A retro night at the SPICE MOTEL on Okinawa

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During our recent four week research trip to Okinawa we stayed one night at the amazingly renovated Spice Motel on Okinawa Mainland. The motel was built in American style during the American occupation of Okinawa (1945-72) and had then fallen in decay. In recent years beautifully renovated in the original design of the 1970’s by an Osaka design company, it makes a great overnight option (daytime rental is also possible).

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Our double room was simple, but very comfortable. No television and no water heater, but there was a communal kitchen with fridge, microwave and an electric kettle. The Spice Motel also has a fantastic roof top terrace, which we did not use – because of a lot of rain during our visit.

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The living room/ communal area features some old black and white photos of the original motel.

There is a small bar on the premises where you can buy some snacks and cold drinks and get a complimentary breakfast of coffee and doughnuts in the morning. The orange juice that was supposed to be part of the breakfast was not available when we stayed. It would have been a perfect combination.

Everything is designed with many lovely details. The original hotel sign is still there – in one of the garages.

How to get to the Spice Motel on Okinawa

Fitting for a motel, it is best to arrive by car. Although the Spice Motel is less than 2 km away from the main road it is quite difficult to find along a small and winding alley, up and down some hills. It was not on the car navigation system of our rental car. Although not every room has its own garage, there are enough parking spaces on the premises.

Spice Motel: Kishaba 1066, Kitanakagusuku, Chatan, Okinawa, Tel. +81 98 923 1066, http://spicemotel.com

Prices

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We were invited by the Spice Motel management for our one-night stay and were very comfortable there! Would you like to spend a night at Spice Motel?

If you have a rental car, be sure to explore the untamed Northern part of Okinawa mainland. The Yanbaru region was granted UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site status in 2021, alongside several other remote areas in Okinawa.

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4 Comments

  1. Comfortable looking place and a lot spacier than most Japanese hotels. We stayed in places no bigger than a closet during our 7 weeks in Japan.
    Frank (bbqboy)

  2. Yes, and room size is the most important factor in the huge range of room prices in Japan. Price levels in Okinawa are somewhat lower in general, though.

  3. How fun to stay in a hotel renovated to look like a 70’s hotel – and not have a hotel that has not been renovated since 1970! I could live with no tv as long as there were lots of plugs and internet access. Love the idea of a rooftop terrace – when it is not raining!

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