Review: Courtyard Osaka Honmachi | Prince of Travel

Throughout a visit to Japan, I spent two nights in Osaka to get to know a brand new a part of the nation. I used to be on the lookout for a resort that had a pleasant stability between value and amenities, and got here throughout the Courtyard Osaka Honmachi as one of many choices.

I’m fairly aware of the hit-and-miss Courtyards of North America and Europe, however this grew to become my first time with the model in Asia. Many members of the Prince of Journey workforce and the Miles & Factors neighborhood have spoken extremely of Courtyards in Asia, and I used to be eager to verify one out for myself.

Courtyard Osaka Honmachi – Reserving

I used to be lucky to attain an trade charge at this resort, which was one in every of a number of choices obtainable within the space.

Common money charges on the property begin at round ¥15,000 ($150 CAD) and rise as much as ¥40,000 ($400 CAD) throughout peak durations. In case you’re reserving at the very least just a few months prematurely, count on to pay ¥15,000 ($150 CAD), which is certainly a sexy worth.

In case you plan on redeeming Marriott Bonvoy factors, count on to half with 35,000–45,000 factors per night time, with most dates falling someplace near 40,000 factors.

There isn’t a really compelling purpose to redeem factors right here, particularly in the event you can e book charges for round 15,000 ($150 CAD) per night time. You’re prone to get a lot lower than our goal valuation of 0.9 cents per level, and also you’re seemingly higher off saving your factors for a extra precious redemption.

You probably have a spare Free Night time Award kicking round, you may nonetheless get respectable worth out of it, particularly if the money charges run a bit greater than the norm.

After all, make sure to check out any company codes that you’re entitled to, as it could deliver down the nightly value even additional.

Courtyard Osaka Honmachi – Location

The Courtyard Osaka Honmachi is conveniently positioned in Central Osaka, near lots of the metropolis’s points of interest, transit hubs, and enterprise areas.

The resort is noticeably adjoining to a most important thoroughfare, Chuo-dori Avenue. Regardless of the hefty degree of visitors, I didn’t discover any noise from contained in the resort.

Osaka Citadel is a leisurely half-hour stroll from the resort, or alternatively, a few 10-minute drive. It’s a terrific spot for a run from the resort, in the event you’re into that type of factor.

To get to the bustling Dotonbori district, it takes round 10 minutes by automotive, quarter-hour by transit, or 25 minutes by foot. There are many eating places and bars alongside the best way, do you have to get hungry sooner or later alongside the journey.

Heading northward, you’ll arrive at Nakanoshima, a three-kilometre lengthy sandbank the place many authorities buildings, industrial workplaces, and museums are positioned, in round 5 minutes by automotive or transit, or round quarter-hour by foot.

Shin-Osaka Station is round quarter-hour by automotive or 20 minutes by transit from the resort. 

Kansai Worldwide Airport is round an hour by transit or half an hour by automotive from the resort, and Itami Airport is round an hour by transit or 25 minutes by automotive from the Courtyard Osaka Honmachi.

Courtyard Osaka Honmachi – Verify-in

I arrived on the resort from Shin-Osaka Station by means of the Midosuji Line. Navigating my manner from the practice station to Honmachi was straightforward, which was a little bit of a reduction after an oddly delayed Shinkansen experience from Tokyo. 

The resort’s exterior blends in to lots of the surrounding buildings, and I nearly walked proper previous the doorway.

Upon coming into, I famous that the resort gave the impression to be fairly fashionable, and walked by a hallway with green-leaf art work and a divider with Japanese writing.

The foyer lounge has just a few seating areas for visitors, however it isn’t a very huge or inviting area to take a look at. 

I headed over to one in every of three check-in desks, and was warmly greeted by the affiliate. I arrived within the early night, and there weren’t too many individuals within the space.

My Platinum Elite standing was acknowledged, and I used to be knowledgeable of all the resort’s amenities and facilities that I’d have entry to. There wasn’t actually a lot of some extent of “suite-talking” right here, since many of the rooms are very comparable.

I thanked the affiliate for the thorough rationalization of what to anticipate, after which headed as much as my room on the eighth ground of the resort.

