Villa Fontaine Grand Osaka Umeda

Breakfast was decent, with a reasonable range of options. I also want to point out that the public bath is a sento with hot water, not a natural onsen. That didn’t bother me, but there are only five shower heads, so it can be crowded and inconvenient. The check-in and check-out procedure for using the bath was tedious. The location is very convenient, next to the Umeda shopping area and about a three-minute walk from several malls. There are only two lifts for more than 130 rooms across four floors, though, and waits can get long at busy times. I had a standard twin room, and it was very cramped. There wasn’t enough space to open my luggage properly, so I had to do it in the hallway, where it blocked the toilet door. The shower area was even smaller than the toilet. This room type seems better suited to one person than two.

The only letdown was breakfast. It was all Japanese-style, with no European choices like eggs or bread, so I ended up eating outside. Everything else was fantastic: the room had comfortable beds and nice attention to detail, and the public bath and sauna were a wonderful way to unwind after a long day. The staff were friendly and welcoming. This was the best hotel of my whole trip to Japan, and I’d definitely stay again.

There’s no parking at the front, so you have to walk a couple of minutes to the main road. Breakfast is also entirely Japanese, without Western items like croissants, bread, cheese or cold meats. Neither was a deal breaker for me. The hotel is in a central part of Osaka, with easy access to the metro and Umeda underground, which is basically an underground city. Staff were very friendly and helpful, and the rooms are good by Japanese standards. Mine even had a couch to sit on.

After a long day shopping, I really enjoyed the hot bath and hot stone bed. The room was comfortable for two, and the customer service was excellent. A very good place to stay in Osaka.