Hotel City Plaza Osaka is one of my favorite hotels in Japan. First of all, it has a very convenient location – it's about 5 minutes walk from Sakaisuji Honmachi subway station and about 15 minutes walk from Osaka Castle.
The hotel has very modern facilities, including an en suite bathroom, an electric kettle, yukata robes and slippers, a satellite flat-screen TV, and free Wi-Fi. The rooms have a modern design with some bright accent colors. There are also some beautiful views from the windows compared to other cities I've visited - in Tokyo, for example, some windows face out to the wall of an adjacent building.
To me, the most attractive feature of the Hotel City Plaza Osaka is their rooftop spa located in a glass superstructure. The spa area is very spacious, with open-air baths and massage chairs. For a traveler, relaxing in the evening after a long day is the best! I was able to enjoy these individual open-air baths as indoor baths are too hot for me. The temperature of water in the baths varies from 40C to 60C!
Outside the spa there is a row of armchairs where you can relax after bathing. The rest zone stretches along a glass wall with a grand view of Osaka. It's recommended to take a rest during or after hot baths, and to drink water. Vending machines with different drinks are located near the rest zone. The spa and the rest zone are free for hotel guests to use, and you're allowed to walk to the spa from your room in a yukata and slippers.
For an additional charge, guests can use the heated indoor swimming pool, sauna, and fitness room on the 13th floor. The Hotel City Plaza Osaka also features two on-site restaurants - Rivage and Ooe - along with Tatsumiya, a Japanese izakaya, on the 14th floor.
The hotel has a modern yet pleasant design, and with all the included facilities and great location it’s a very good choice for staying in the center of Osaka.
