GUIDE'S TAKE
Not objective information — one traveler's experience and bias.
We stayed in the Water Cottage — ceilings soaring overhead, the whole room wide open. It felt otherworldly the second we walked in.
There's a switch built into the floor. Press it, and a panel slides open to reveal fish swimming right beneath you.
Check-in itself is the attraction: you ride a boat to your room, and somewhere along the way, a shark straight out of Jaws lunges out at you.
There's also a button for animal calls — press it and the room lights up in sync with the sound. One catch: other rooms have the same button, so you might hear someone else's animal noises drifting in at night.
There's an open-air bath too, but we visited in April — too cold to actually use it.
We were served pudding in a little jar. It was good.
We ended up visiting twice. The first time, we left an Amazon Fire TV Stick behind in the room. When we came back for it, it was still exactly where we'd left it.
Stay in This Room
The Water Cottage (Rooms 211 & 212)
If you can choose, there's really only one option: the Water Cottage, rooms 211 and 212. Out of thirty rooms total, these two are on another level entirely.
Reachable only by boat, a floor that opens to reveal fish, ceilings that soar overhead — this room is basically where the whole appeal of this hotel lives.
It costs more than the other rooms, but we think the experience earns it.
Honest disclosure: this guide's ★★★ rating is based specifically on our stay in the Water Cottage. We haven't tried the standard rooms.
The Water Cottage (Rooms 211 & 212)How We'd Spend It
Not a real stay — this is the editors' daydream of one.
Check in around 5pm, while it's still light out — ride the boat and watch the sky darken on the way to the room.
First thing inside: press the switch in the floor. Take your time watching the fish appear, no rush.
The animal-sound switch? Honestly, you don't need to press it much. Better to just turn on the lights and enjoy the quiet.
Takeout tori-ten from somewhere nearby, a can of beer from the convenience store — that unglamorous combination suits this room better than anything fancy.
If the weather's good, try the open-air bath. If it's cold, skip it guilt-free and have the jar pudding for dessert instead.
In the evening, do nothing much — just stare up at that high ceiling. Check out late the next morning, and hit the floor switch one more time before you go.
Editor's Note / Honest Note
Open the floor, and there are fish. That alone is worth the trip.
Ask if we'd go back, and the answer is: in a heartbeat.
- The Water Cottage is only two rooms, and it costs more than a typical love hotel.
- The open-air bath is very much seasonal — too cold to use in April.
- Other rooms share the same animal-sound switch, so you might hear it at night.
Trip Notes
If you're staying here, this is the day we'd recommend.
- Access
- Along Prefectural Route 22. Head toward the coast at the Harukawa-higashi intersection, then turn right at the first crossing — about 100m ahead. Parking for 30 vehicles (high-roof compatible).
- Google Maps
- スカイパラダイスラクエン 大分
- Phone
- 097-503-1711
- Hours
- The Dolphin boat to the Water Cottage runs 9:00am to 1:00am (please confirm in advance).
- Price
- The Water Cottage (rooms 211/212) is priced individually as the top room grade. For reference, standard rooms start at ¥4,200 for a rest, ¥5,980 for an overnight stay (plus a 10% service charge).
- Official Site
- skyclub.co.jp/hotel/sky-paradise-rakuen/
Good to Know
- Official name: HOTEL SKY PARADISE RAKUEN. 30 rooms total.
- The Water Cottage (rooms 211 and 212) is the hotel's top ('SS') room grade, reachable only by boat (the 'Dolphin').
- Boat check-in includes staged effects — a waterfall, an illuminated elephant taking a bath, a glowing boat, and a shark (straight out of Jaws) that suddenly appears.
- Rooms have high ceilings and a section of glass floor that opens and closes. The balcony has an open-air bath, with a button that lights up the surrounding illumination (once every 30 minutes, until 2am).
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the rooms and lobby, plus free costume rental (39 types).
- Bookable through Booking.com; a reservation link is also provided on the official site.
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