Daiwa Roynet Hotel Osaka Kitahama

The Daiwa Roynet Hotel Osaka Kitahama is a Japanese chain hotel with a separate, female-only floor. The lobby has a fairly corporate vibe, with smart black leather armchairs arranged around a large flat screen TV. The highly polished brown and cream tiled floor reflects the spotlights in the ceiling, and the marble reception desk is lit from underneath. There are several self-serve check out machines, and a table of tourist information leaflets, offering a clue to the on-the-go nature of this property. The hotel does attract a lot of business guests, but also draws a fair number of tourists. Guests are a mix of Japanese and international travelers.

The hotel is set on a busy main road in a commercial area of Osaka, close to many large offices and banks. It's not the most character-filled area, though there are enough shops and restaurants to keep everyone satisfied. Getting around by public transport is easy, as the hotel is directly above Kitahama Subway station; the Naniwabashi station is also within a five-minute walk of the hotel too. The surrounding area is ideal for business travelers, but it’s a fairly convenient location for tourists as well, as the Shinsaibashi/Dotonbori Districts -- with their wide range of entertainment, shops, restaurants, and bars -- are around 15 minutes away by train or on foot. It's also a 15-minute subway ride to the vibrant Namba District. The Osaka Museum of History is around 20 minutes away by train, while Osaka Castle takes around a half hour to reach by train or on foot. Osaka International Airport is an hour away by train, or around a 20-minute drive. 

The 260 guest rooms at the Daiwa Roynet Hotel Osaka Kitahama. Decor is smart and modern, if a little plain -- it's very much a corporate hotel. Still, the look makes this a pleasant choice in a city that has its fair share number of dated hotels. Guests can expect to see cream painted walls with a deep colored feature wall behind the bed, padded leather headboards, and sleek, minimalist dark-wood furniture. Fluffy white duvets bring just a touch of softness to the rooms. All rooms are equipped with mini-fridges, desks, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, trouser presses, air purifiers and air-conditioning, and electric kettles. Given its business inclinations, there are generous charging panels with USB hookups. Ladies' Rooms on the hotel’s female-only floor have the addition of a foot massager. Most bathrooms have a small bathtub and a separate, wet-room style shower, others have a shower/tub combo. Glass panels add some color, but otherwise they are gleaming white. Some bathrooms have a window that looks into the bedroom, but rooms in general don't always have the nicest views.

A good breakfast buffet is available at the hotel's restaurant, Dining Kazato, where a selection of Japanese and Western food is on offer. It’s not open for lunch or dinner though, and there’s no bar on-site. Other facilities at the hotel include a laundry room, smoking room, conference room for business guests, and vending machines which dispense alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. There's a computer station in the lobby which also has a printer, and guests can also rent computers (for a daily fee) to use in their rooms. On-site parking is available, although there's a daily parking charge, and it's operated on a first-come first-serve basis. There's free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.