Nara
This is an easy choice, with direct access to JR Nara Station (from the 2nd floor, via an elevated walkway). Rooms are contemporary, if a bit utilitarian,…
Must-see hotels in Kansai
Kii Peninsula
Located right across from the Garan, with a big communal bath. The cheapest rooms have shared facilities and no air-conditioning; rooms with bathrooms…
Osaka
There are few love hotels like this one left in Japan. The decor riffs on the courtesan boudoirs of the Heian era (794–1185), late 19th-century Europe and…
Kii Peninsula
For a break from minshuku, this contemporary business hotel with bigger-than-average rooms is the nicest place in town. There's a large common bath in…
Kii Peninsula
In Yunomine, just steps from Tsubo-yu, is this modern ryokan perched above the river with lovely views. It's fairly new, the owners are very friendly, and…
Kansai
Only a few years old, this is the nicest of the business hotels clustered around Ise-shi Station, on the south side just a two-minute walk away. Book a…
Osaka
Along the tree-lined main street Midō-suji, this luxe choice has genteel service, spacious rooms with a contemporary look, and great views of mountains on…
Kōbe
Centrally located steps from restaurants and nightlife and downhill from Kitano-chō, the B Kōbe is a good, modern, utilitarian choice. Staff speak some…
Hotel Trusty Kōbe Kyū-Kyoryuchi
Kōbe
The name screams 'standard-issue business hotel', but this is actually a boutique property with contemporary style in Kyū-Kyoryuchi (the former…
Osaka
This large business hotel doesn't set any style standards, but it has clean, comfy rooms, a Japanese-Western breakfast buffet (¥1200 extra) and laundry…
Osaka
Above JR Osaka Station, this hotel's 700-plus rooms (on floors 21 to 27) run the gamut from could-use-an-update to futuristic luxe (on the top-level …
Kii Peninsula
Rengejō-in offers several grades of room from simple to grand. English is spoken and sometimes an explanation of Buddhist practices and meditation is…
Osaka
Perfect for those looking for a budget stay in the heart of Shinsaibashi. Rooms are cramped and some are a little scuffed up, but who cares when you're…
Osaka
Close enough to JR Osaka and Hankyū Umeda Stations to be convenient (about a 15-minute walk) but far enough away to be reasonably priced, Sunroute is a…
Green Rich Hotel Osaka Airport
Osaka
Right across from Osaka airport and within walking distance if needed (though the hotel can arrange a shuttle bus) this friendly little hotel is the best…
Osaka
This standard business hotel is a good choice for budget digs if you're looking to roll out of bed and be in the heart of Dōtombori. Rooms are small but…
Osaka
A short walk from JR Osaka and Hankyū Umeda Stations in Kita, the Ritz-Carlton has palatial, classically decorated rooms. Amenities include a pool, a…
Himeji
Himeji's top hotel has a dated kind of elegance but spacious rooms and reliably good service. There's a fitness centre with pool, well-equipped gym and…
Himeji
Cheap and reliable, a couple of minutes' walk from the south side of JR Himeji Station. Included in the room rate is a simple Japanese-style breakfast.
Kansai
A decent, if crowded, spot to pitch a tent. Tent-site rates vary by date and size.
Kansai
Now in its 13th generation (it dates from the 1690s), this inn is filled with art and artefacts from famous guests who've stayed here over the years – an…
Kii Peninsula
Honshū's southernmost inn has large, Japanese-style ocean-view rooms, some with private toilet (extra cost; all rooms have shared bath) and a roof deck…
Kii Peninsula
A two-minute walk north of the station, this small ryokan, which would be lovely with some sprucing up, has Japanese-style rooms with a shared bath (that…
Osaka Municipal Nagai Youth Hostel
Osaka
The utilitarian but impeccably clean and well-managed Osaka Municipal Nagai Youth Hostel is rather far from the city centre and primarily used by school…
Osaka
Inside the landmark Misono Building – a self-styled entertainment wonderland (c 1956) that once housed a famous cabaret – this 29-room hotel is somewhat…
Kii Peninsula
Cheap and cheerful Kishū calls itself a 'business hotel', but it's really a small, family-run inn with futon bedding and mini-fridges on tatami or…
