Ana InterContinental Ishigaki Resort by IHG

ANA InterContinental Ishigaki Resort by IHG is a full-scale seaside resort for divers who want more than a bed between boat days. You have ocean and garden views, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa, several places to eat and enough space to make a non-diving day feel like a day off rather than a logistical exercise.

The tone is polished and easy to understand: return from the water, cool down in the air conditioning, order something from room service or head for the bar. Couples can keep things simple, while families have rooms with bunk beds, a water slide and plenty of ways to occupy younger travellers.

For planning, the hotel website is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. That helps before arrival, although no hotel staff language is recorded here, so it does not promise that every conversation at reception will happen in English.

You are on Ishigaki Island, Japan, at 354-1 Maesato. The resort is beachfront, with Maezato Beach around 450 metres away and Tadahama Beach around 300 metres away. Painuhama Artificial Beach is roughly 2.5 miles away, while Shiraho Beach is about 4.7 miles from the property.

Ishigaki Port is a 10-minute drive, putting town facilities within reach without placing you in the middle of them. Banna Park is about 3 miles away, and the Yaeyama Museum is roughly 2 miles away for a change of scenery that does not require a full expedition.

New Ishigaki Airport is about a 20-minute drive. The resort also has free private parking, which is useful if you are exploring the island by car rather than treating the hotel as a sealed bubble.

The room choice is less about finding somewhere to sleep and more about deciding what you want to see when you open the curtains. Ocean Wing and Bay Wing options put the sea view at the centre of the stay, while the garden-facing rooms make sense if you value space and a quieter visual backdrop over a front-row view of the water.

For two divers travelling together, the twin rooms keep the sleeping arrangements straightforward. The Classic Room offers more room to spread out, while the Coral Wing options with bunk beds and sofa beds are designed for larger family groups. If you want a proper separation between sleeping and living space, the one-bedroom Horizon Suite and two-bedroom suite take the step up in the sensible direction rather than merely adding a grander room name.

Air conditioning matters on Ishigaki after warm, salty days, and the rooms also have large windows, wooden floors, a minibar, cable television, a DVD player and free wired internet. A desk and sofa give you somewhere to deal with messages or sort tomorrow's plans, while room service removes the need to put on respectable clothes when your legs have already filed a formal complaint.

Breakfast is continental, and you can also have it in your room. That is useful on an early start, when coffee and food need to reach you before conversation becomes realistic. Room service covers the evenings when the bed wins the argument.

The dining line-up includes SALTIDA, a fish and meat bistro working with fresh local ingredients, and Yaeyama Japanese Restaurant for Japanese dishes. The difference is clear enough: one leans towards local produce and bistro cooking, the other towards the island's Japanese setting rather than a generic international menu.

Tropics Lounge and Bar handles the liquid side of the evening with local beers and tropical cocktails. There is also a coffee house on site, plus a bar and restaurants, so you can stay on the property for a drink or a meal instead of organising a second outing after a long day at sea.

The sensible plan for a non-diving day is to start with the pool rather than a timetable. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a whirlpool and a water slide, giving you several ways to spend an hour without committing to another excursion. The resort is also on the beach, so a swim and a stretch of sand are close at hand.

When muscles need attention rather than entertainment, the spa and massage service are available on site. The fitness centre covers the purposeful option, while the recreation and sports court, tennis court and canoeing provide something more active when you have energy left in the tank.

Golf is available within 3 kilometres, and the tour desk can arrange activities such as kayaking and other island outings. You can also stay closer to home with the garden and pool areas, which is often exactly the right level of ambition for a day between dives.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to midnight, and check-out from 06:00 to 11:00. The front desk operates around the clock, with concierge service, luggage storage, currency exchange, an on-site cash machine and a tour desk available for the practical bits of island travel.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, private parking is free and does not require a reservation, and daily housekeeping is provided. Laundry is available as a paid service, while the resort also offers room service, lifts, air conditioning and non-smoking rooms.

Children of any age are welcome. Cots can be requested for children aged up to three, while children aged six and over are charged as adults; extra beds are not available. The minimum age for check-in is 18, and pets are not allowed. The hotel also has a business centre, useful if your trip includes a little work alongside the diving.