Courtyard Osaka Honmachi – King Consolation Visitor Room

I wasn’t anticipating my room to be fairly as fancy as what I’d skilled on the Mesm Tokyo the night time earlier than. Nevertheless, I used to be pleasantly shocked to discover a fashionable room with every thing I’d want for a keep that was a mixture of each work and leisure.

Upon coming into the room, there’s a brief hallway that leads previous the lavatory and into the bed room.

Within the hallway, there’s an open closet with a spot to hold your jacket, a shoe tray, some drawers, and a few Japanese pajamas.

All the pieces within the bed room is pretty compact, however it had sufficient area to maneuver round comfortably. The mattress takes up the vast majority of the room, and I discovered it to be fairly comfy and nice for a strong night time’s relaxation, as I used to be nonetheless battling jet lag.

There are aspect tables on both aspect of the mattress, with lamps, retailers, an alarm clock, and lighting controls.

Mounted on the wall reverse from the mattress is the room’s flat-screen TV, which is positioned optimally for viewing from the mattress.

Between the mattress and the window is a small desk with a chair. I spent a while working right here throughout my keep, and located it to be comfy for brief stints of labor, however not a lot for longer durations of time.

Towards the window is a padded bench, which I suppose may make for a pleasant spot to learn a e book.

The view from the room wasn’t particular by any means, because it simply seemed out onto the neighbouring constructing and the busy highway close by.

Within the nook of the room is a closet, which is the place you may grasp extra clothes. There’s additionally an ironing board inside.

On the opposite aspect of the bench is a small pantry, with a tea kettle on high and a mini-fridge tucked beneath. As a substitute of a espresso maker, there have been nifty single-use drip espresso packets, which I hadn’t encountered earlier than.

The toilet is tucked into the nook of the room between the mattress and the door. Inside, you’ll discover a single LED-backlit self-importance, a Japanese bathroom, and a walk-in bathe with a bench inside. 

It’s value noting that there’s a window from the bathe to the bed room, however you may pull down a blind in the event you’d like a little bit of privateness. The rain bathe had wonderful water stress.

General, I used to be pleasantly shocked by the room. Whereas it wasn’t essentially the most luxurious room I’ve stayed in, it was fashionable, clear, practical, and cozy.

In case you’re in Osaka for work or as a vacationer, you’ll have every thing you want in your room; nevertheless, for households, it is perhaps a bit cramped.

Courtyard Osaka Honmachi – Breakfast

Breakfast is served in STITCH, the resort’s most important eating venue, from 7–10am day by day. I loved complimentary breakfast as a part of my Platinum Elite advantages, however it in any other case prices ¥3,800 ($38 CAD) per particular person.

There’s an exterior entrance to the restaurant, because it’s additionally open for lunch from 11:30am–3pm, and for dinner from 5:30–11pm. It’s value noting that you just’ll get a ten–20% low cost on lunch and dinner, relying in your standing.

STITCH is kind of small in comparison with your normal resort restaurant, with quite a lot of tables arrange throughout two rooms on the second ground of the resort. The perfect seats are by the home windows, however there isn’t actually a lot of a view to soak in.

I used to be very happy with the buffet unfold on the Courtyard Osaka Honmachi, which was certainly significantly better than many North American buffets at higher-end resorts. 

The overwhelming majority of the choices obtainable within the buffet have been Japanese delicacies, which I actually didn’t thoughts in any respect. For decent objects, there was an udon noodle station, dumplings, grilled fish, dumplings, Western- and Japanese-style eggs, karaage, minestrone soup, scorching canine, and recent tofu.

For chilly objects, there was a choice of baked items, yogurts, smoked salmon, chilly cuts, cereals, a full salad bar, and recent fruits.

Higher but, there was a complete desk on the rear of the buffet space devoted to native and seasonal specialties, together with takoyaki, kushi katsu, and rather more.

On the southward-facing aspect of the restaurant is the beverage space. There was a pleasant choice of juices, smoothies, teas, and occasional obtainable.

I totally loved the breakfast every morning, and wound up treating two associates from Edmonton who occurred to be in Osaka on the similar time. They remarked that the breakfast served on the Courtyard Osaka Honmachi put the one on the Moxy Osaka Honmachi to disgrace.

