Skip to main content

Okinawa Grand Mer Resort Review



The value added service
- FREE airport shuttle
- Car rental service

- Japanese Style tatami rooms


I'm a research addict by nature so you can imagine the amount of research I will do for each of our trips. So after much consideration, we've decided to stay 2 nights in the 'central' Okinawa and 2 nights up North. Initially, the idea was to stay 1 night at NAHA near the airport due to our late arrival but we really dislike the idea of having to change hotel too frequently. Imagine my excitement when finding out that Okinawa Grand Mer, 1 of our hotels of choice in 'central' Okinawa provides FREE airport shuttle pick up!

So the 1st part of the challenge was solved, there's FREE transportation to the accommodation which is situated some 40 - 1 hour away from NAHA city where the airport is located at. Taking a taxi for such distance will problem cost a bomb.

Now come challenge #2. We are on an Okinawa Self Drive itinerary so we will need to find a way to rent cars. The highly recommended OTS car rental with Chinese speaking staff only seems to have outlets in NAHA area. There are some car rental companies with branches near Chatan area, where American Village is. The car rental rates weren't as competitive as OTS car rental and the insurance coverage wasn't even that comprehensive.




Imagine how exhilarated I was to discover that Okinawa Grand Mer Resort provides car rental packages together with their accommodation too!. Without further ado, I emailed in for more information and the customer service replied promptly.

Their car rental rates were also competitive with OTS rental. I opted for full insurance coverage which includes collision damage waiver as well. This means we do not have to pay a single cent in an event of a collision or accident.

Our 4-day car rental cost with full insurance coverage cost approximately $250. Which is a steal! There is limited public transportation available in Okinawa once you are out of NAHA city. So if you do not drive, then you have to rely on buses as well as taxis which can cost a bomb.

So once you've booked your room with Okinawa Grand Mer Resort, you can email to request to reserve a car. Let them know your pick up and return date and they will process it for you. Once you've checked-in, you can collect and complete the process at their concierge counter. The car would have been delivered to Okinawa Grand Mer Resort for you. Super convenient.

So Okinawa Grand Mer Resort came with 2 major plus point which I've covered, 1. FREE airport shuttle 2. Car rental services.





Additional bonus, it is one of the hotels that provide Japanese style tatami rooms at a really really reasonable rate! I have a passion for tatami rooms and it'll be a wonderful experience sleeping on futons. Not to mention, you don't have to worry about the little one rolling off the bed.

The room
Here's a quick glance at our Japanese style tatami room at Okinawa Grand Mer Resort. The average cost of the room plus breakfast for 2 night per night is around SGD$160 - SGD$170














ok I'm not so good at setting up futons, I actually googled how to set up futons










The room is spacious and we love that there are a separate toilet, sink and shower area. Especially love that the shower head washing area is separated from the bathtub. Which makes it so much more convenient to run the bath for the little one. 

I can run the bath while and shower her separately instead of having to shower her first then let the bath run with her sitting in an empty bathtub. By the time the bathtub is filled, she would be bored and wanted out of the bathroom.


Oh most of the cosmeds in Okinawa sells kids bath bombs too! They're inexpensive and comes with a little toy inside! Sticky Bean loves it so much, she wanted to head back to the room each night just for the bath bombs!








Separate toilet from the bath




Sticky bean wanted to sleep in the cupboard just like Doraemon






View from balcony


every room comes with a balcony. This is a non-smoking hotel so if you need to smoke, you can only do so at the balcony. Portable ash trays are available at the lobby.

Other facilities


We didn't have time to fully explore the hotel's facilities but there's a small shop downstairs that sells some basic necessities, snacks, drinks and little souvenirs. Other facilities at Okinawa Grand Mer Resort includes
- Kids room
- Indoor pool (adult and kids pool, rental of kids floaties)
- sauna
- fitness room


The breakfast









We love the breakfast here! It's mostly an Asian affair and the Japanese porridge is so delicious. The western selection includes omelette, sausage, bacon. You can also make your own sandwiches and salad.

Japanese selection includes Okinawa soba noodles, porridge with side dishes, curry rice etc.


FREE Shuttle service


- Airport
- American Village
- Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom

Location

Okinawa Grand Mer Resort, located on a hill away from the city so if you are not driving, accessibility will be a challenge for you unless you just want to visit Aeon Mall Rycom which is the biggest Aeon outlet in Okinawa.

Nearby attractions include Okinawa Children Zoo, Aeon Mall Rycom, American Village (20 mins drive), Bios no Oka ( 20 mins drive), Cape Manzamo (40 mins), Mini Mini Zoo.

Car Park


Parking is free at Okinawa Grand Mer Resort. However, they do have limited parking lots near to the hotel itself. In the event that the lots within the resort is full, the staff will direct you to other parking areas nearby in a shuttle. Once you've parked your car, they will send you back to the hotel lobby. Do note that only the driver is allowed to park the car and take their shuttle to the car park and do check if you brought all of your personal belongings with you after parking else it'd be a hassle going back to the car to get your stuff. Yours truly left her phone in the car and realised it only after I'm almost ready for bed.

The location may not be as convenient compared to if you're staying just around Chatan area where you can walk to the American village but so long as you're driving, the value-added service will make up for it.

