Must-see hotels in Kansai

  • Pax Hostel

    Osaka

    Housed in an atmospheric old wooden rice-store building, Pax Hostel is hidden away from the buzzing neon in Shin-Sekai. Dorms have coloured wooden bunk…

  • Wakasa Bettei

    Nara

    This friendly, contemporary ryokan (inn) aims to please. The 11 stylish, large Japanese- and Western-style rooms have private facilities, including a…

  • Matabe

    Kansai

    In one of the thatched-roof homes within Kayabuki-no-sato, this three-room minshuku is traditional on the outside yet clean and modern on the inside, with…

  • Guesthouse Sakuraya

    Nara

    In a 160-year-old machiya (shophouse) with a courtyard garden, this quiet, atmospheric spot beautifully integrates both traditional and contemporary…

  • Kaneyoshi Ryokan

    Osaka

    In business for nearly a century right by Dōtombori, Kaneyoshi's current (1980s) building feels a bit dated, but it's offset by eager-to-please staff,…

  • Fujiya

    Kii Peninsula

    This upmarket ryokan features tasteful and spacious rooms, all with river views and private facilities in addition to onsen baths. There are some chic…

  • Hotel the Flag

    Osaka

    This hip design hotel ticks many boxes for those looking for a smart modern stay close to Shinsaibashi's shopping and nightlife. Rooms are stylish with a…

  • Guesthouse Makura

    Nara

    In Naramachi and close to the sights, Guesthouse Makura occupies a 90-year-old wooden machiya (shophouse). It's been lightly renovated but retains much of…

  • Mitsui Garden Hotel Osaka Premier

    Osaka

    On Naka-no-shima, this smart-looking hotel exudes contemporary cool. Rooms have wooden floors and there are attractive common baths. Request an east…

  • Ise Shinsen

    Kansai

    This contemporary ryokan has a mix of Japanese- and Western-style rooms, all with indoor showers and rotemburo on the balconies, discreetly hidden from…

  • Hotel Cordia

    Osaka

    Conveniently located a short hop from Higobashi Station, close to the river and Naka-no-shima's sights, and a 20-minute walk from the Umeda area, Cordia…

  • Hotel Nikkō Kansai Airport

    Osaka

    The excellent Hotel Nikkō Kansai Airport is connected to the main terminal building by a pedestrian bridge (you can even bring your luggage trolleys right…

  • Daiwa Roynet Hotel Himeji

    Himeji

    In addition to being new (it opened in early 2018), this business hotel has a few other appealing things: walk-in showers (that are more accessible than…

  • Kamon Hotel Namba

    Osaka

    Close to all the Dōtombori and Namba nightlife action, but tucked away in a quiet street, Kamon is a great choice for penny-pinchers. Some rooms are a…

  • Calendar Hotel

    Kansai

    This recently opened, surprisingly stylish capsule hotel is attached to JR Ōtsu Station; it's a good base for exploring the sights in Shiga Prefecture and…

  • St Regis

    Osaka

    Conveniently situated on Midō-suji, St Regis emits an atmosphere of old world elegance. Service is highly professional, rooms are comfortable and spacious…

  • Hotel Nikkō Nara

    Nara

    Japan's Nikkō chain always delivers a comfortable, smooth stay and this location is no different. It's conveniently connected to JR Nara Station by a…

  • Cross Hotel Osaka

    Osaka

    The Cross Hotel rocks a black, white and dark-red urban look and you'd have to sleep under Ebisu-bashi bridge for a more central location. Rooms are of…

  • Arietta Hotel

    Osaka

    About 10 minutes' walk north of the Minami District, the Arietta has good-sized rooms with wooden floors and tiled bathrooms, welcoming staff and a simple…

  • Pension Ashita-no-Mori

    Kii Peninsula

    This Swiss chalet–style building sits across from the riverside hot springs in Kawa-yu. There's a big communal dining area on the ground floor and…

