What kind of resort hotel is Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort?
We visited this resort in Miyazaki Prefecture with our young children in the hot and humid summer of August. To get straight to the point, the biggest draw was the hotel’s public areas and activities, which were very well organized. On top of that, the price range for stay was very reasonable. I think this is a great place to stay with children, as they can fully enjoy themselves in the hotel and on the grounds of Phoenix Seagaia Resort during their stay. Also, for those of us living in Tokyo, Miyazaki Prefecture has an image of being far away, but this hotel was much more convenient in terms of transportation than we had expected. It took about an hour and a half from Haneda Airport to Miyazaki Airport, and from Miyazaki Airport to the hotel was a 20-minute cab ride.
Miyazaki Airport is a small airport, and after getting off the plane, it was a short walk to the exit where the cab stand was located. From the airport, we took a reserved cab. Looking out the cab window, we saw palm trees planted on both sides of the road, creating a tropical atmosphere. Then, after a 15-minute cab ride, the Phoenix Seagaia Resort, surrounded by a 700-hectare black pine forest, came into view. Located in the center of this resort, the hotel was a 43-story high-rise building. We got off the cab in front of the entrance, which was built with a luxurious white and gold color scheme, and headed for the lobby. The spacious lobby was a three-story atrium with palm trees planted here and there, giving it a resort-like ambiance. In the center of the lobby was a garden terrace-style bar lounge with a large circular aquarium with yellow tropical fish. The reception desk is on the second floor, so we took the escalator from the lobby on the first floor up to the second floor.
We visited this time in August, during the summer vacation period, so all the hotels were crowded. We booked a room with club lounge access, so we decided to check in at the club lounge on the 36th floor instead of at the reception desk on the 2nd floor. The elevators do not require a card key to go directly to the lounge to check in.
When we arrived at the spacious Club Lounge, we were greeted with a view of the blue sky and ocean as far as the eye could see from the large windows. The view was unobstructed by any buildings around us, and on a clear day, the Pacific Ocean shone out all around the windows, making it the most pleasant place to be. We checked in while sitting by the window in the club lounge, and the staff offered us Costa coffee and local orange juice for the kids. It was just about tea time at this time, so on the buffet counter were summer oranges, watermelon, grapefruit, macaroons, canelees, and chocolate tart cakes. Unfortunately, the selection was small. However, there was a wonderful Costa Coffee coffee machine in the club lounge, with espresso, original blend coffee, iced coffee, cortado, flat white, cafe latte, cappuccino, mocha latte, and hot chocolate available at all times. In addition, Dilmah’s “t-series” tea bags were available. Tea time was from 10:00-17:00.
After a short rest in the club lounge, the staff showed us to our room. This time we booked a Club Twin room. Upon entering the room, there was a closet on the right, a marble bathroom on the left, and further on, twin beds on the left and sofas and a table on the window side. From the window of the room, we had a view of the golf course in the pine forest, the bright blue ocean and sky stretching to the far horizon.
After that, we decided to go to the outdoor swimming pool, which the children had been looking forward to. Since it was during the summer vacation, the swimming pool was so crowded, but the children seemed to be having a lot of fun. Near the poolside, tarp tents called “Takibi Living” had been built, and inside the tarp tents, there were cozy sofas and fireplaces. Also, a coffee stand nearby provided free coffee and marshmallows, and you could roast marshmallows over the fireplace and eat them. It was a nice and cozy place to enjoy a bit of glamping while still being in the resort. The tarp tents were open from 9:00-11:00 and 14:30-17:30, and were a bar at night.
After this, we decided to go to the bar called Pacifica on 1F. We wanted to enjoy the happy hour from 17:00 to 20:00, when alcohol is served in the Club Lounge on the 36th floor, but this was not available for children under elementary school age. Instead, we were able to enjoy complimentary local champagne, red wine, white wine, draft beer, potato shochu, gin and tonics, mango drinks, hyuganatsu juice, Coca-Cola, ginger ale, orange juice, apple juice, etc. at the bar on 1F. The happy hour at the Club Lounge on the 36th floor includes the above drinks with hors d’oeuvres such as roast beef, salmon, prosciutto ham, etc. and soup. There was also a selection of various draft beers and types of shochu from Miyazaki Prefecture.
