Naha ¨C The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Naha is built with literal history in its walls.

The exterior renovation of the main hall of Naha¡¯s iconic Shuri Castle, which burned to the ground in a 2019 fire, was completed in late 2025. Though work on the structure¡¯s interior will continue until autumn, the soul of the UNESCO World Heritage Site also lives on in the Okinawan capital¡¯s newest hotel.

Behind the reception desk on the seventh floor, an unassuming, muted-red wall is covered in material made from powdered kawara (roof tiles) salvaged from the rubble of the fire-ravaged Shuri Castle, once the seat of the rulers of the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429-1879) and an enduring symbol of the island.

¡°We got special permission to use the kawara because we are using it to express Okinawan culture and history,¡± says Yumiko Miyata, brand marketing manager for Mitsubishi Estate Hotels and Resorts, the company behind the Royal Park Hotel Iconic Naha, which opens Jan. 30 just steps from the city¡¯s lively Kokusai-dori main street.

Throughout the hotel, design details take inspiration from other elements of Okinawa¡¯s architectural heritage. The inner courtyard was modeled after traditional farmhouses, while the hotel¡¯s white exterior is in the style of local architecture, characterized by deep, extended eaves on every floor to shield the building from direct sun or, during Okinawa¡¯s volatile typhoon season, wind and rain.

Each of the hotel¡¯s 257 guest rooms, like my Superior Twin ¡ª a compact room with a full-length window overlooking the city and costing between ?25,000 and ?35,000 per night ¡ª features local Yachimun pottery for jasmine tea and organic coffee, while ceramic room number plates and light fixtures from master artisan and Okinawan native Kyoshi Matsuda accent the spaces on the 13th-floor executive level. Lamps throughout the premises are crafted from ²ú²¹²õ³ó¨­ paper, a traditional Okinawan paper made from banana plant fibers, and dried Okinawan kuba leaves come pressed under glass-topped tables.

These local details are standouts in a hotel design that¡¯s otherwise characterized by an elevated business hotel aesthetic with some commonplace wellness and relaxation flourishes. This predictable safety continues in the culinary offerings: The breakfast buffet is abundant, with chefs making omelets to order and a taco station as a nice touch, but ultimately, the same dishes can be found at local eateries around Naha cooked to perfection and in a cheerier, more authentic atmosphere.

The hotel seems to aim for calmness above all else, curating its image as an oasis in the center of Okinawa¡¯s capital. Walking distance from Kokusai-dori and sitting atop the Bank of the Ryukyus, the hotel is almost hiding in plain sight. To underscore this feeling of escape, the entrance...