Must see hotels in 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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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),…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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

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

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,…

Located right across from the Garan, with a big communal bath. The cheapest rooms have shared facilities and no air-conditioning; rooms with bathrooms…

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…

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…

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…