Hilton Osaka
Hilton Osaka’s prime location, just south of Osaka Station, means the hotel is abuzz with guests and locals alike, coming to dine at one of its several restaurants, including a café, teppanyaki, sushi, an all-day dining buffet, or a steakhouse. A large banquet space holding up to 1,000 guests keeps the hotel buzzing.
The property is a dizzying 34 storeys high and has 562 rooms that sit between floors 10 and 34. Washi shoji paper sliding screens over the windows nod to traditional Japanese design, but the style is otherwise Western. Fusuma sliding screens over the shoji screens will keep the room dark – something I consider essential in the land of the rising sun. There’s an indoor swimming pool and spa, and the location is hard to beat, especially for those catching a bullet train – the station is just a 10-minute taxi ride away.
Address: 1 Chome-8-8 Umeda, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-0001, Japan
Price: From about £154 per night
Canopy by Hilton Osaka Umeda
Canopy by Hilton Osaka Umeda is a new-ish property on the north side of Osaka Station. It is part of Grand Green Osaka, which opened in 2024 – an urban green park space populated with new buildings and a shopping complex that includes Japanese brands Beams and Porter Yoshida.
Inside, there’s an energetic vibe: brightly coloured designs are painted on the lobby wall. Floor-to-ceiling windows on the 11th floor showcase views overlooking the green space and the city. On the ground floor is the Bean level, the Umeda coffee shop for pour-over coffees and sandwiches. The rest of the hotel is on floors 10-25. All-day dining at CC: CARBON COPY and !JaJa!Bar and lounge with outdoor seating on the 11th floor, an open-air rooftop bar. There’s a fitness centre on site, but bicycles are available, and when you’re in a city as vibrant as this, it feels a shame to exercise inside if you could be taking in the sights at the same time. Ask the concierge for help mapping out the best cycling routes.
Address: 6-38 Ofukacho, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-0011, Japan
Price: From about £188 per night
AloJapan.com