellness of your body.
It was very relaxing, and afterward, you can enjoy the Steam room and sleeping room. On top of the Thalasso Bio Pool, there are also several other treatments available at the spa section.
If you stay at the Terrace Club at Busena, don’t forget to use this amazing bio pool and let your soul and body heal!
WiFi
Wi-Fi was working quite well, but not enough at all times to make calls via Skype/Viber. For Instagram, Facebook and regular use it was fine though, so I wouldn’t really say that it’s a problem, just don’t expect superfast Wi-Fi.
Location
If you want to do some sightseeing while visiting Okinawa, then this hotel is probably not the most suitable since it’s quite far away from the main points of interest.
However, if you want paradise beaches and to focus on wellness, then the Busena Terrace is a great choice. It’s a great place for relaxation. The closest city is Nago, which is about 15 minutes away by car. For tourists there aren’t that much to see though, so you’re better off renting a car and explore the mountains and northern part.
if you do need some more things that are not provided in the resort’s convenience store, then you also have a Lawson within 10 minutes walking from the Terrace Club at Busena.
Hotel Policy on Tattoos
Another thing to consider before booking a stay at the Busena Terrace or the Terrace Club at Busena is their hotel policy. While it’s not uncommon in Japan to have strict rules against it, it can come as a surprise if you’re not familiar with Japanese culture.
It’s very common that people need to cover their tattoos in public areas, or in some cases are forbidden to use hot springs since it’s associated with gangsters and impurity.
Here at the Busena Terrace, you’re allowed to have tattoos. However, you must be able to cover them if you want to use the pool, eat at the restaurants or use the Spa-area. If you have a smaller tattoo it won’t be a problem at all since you can easily cover it with clothes, or some tape.
However, if you do have large tattoos visible at all times and are hard to cover up, then I would suggest booking another resort. Their policy is strict, and it’s just a cultural thing, so nothing personal at all. But it’s good to know beforehand since I have read some reviews from people on TripAdvisor that they weren’t allowed to use the pool area or dine at some restaurants since they had too big tattoos.
Most tourists at this hotel are from Japan, so since tattoos are frowned upon in Japan in general, the hotel must respect their guests and culture. I myself have two tattoos, albeit very small ones on my legs, so they were easy to cover.
Summary of my stay at the Terrace Club at Busena
Overall we had a great stay at the Terrace Club at Busena. The resort is very big and has everything you could possibly want. It’s a great place for relaxation and beaches, and you also have entertainment in diving, excursions, bars, restaurants, spa area and pools.
The Busena Terrace is a well-maintained resort and the staff is friendly and attentive, and as already mentioned, you have everything you could possibly need for a great and healthy vacation!
Would I recommend you to stay here? Yes, if you do want to focus on the wellness and get a luxurious hotel room, then yes totally. But if you rather want to do a lot of sightseeing, I would suggest another place closer to Naha.
Flights and Hotel
Map of The Busena Terrace
If you’re not familiar with Okinawa, check out the map below to see where the Busena Terrace is located. It’s about 1.5 hours drive from Naha and the Airport, and close to several mountains if you have a car. Nearby you can also find other luxury resorts such as the Ritz Carlton and Marriott.
Hope you enjoyed my Busena Terrace hotel review! If you have any further questions about the resort, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send an email with your questions!