Mrs. Keir's verdict

Location: 3.5/5
Value-added service: 5/5
Price: 5/5
Room: 5/5




Related posts

Comments

  1. Hi, if i dont plan to stay at Grand Mer for the whole duration of my trip, am i still able to get the rental car from them for the entire trip? Where do you return the car (at Grand Mer itself?) Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, I'm so sorry that I've totally missed out your message. Yes you can return the rental car at the airport branch. This was what we did. :)

      Delete
  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love your blog, Thanks for sharing nice information about best Resorts.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That is nice post. Your content is really informative for anyone who read that. I am glad for that. Thanks for sharing with us. mimpi.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Really I am very impressed with this post. Just awesome... I haven’t any word to appreciate this post.

    car leasing in Singapore

    ReplyDelete
  6. Airport shuttles are a popular and convenient way to get to and from the airport, particularly for those who do not want to deal with the hassle of driving themselves or finding a parking spot at the airport. They are often less expensive than taxis or private cars, and they can provide a more comfortable and spacious ride than public transportation.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I would like to express my gratitude to the author for publishing their review of the Okinawa Grand Mer Resort. Such blog posts provide valuable information and insights for travelers seeking the best accommodations. As a business owner in the car rental industry, I find such content useful for providing my customers with recommendations on local attractions by providing the option of car rental near me. Thank you for sharing this informative review!

    ReplyDelete
  8. hi, may I ask for the name of the car rental company?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nestled in the serene embrace of nature, Mangala Resort & Spa is a luxurious sanctuary in Pahang, Malaysia. Located amidst lush landscapes in Gambang, this tranquil retreat offers a harmonious blend of modern comfort and rustic charm. They also offer venue rental service for mangalaresortandspa.com/weddings weddings. The resort boasts elegantly designed villas, each providing private pools and stunning views. Mangala's holistic approach is embodied in its rejuvenating spa treatments and farm-to-table culinary experiences, showcasing the Kuantan's flavors. resort in gambang

    ReplyDelete
  10. After reading your post, thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel happy about it and I love learning more about this topic.

    SUV rental Singapore

    ReplyDelete
  11. its a very useful blog post for those who are searching better place for lesiure.
    if you looking for your travel experience amazing book a car or bike form the website:
    car rental near me
    Ogonn is an Online platform for booking Car on rent in Delhi.Our goal is to make Ogonn the most convenient & affordable Self Drive car rentals in Delhi. Ogonn Technology is an Indian transportation company with headquarters in Lucknow Uttar Pradesh.
    self drive car on rent in lucknow

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Taiwan Kids friendly Accommodation with slides - not your usual list!

And so from a mere idea of bringing Sticky Bean with us to Taiwan, this idea was put into action with Singapore Airlines 70th Anniversary promotion where you get to pay only $70 for a child's ticket! Though it's not exactly the cheapest option for flying to Taiwan, we thought to pay a little more for better service and not to mention safety since it will be Sticky Bean's first time traveling on a relatively longer flight. Her first plane ride was a really short one to KL, a mere 1 hour away. If she's manageable on the flight, we can then consider budget airlines such as Scoot or even Jetstar for our subsequent travels. So why Taiwan? There are plenty of reasons for our choice other than both Mr. Keir and myself love Taiwan for the food and hospitality. I'm sure you may have come across Awesome kids friendly accommodation with slides and other themed rooms in Taiwan that are trending in facebook. That was one of the many reasons why we want to go Taiwan too!

BTO Keys Collection and BTO Door Opening Ceremony

And so after a long 4 years wait, our BTO is finally ready for keys collection. To be honest we totally forgot about out BTO and was pleasantly surprised to receive an SMS from HDB to inform us of our BTO keys collection date. That was when we frantically tried to hunt for an ID. Ok to cut the story short, here's what happened on the BTO keys collection day as well as what we did for our "BTO Door Opening Ceremony". There really wasn't an official BTO door opening ritual or ceremony in fengshui. I guess this is just a Singapore custom. Though we do not have a religion, in particular, we just did it for an ease of mind. Love the  living room view from our 30th storey BTO view from our Service Yard BTO Key Collection Process at HDB Time took: less than an hour It was a very straightforward and easy process. Here's what you need to prepare, assuming that you are taking the loan from HDB. Identity cards Marriage certificate if you are buying

8 Day 7 Night Kaohsiung Kids Friendly Iitnerary (Taiwan)

Finally, we embarked on an exploration trip to the Southern part of Taiwan. Having heard so much about E-Da World in Kaohsiung, we decided to take a direct flight just to explore Kaohsiung. Initially, we'd wanted to do a Kaohsiung-Tainan trip but decided to skip Tainan this time around and did a Kaohsiung-Nantou trip instead. We had so much fun and would highly recommend a visit to Kaohsiung to any families travelling with kids. In fact, we find Kaohsiung a lot more child-friendly than Taipei. It is also less crowded so it makes it less claustrophobic taking public transport in Kaohsiung as opposed to Taipei. The people there are also a lot friendlier and helpful. This time around, my mum joined us as well and Sticky Bean was ecstatic as she gets to spend quality time with her Popo. Here's a preview of our 8 Days 7 Night Kaohsiung Kids Friendly Itinerary (Taiwan) . You can click on the respective days for a detailed post. The link will be up once it's ready