  • Minshuku Yunotanisō

    Kii Peninsula

    At the upper end of the village of Yunomine, this seven-room minshuku is exactly what a minshuku should be: simple, clean and welcoming. Only one room has…

  • Totoya

    Kansai

    Set where the rice paddies meet the sea (and really in the middle of nowhere), Totoya offers Japanese-style rooms (with sink and toilet), shared onsen…

  • Nara Ugaya Guesthouse

    Nara

    This chill backpackers' inn offers a tight warren of bunk-bed dorms and Japanese-style rooms a short walk from Naramachi. Convivial common areas are a…

  • Hotel Kintetsu Aquavilla Ise-Shima

    Kansai

    This modern resort-hotel has views over island-dotted Ago Bay, a variety of room options (including accessible rooms and family-friendly maisonettes), a…

  • Hotel Luandon Shirahama

    Kii Peninsula

    Though it's a 10-minute walk from the beach, you do get bang-on views of Shirahama's inner harbour from the balconies here. The Western-style rooms are…

  • Chikurin-in Gumpō-en

    Kansai

    Chikurin-in is one of Yoshino's old Shugendō temples that now also operates as a ryokan. The simplest shukubō (temple-lodging) rooms have shared…

  • Ashiu Yama-no-Ie

    Kansai

    This modern hostel, with four-person Western- and Japanese-style rooms, is ideally set up for hiking in the Ashiu Research Forest. There's a ¥1000…

  • Uminoyado

    Kii Peninsula

    In the centre of town and close to the beach, this former okiya (geisha house) has been refashioned into a modern guesthouse with Western-style rooms,…

  • ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kōbe

    Kōbe

    With direct access from Shin-Kōbe Station (via a passage on the station's 2nd floor) and spacious rooms, this 37-floor hotel is an easy choice, even if it…

  • Suishōen

    Kansai

    This modern ryokan, arranged around a central garden, has indoor and outdoor baths. The Western-style rooms (sink and toilet but no bath) are cheaper, but…

  • Ise Pearl Pier Hotel

    Kansai

    This older hotel on the north side of Ise-shi Station has more updated rooms than the facade would suggest (and 'deluxe' ones that cost only a little…

  • Todaya

    Kansai

    This sprawling, all-inclusive resort hotel on the waterfront in Toba has a huge variety of ocean view rooms (mostly Japanese-style, but some have beds),…

  • Minshuku Katsuya

    Kii Peninsula

    This longstanding eight-room minshuku (inn) is only two minutes' walk from the main beach. It has several single rooms and is popular with solo travellers…

  • Shin-Osaka Youth Hostel

    Osaka

    Five minutes southeast of Shin-Osaka Station, this efficiently run hostel sits on the top floors of a contemporary, 10-storey tower with great views…

  • Dormy Inn Himeji

    Himeji

    This branch of the traveller-favourite chain has the usual Dormy amenities, like a big communal bath (with real onsen water!) in addition to in-room…

  • Uminone

    Kansai

    Just east of Takeno-hama, facing the sea, this ryokan with both Japanese- and Western-style rooms and its own onsen bath is the nicest place to stay in…

  • Hotel Ginsui

    Kii Peninsula

    This 46-room hotel, across the street from the beach, is a reasonable choice (ask for an ocean-side room, some of which have views through the pines to…

  • Kirari

    Kii Peninsula

    This modern ryokan by the river in Ryūjin Onsen has beautiful views from its expansive lobby. The main building, which has both Japanese- and Western…

  • Guesthouse Nara Komachi

    Nara

    Clean, contemporary, bargain-priced accommodation a few minutes' walk from JR Nara Station. There are both Western-style dorms and tiny private rooms with…

  • Hotel Fujita Nara

    Nara

    In the heart of downtown Nara, about five minutes' walk from either main train station, this convenient (if rather plain) hotel offers reasonable prices,…