After this, we headed to the restaurant called Pine Terrace on the first floor, where a Japanese-Western buffet dinner was served. The restaurant faces the outdoor pool and was nicely lit up at night. The hotel offers Italian, hot pot, Japanese, sushi, teppanyaki, Chinese, yakiniku, and buffet restaurants, it is recommended to make reservations in advance because the restaurants fill up quickly during peak seasons.
After dinner we went to the club lounge to watch the fireworks at 8 p.m. From 8 p.m. all alcoholic drinks are removed and children are welcome. The fireworks, which we could see from our hotel room and the club lounge, looked very close, right next to us, and from above us, so we were in a position to see them from above. We were extremely impressed as we had never seen dynamic fireworks at such close range and right beside us. Basically, fireworks are held every weekend and during long vacations.
After this, we returned to our room and looked out the window. The golf course surrounded by pine trees was lit up, and the dark sea beyond reflected the light of the moon in the sky, which was truly mystical. The hotel brochure said, “Fall in love with the moon’s path,” and the slender moonlight reflected on the surface of the sea was like a path that could take you to the moon.
The next day, we woke up around 6:00 a.m. because we wanted to see the sunrise from the window of our room. For a while, we sat on the sofas in the room, took out soft drinks from the mini-bar, and sipped sweet and sour summer tangerine juice while watching the dim sky gradually lighten and the majestic sunrise rising over the horizon from the front of the room.
We then headed to the restaurant on the ground floor for breakfast around 7:30 a.m. There was already a line of waiting guests and it looked like a mixed crowd. So we decided to have breakfast in the Club Lounge. The Club Lounge was a bit crowded, but we were lucky enough to find a table by the window, so we enjoyed a delicious breakfast while looking out at the blue ocean and sky from the morning. Egg dishes were made to order, and the rest was Japanese/Western buffet style. According to the staff, the restaurant on the first floor gets crowded from around 7:30 a.m. on weekends and during long vacations.
After breakfast, we headed to the communal onsens on the grounds. The walk out of the hotel building to the communal onsens was very charming, and we enjoyed the views and murals as we made our way. You can reach the onsens from the entrance next to the restaurant called Pine Terrace or from a private elevator on the third floor to the main baths. Then there were two wonderful communal onsens. They were crowded before and after dinner, but otherwise were empty. The outdoor communal onsens were surrounded by pine trees, and a few ducks were walking under the pine trees. The ceilings of the indoor communal onsen baths were very impressive with Oshima lacquer, a traditional Miyazaki technique assembled into a lattice. Then there are a total of five private family onsens, 90 minutes long and priced at JPY5,000. We would recommend this for those with small children, as they can enjoy the private family onsens in a relaxed environment without worrying about their surroundings. Unfortunately, when we tried to make a booking on the day of our visit, it was already full, so we were not able to use it. Reservations for the private family onsens can be made one month prior to your stay.
After enjoying the communal onsens, the animal-loving children were looking forward to a horseback riding experience, but before we knew it, the blue sky was covered with gray clouds and it began to rain, so we decided to cancel the event. On the second day of our stay, it rained until late afternoon, so we decided to spend our time in the spacious lounge called “Kaze-Machi Terrace,” located next to the reception counter on the second floor. This lounge was more comfortable than we had imagined, and with a view of the lush black pine forest beyond the large windows, the whole family was able to relax and take it easy here. The lounge had free coffee available and sold sandwiches, soups, scones, bread made with natural yeast, matcha bread, etc.
It would be too long to write about everything we spent here, so I will end here, but this hotel had an amazing variety of facilities and activities.
Lastly, if I dare to raise any drawback, it is that the hotel is crowded during the peak season of summer vacation, Long holidays, and the year-end and New Year holidays. There are more families than expected and the hotel is busy. At night, the poolside was lit up and the ambiance was very romantic, but there were noisy children in the pool. Those who prefer a quieter stay or couples may prefer to stay outside of the peak seasons. Then Miyazaki Prefecture is also a warm place all year round, making winter sightseeing pleasant. However, the summer season is often rainy due to the path of typhoons. If possible, it would be best to avoid the months of August and September, when typhoons are most common.
