After packing up the car, Mrs. Selfish and I drove an hour north from Naha to our next stay, the Ritz-Carlton Okinawa. This was our first Ritz-Carlton stay, so I was a little unsure what to expect.

Golden chandeliers? Martini-fueled Bentleys? Diamond-encrusted butlers?

While it didn’t have any of these things, the Ritz-Carlton Okinawa still managed to ooze luxury.

Check-in and the Lobby

The Ritz-Carlton Okinawa is a tier 2 Ritz-Carlton property, which meant it costs us 40,000 Marriott Reward points a night. As a lowly Marriott Silver, we typically don’t get any benefits like free parking, internet, or breakfast. Normally, this would mean we would have to pay for all of these things (since typically the rule of thumb is the swankier the place, the less you get), but the Ritz-Carlton bucked the trend here.

Not only was valet parking and internet service complementary, but breakfast was also included. Score!

Driving up to the property, we were immediately greeted by the Ritz-Carlton’s valet, who took our car and bags and escorted us to the front desk. The property is almost entirely open, including the main lobby and check-in area. This makes it pleasant during the day, but a little drafty at night.

After an uneventful check in, we headed to our room.

The Room

We’ve stayed at our fair share of luxury properties, here at the Selfish Years, but the Ritz-Carlton Okinawa definitely took the cake. For starters, the Ritz had to have the largest bed I’ve ever seen.

The king-sized bed was literally the size of two queens pushed together!

The rest of the room was posh, and oh-so-elegant, with a separate sitting area and outside balcony.

The Ritz-Carlton is only a mile away from the beach, and is built on a golf course, so the view is so-so. The balcony was quite nice, however.

The bathroom has an understated, modern elegance. Sliding doors  on both sides separate the bathroom from the main room and the toilet.

The Grounds

I’m not much of a golfer (unless it’s the mini varietal), but Mrs. Selfish and I decided to check out the grounds nonetheless.

The spa and gym are located outside the main building, and can only be accessed by underground tunnel. Underground tunnels usually look super sketchy, but these somehow managed to look elegant.

The spa itself was similarly beautifully, though way too expensive. While I enjoy a massage as much as the next man, I typically try to keep mine under $40 an hour. The Ritz’s were waaaay above that.

The gym itself was well-stocked, albeit a little small. They also had a pool, which looked inviting.

Eating on and off Property

As I mentioned before, breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton Okinawa was complimentary and delicious. Baked goods were fresh with excellent texture (even their croissants), the continental breakfast section was well stocked, and they even had a few hot stations.

If you’re more into Japanese breakfast, the Ritz had a fair selection of local foods like pork belly, fried bitter melon, and a fried bread-noodle dish.

Mrs. Selfish even tried the bitter-melon juice. At first we thought it was a mistranslation, but it was horribly, horribly accurate.

So…bitter… why…juice?

While we didn’t try dinner on the property, Mrs. Selfish and I enjoyed the Ritz-Carlton’s complementary driver service. The hotel basically drives you to your restaurant of choice, and gives you a complimentary phone to call them when you’re ready to come back. How cool is that?

Conclusion

At 40,000 Marriott points a night, the Ritz-Carlton was a pricey stay, but totally worth it. Not only was the room spectacular, but the service was above and beyond what I’ve experienced at the vast majority of hotels. If you plan on visiting Okinawa I definitely recommend staying there.