Grand Mercure Wakayama Minabe Resort & Spa グランドメルキュール和歌山みなべリゾート＆スパ 和歌山南部美爵溫泉度假酒店

Grand Mercure Wakayama Minabe Resort & Spa is a seaside resort hotel perched on a small peninsula in Yamanouchi Ometsu-domari, Minabe Town, Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Kii Mountain Range, it enjoys a scenic natural setting. The surrounding area is known as Japan’s leading plum-growing region, often described as “a million blossoms at a glance, their fragrance stretching for miles,” and the drive to the hotel takes you past plum orchards and fruit farms. The hotel is about 10 minutes by car from JR Minabe Station and around 10 minutes from the Minabe IC on the Hanwa Expressway via Route 42, with easy access by both car and train. Shirahama is also about a 45-minute drive away.

The hotel sits roughly a five-minute walk from Senri Beach, and every guest room is designed to offer views of the Pacific Ocean. Thanks to its location at the tip of a small cape, guests can enjoy ocean horizons from many areas of the property, including guest rooms, the large public bath, and the garden. The setting makes it easy to appreciate the changing colors of sunrise and sunset. Taking advantage of its position between sea and mountains, the hotel is also promoted as a base for exploring the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes and the broader Kii Mountain region.

The property has a total of 323 guest rooms, each offering a generous floor area of at least 31 m². Room types are mainly twins and doubles, along with Japanese-Western rooms and layouts that can accommodate up to four guests, making the hotel convenient for families and groups. All rooms are equipped with a bath and toilet (with bidet), TV, refrigerator, electric kettle, and free Wi-Fi, providing a level of comfort and functionality similar to that of an urban hotel. Ocean-side rooms face the Pacific, while mountain-side rooms look toward the Kii Mountains, allowing guests to feel close to the natural scenery of the Minabe area whichever room type they choose.

The main dining venue is a buffet restaurant serving dishes that feature local specialties such as Minabe-grown plums, seafood landed at nearby ports, and vegetables and fruits from across Wakayama Prefecture. Both breakfast and dinner are offered in a buffet style combining Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes. The lineup includes regional specialties, familiar favorites that children can enjoy, and a variety of desserts. In the outdoor area, summer often brings food trucks offering items such as shaved ice, hot sandwiches, waffles, and local creations like chicken tempura marinated in ume vinegar, along with plum-inspired drinks.

The hot spring facilities are another major highlight of the hotel. The large public bath features the open-air “Kishu Minabe Senrihama Onsen,” where guests can soak while gazing out at the Pacific Ocean; the early-morning sunrise hours are particularly popular. In addition to indoor and open-air baths, there is also a sauna, providing an environment where you can relax in the hot spring while listening to the sound of the waves. The spring is described as beneficial for easing fatigue and soothing tired muscles, making it an appealing stop between sightseeing and long drives.

The hotel embraces an “all-inclusive resort” concept, with many plans covering dinner, breakfast, drinks in the lounge, use of the hot spring, and selected seasonal activities as part of the room rate. At the buffet, guests can enjoy free-flow drinks, including alcoholic options, while the lounge offers snacks, soft drinks, wine, beer, and more depending on the time of day. This setup allows guests to relax without constantly worrying about additional charges. Some premium beverages and special activities are subject to extra fees, but overall, the concept is well suited to travelers who want to “make the most of their time at the hotel itself.”

On the activity side, the outdoor garden pool, open during summer, is especially popular with families. The pool area is divided into a main pool and a shallower children’s section, and the poolside overlooks the ocean. Seasonal events and workshops are also held, and on fine days guests can spend an entire day on the property, combining the pool, food trucks, and outdoor terraces for a resort-style stay.

The hotel is also promoted as a convenient base for visiting the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes. One of its signature offerings is an accommodation plan that includes a guided “Kumano Kodo Kii Route walking tour.” Led by local guides, these walks feature three relatively gentle routes selected from the Kii Route, designed to be accessible even for first-time visitors. As part of the all-inclusive stay, participation is available without an extra activity fee, making it an attractive option for travelers who want to combine their stay with exposure to local history, culture, and nature.

Facilities include restaurants and lounges, a large public bath with open-air hot spring and sauna, and an outdoor pool, as well as banquet halls, meeting rooms, a souvenir shop, and coin-operated laundry. This setup allows the hotel to serve not only individual travelers but also group tours, training programs, and events. With business center functions and banquet facilities, it has a track record of use by corporate and other organized groups. On-site parking is available for guests arriving by car, with spaces reserved for private vehicles (as conditions and policies may change, it is advisable to confirm the latest details in advance).

Overall, Grand Mercure Wakayama Minabe Resort & Spa combines ocean-view rooms overlooking the Pacific, natural hot springs, buffet dining featuring local ingredients, and drinks-inclusive all-inclusive services in a single resort package. Rather than being located in the bustling heart of a major tourist hub like Nanki Shirahama, it serves as a relaxed seaside base where guests can enjoy coastal and mountain views, the Kumano Kodo, plum orchards, and the distinctive natural surroundings of the Minabe area.