Courtyard Osaka Honmachi – Different Services

On the practice into Osaka, I used to be studying up on the resort and its amenities. One merchandise that notably caught my eye was the open-air public tub, which I hoped only a good distance of claiming that there’s an onsen (Japanese scorching spring) on-site.

Luckily, my suspicions have been right, and there are separate female and male onsens positioned on the second ground of the resort, simply down the corridor from STITCH. 

As you might recall from earlier opinions and articles, I’m very a lot a showering fanatic, and I wound up spending fairly a little bit of time within the onsen. It’s open day by day from 5–10am, after which once more from 2pm–1am. 

Tub and face towels can be found on the entrance, and also you received’t really want to deliver the rest apart from slippers. You’re anticipated to be nude whereas utilizing the amenities, as is typical in onsens in Japan.

As soon as inside, you’ll have the choice of bathing indoors or exterior. On one morning, it was raining exterior, and I discovered it to be notably refreshing to soak within the scorching pool whereas cool raindrops splashed round.

There are additionally bathe cubicles close by for laundry up after you’ve had a soak, in addition to hair dryers and facilities within the change room.

One resort profit that I’ve by no means encountered earlier than, however hope to once more, is complimentary bedtime ramen (I’m not kidding).

So long as you’re a Marriott Bonvoy member, you may pop by STITCH from 10:10–10:50pm for a free bowl of ramen, which is meant that will help you sleep nicely. There’s a restricted provide of ramen obtainable, and once I confirmed up at 10:05pm, I used to be promptly turned away and requested to return 5 minutes later.

Inside, you’ll discover the toppings, bowls of noodles, water for boiling noodles, and ramen broth arrange alongside the breakfast buffet counter.

The ramen was fairly tasty, and I loved the expertise of sitting in a quiet room listening to a refrain of slurps whereas I loved my bowl. I can’t say if I slept so nicely that night time due to jet lag or the ramen, however I feel it’s protected to say that each labored nicely in my favour.

Within the foyer, there’s a separate seating space which features as a enterprise café to the again, often called M18. It’s reserved for visitors with Platinum Elite standing or greater or who pay an additional payment (¥1,000 ($10 CAD)) per hour.

I attempted to get some work achieved right here in the future, however discovered it to be fairly noisy, and the complimentary espresso, tea, and comfortable drinks weren’t sufficient of a draw to maintain me down there.

From 5:30–9pm, it’s imagined to operate as a bar; nevertheless, this has been closed indefinitely.

The health centre is positioned on the basement ground of the resort. It’s open across the clock, however you’ll have to make a reservation with the entrance desk and get a separate entry key.

The world is kind of small, and has a restricted however enough vary of kit to be used. Inside, you’ll discover a few treadmills, an elliptical machine, some free weights, and a strength-training tower.

I popped in a few occasions throughout my keep to stretch after a run or do a body weight exercise. Other than having some points with the entry card, I discovered it to be high-quality for my functions.

Simply down the corridor from the health centre is a 24/7 self-serve laundry facility, which is a unbelievable amenity for long-term visitors. You’ll have to have some ¥100 cash helpful, which you’ll be able to change on the entrance desk.

A wash cycle prices ¥300 ($3 CAD), and every quarter-hour of drying prices ¥100 ($1 CAD), which is a completely cheap value to pay at a resort.

Conclusion

For my two-night keep in Osaka, the Courtyard Osaka Honmachi was a terrific spot to make use of as a base for work and trying out among the metropolis’s most important sights. With its central location and handy entry to transit, it’s a terrific spot in the event you’re on the lookout for a cushty place to remain for enterprise or leisure.

Whereas the rooms aren’t extraordinarily spacious, they’ve every thing you want, and the resort is sweet and quiet. The remainder of the resort is kind of fashionable, and the workers with whom I interacted have been all courteous {and professional}.

The Courtyard Osaka Honmachi additionally has a wonderful breakfast, in addition to some pleasant surprises with its onsen, laundry amenities, and complimentary bedtime ramen.

When paired with a really cheap worth level when booked prematurely, I wouldn’t hesitate to advocate it as a terrific possibility if indulging in luxurious isn’t your high precedence.