7 Best Hotels in The Kansai Region, Japan

At once exquisitely refined and delightfully friendly, Kankaso exemplifies the best of Japanese hospitality, and a delicious kaiseki dinner is included, as is breakfast. Beautiful gardens surround this peaceful ryokan near Todai Temple, and inside, elegant ikebana arrangements adorn the alcove. Each room is decorated with scrolls and pottery. Although the building has been renovated over the centuries, its 1,200-year-old central beam testifies to its longevity. The communal baths look out onto the gardens. 

One of the city's newest luxury hotels looks out over the city from Osaka's tallest building and has some of the best nighttime views of any hotel in the region. Situated on the 38th to 57th floors of the new Abeno Harukas Building, the floor-to-ceiling windows give every room a bright, airy feeling that complements the subdued but trendy decor. The Premium Corner rooms offer views from two angles as well as a view from the bath. Located above Tennoji Station, the hotel is a short train ride from many tourist attractions and a short taxi from the nightlife areas of Namba and Shin-sai-bashi.

European-style furnishings and mellow contemporary art make the standard rooms at this high-end hotel some of the best in the city. As an added bonus, and unlike many other hotels in Japan, staying guests can make use of the pool and gym for free, and there are also discounts at the hotel's excellent restaurants. Be sure to enjoy a drink in Tavola 36, the hotel's top-floor sky lounge. If you are coming from the airport, use the courtesy phone to request a bellhop to collect your bags as soon as you get off the train. Take the third-floor exit at Nankai Namba Station.

Individual cottages, some with thatched roofs in the greenery of Nara Park, make Edosan one of Nara's most peaceful and unique lodgings. Indulge in a traditional kaiseki dinner served in your cottage while you gaze through a large round window out into the lush landscape. One cottage has a private bath, and there's also a communal bath for other guests.

Glitz and glitter lure expense-accounters to the Hilton Osaka, in the heart of the business district, a typical Western-style hotel with endless marble and brass. The high-ceiling lobby is dramatic and stylish, and the arcade is home to designer boutiques. The five executive floors have a lounge for complimentary continental breakfasts and evening cocktails, and the decor is 21st-century art deco with a Japanese streak.

Centrally situated between JR Nara Station and Nara Park, what this simple hotel may lacking charm and ambience, it more than makes up for in location and price. The pink wave-shaped lighting in the atrium harks back to the 1980s economic bubble. There are two restaurants, one of which, Hanakagami, serves Japanese cuisine.

An excellent base for exploring Osaka, the Miyako is also handy when you plan on taking day trips to Kyoto and Nara—the Kintetsu Ue-hon-machi Station next door offers quick access to both cities. Osaka Castle and Tenno-ji Temple are each a 15-minute walk away. The Miyako is comfortable and stylish with a staff who are attentive without being obsequious. As an added bonus, a new shopping center and theater are connected to the hotel.