I guess I’ll have to answer my own question above. I stayed here previously in 2017 when this hotel had no club lounge and had a wonderful stay but this time, I wanted to try its lounge and see what else might have changed since then. I booked a standard room and used a club lounge upgrade certificate from my RC Rewards Card to gain club access. I previously reviewed this hotel, so I’ll mainly focus here on our club lounge experience.

We arrived by limousine bus from our previous hotel and were surprised that no staff appeared to meet guests and take their luggage, so we carried them ourselves to the lobby. Since we arrived nearly two hours before check-in time, we waited for a while in the lobby and were eventually met by the friendly lounge manager who enthusiastically greeted us and escorted us to the club lounge where we further chatted while imbibing cocktails and champagne, feeling welcome and at home.

Club Lounge
The club is on the fourth floor in the space previously occupied by the hotel bar. Two private rooms in the club can be used on a first-come basis, so we chose one of those rooms and were checked in there. Enjoying a nice outdoor view, we ordered cocktails from their drink menu while the staff arranged the details of our stay such as breakfast venues and times. Breakfast can be eaten at the buffet in Gusuku or the set breakfast served in the club lounge. In the club, soft jazz music plays in the background throughout the day. Service was welcoming, accommodating, and attentive but occasionally you needed to search for staff if you wanted to order. There is even a small outdoor seating area.

Champagne Mojito

Club Lounge beverage menu


Evening Hors d’oeuvres (5:30 – 7:30 p.m.)
In the early evening, we took the elevator down one floor to the club for hors d’oeuvres (cocktail hour), but the truth is that cocktails and alcoholic beverages are served all day, at least from noon. The evening food spread consisted of an assortment of small appetizer dishes that while tasty, was less substantial than I’ve experienced at other RC lounges. OTOH, the beverage selection is quite extensive with a wide range of non-alcoholic drinks and canned beers that can be grabbed from the see-through glass refrigerator but cannot be taken out of the lounge. Champagne (G. H. Mumm), wines, a set list of cocktails, draft and canned beer, whiskey, bourbon, and other drinks (see drink menus below) are ordered at one’s table, but since the wine and champagne bottles are left out in a large, iced container on the bar counter, you can replenish your drink by yourself.

Club Lounge

Evening hors d'oeuvres





Breakfast (7:00 – 10:30 a.m.)
At check-in, we were asked where we wanted to eat breakfast, so we chose the club lounge for the first morning and the buffet at Gusuku for the following two mornings. You can order either a Western- or Japanese-style set breakfast at the lounge. There is plenty to eat and it may be a good option for those who want a quieter venue and fewer food options, so you don’t overeat. The buffet breakfast is more extensive, and we preferred it, but it’s a noisy and crowded venue.

Set breakfast in a private club lounge room

Light Lunch (11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
Lunchtime too, consisted of a buffet of appetizers arranged on the bar counter but was augmented by pizza made by the lounge’s pizza oven or a barbecued Shish Kebab made of vegetables and Okinawan wagyu beef (apparently alternated each day), so the meal was more substantial than in the evening. The wagyu Shish Kebab was incredibly tender and was served with salt for dipping and was delicious. The pizza (Margherita) too was authentic and baked freshly on order but could have used some seasoning such as chili oil, tabasco sauce, or salt and pepper, but I never saw any such seasonings available.

Pizza baked in the club lounge's pizza oven

Vegetable and wagyu shish kebab

Afternoon Tea (2:30 – 4:30 p.m.)
We tried afternoon tea one day and found it to be a little less substantial than the one at the RC Fukuoka but still satisfying. I preferred the smaller size of the cake/sweets offering which are high-calorie anyway, so for me, less is desirable.


Spa
During our last stay six years ago, we had to pay 3,000 yen/day to use the spa facilities which included the indoor pool, bath, and sauna (stone and dry sauna). Now, they have dropped that charge, and the spa facilities can be used by all guests for free.

Indoor pool

Jacuzzi

Outdoor cabanas

Overall
It’s great to have a club lounge at this hotel, especially since it’s a little isolated. We found it to be an excellent space to unwind in the evening but enjoyed popping in throughout the day to partake of its various offerings. Lunch was especially good with authentic pizza and and an awesome shishkebab. The outdoor pool is closed in January and February (considered low season) but fortunately, there is a heated indoor pool. Summer is peak season, but room prices skyrocket accordingly, still, the outdoor pool scene is fun. The hotel has put together a ton of activities for guests and of those I chose to take a cocktail course taught by a bartender in the Lobby Lounge & Bar. For an hour-and-a-half, my instructor (formerly from RC Tokyo) started off by trying to refine my cocktail mixing technique and at the end had me mix a Manhattan made from a 26,000-yen bottle of awamori, vermouth, and bitters. Boy, was that smooth and delicious. Highly recommended! We had a great time but with so much to do at this resort hotel, a longer stay of perhaps 5 nights or even a week is called for.