Check Availability and Pricing for the hotel on Agoda
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Is the location easy to access?
It is a 25-minute cab ride from Miyazaki Airport, and the fare is JPY4,150 if you book a cab by 4:00 p.m. three days in advance. Refer to the info. If you arrive late at night or early in the morning, there may not be any cabs at the cab stand.
There is a local bus that operates between the hotel and Miyazaki Airport only on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays, although the frequency is low. The local bus stops in front of the hotel’s first floor lobby. On the way back, we took this bus to Miyazaki Airport. One-way fare is JPY850 for adults.
From Miyazaki Station, a cab ride takes about 25 minutes and costs about JPY3,500.
How about toiletries & in-room amenities?
Ample amenities, yukatas, bathrobes, tea bags, Japanese tea sets, and bottled water are all provided. There was no coffee machine in the room. The bathroom had LAMER by THALGOJAPON bath amenities. There were also MARGARETJOSEFIN skin care products. Colorful yukatas for women could be rented for JPY1,000.
Guests staying on the club floor have free access to the in-room minibar and samue outfits. The mini-bar was stocked with Pepsi Cola, Kirin Beer, Asahi Beer, vegetable juice, local orange juice, iced green tea, etc. In addition, there were several kinds of pillows in the pillow shop on the second floor, from which one could choose one’s favorite.
Then, the Free Wi-Fi signal is also good. There is a DVD player available for borrowing. Room service is available 24 hours a day, there are vending machines on B1, and coffee is available free of charge at the cafe “Kazemachi Terrace” on the 2nd floor.
Is this child-friendly?
Cribs, strollers, slippers, toothbrushes, etc. can be provided by the staff if requested in advance. There is also a day-care center in B1. Babysitters can be arranged for an additional fee if requested in advance. The Pine Terrace restaurant also had baby food available at the buffet table.
Children of elementary school age and younger stay free of charge if they sleep with a parent.
How about In-house Facilities?
The hotel is located in Phoenix Seagaia Resort, which has a lot of activities to offer. For example, golf, tennis, cycling, running trails, horseback riding, marine sports, BBQ, and more. The staff at the Activity Center, located in Kaze-Machi Terrace on 2F, will make arrangements for you. It’s open between 8:00 and 19:00.
There are amazing outdoor and indoor swimming pools, jacuzzi, saunas, hot baths, aerobic studio, and gym. Also, there are communal outdoor and indoor onsens, and 5 private family onsens. You can use all of them for free except for the indoor pool, gym, aerobic studio and private family onsens.
*If you have tattoos, you may not be permitted to use the above amenities.
*Sportswear, shoes, swimsuits, swim caps, etc. are available free of charge.
Then there is a great spa treatment shop called Banyan Tree on 39F. You need to make an appointment in advance by e-mail: spa-phoenixseagaia@banyantree.com if you have a spa treatment service. The spa shop is open between 10:00 and 20:00. Closed on Wednesdays.
On the first basement floor, there is a large convenience store with a full selection of goods. Souvenirs, toys, and crafts were also available.
There is also a laundromat in B1. It was crowded in the evening.
Then the hotel is a universal design. There are 2 universal rooms on 8F. Wheelchairs are available for borrowing. If you bring someone with weak legs, you may want to inform the staff in advance as they arrange a room near the lift.
Have a nice trip! Welcome to receive any questions about the resort from the below space. Check Availability and Pricing for the hotel on Agoda
Info about Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort
| Style | Luxury Resort Hotel |
|---|---|
| Check-in and out times |
15:00/11:00 |
| Estimated Price | 40,000 JPY for 2 adults per room |
| Contact E-mail |
sgocean@seagaia.com |
| Internet Connection | Free WiFi in the property |
| Facility Information | Wheelchairs are available Pets are not allowed The parking lot is available for free |
| Location | Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort’s MAP |
| Access | 25min taxi ride from Miyazaki Station or Miyazaki Airport |
| Address and TEL | Hamayama Yamasaki-cho, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Tel +81 985-21-1133 |
| Official Homepage | Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort’s HP |
*All information above is as of the date that I posted on my blog.
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