Hotel Review: FP HOTELS South-Namba, Osaka, Japan

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FP HOTELS South-Namba is a newly built three star hotel, not far from centre of Osaka. It may not be plush but it is comfortable and offers good value. This place is a good place to stay in Osaka, surrounded by bars and restaurants, and right next to the subway and rail stations.

Who for

The hotel is popular with tour groups and individual travellers on a budget and offers free tea and coffee 24 hours. Perfect after a hard day’s shopping.

Accommodation

A total of 100 rooms, double or twin, all kitted out with iPads and offering free Wi-Fi and LCD TV’s. There’s a fridge, kettle and quality feather filled duvet and pillows and, although the rooms are not huge, they’re larger than in similar Osaka hotels.

Double glazing is excellent and there’s no noise from the train station or the busy road outside. And of course, there’s a heated toilet seat.

Facilities

Apart from a large lobby the hotel is pretty Spartan. Only five minutes’ walk away is SpaWorld Onsen which houses a large pool, 8 different types of stone spa, restaurants, and a gym.

Food and drink

There’s no restaurant, just a breakfast room which serves as a lounge during the day offering free tea and coffee. The buffet breakfast offers more than 40 different dishes mainly Japanese and other Asian specialities. The surrounding area is a hotspot for “Kushikatsu”, deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables, Osaka’s famous delicacy.

Is Wi Fi available?

Yes, it’s free throughout the property and you can access the internet on the provided iPad in the room.

Value for money

A double room for two people, with breakfast costs from 8,000 Yen, around £54, so it’s excellent value.

Booking.com


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What’s nearby

A 1 minute walk brings you to Shinimamiya station, and 2 minutes takes you to the Metro. The area is full of bars and restaurants and there’s a huge convenience food store five minutes’ walk away. Tsutenkaku Tower, the iconic tower of Osaka, is only 10 minutes’ walk and offers stunning night panoramas from its observatory. 8 minutes’ walk away is Osaka Tennoji Zoo, the third oldest zoo in Japan with over 1,000 animals. 10 minutes by train is Nipponbashi Osaka’s electronics district, selling cut price laptops and electronics.

Getting there

Next door to the hotel are the metro and train stations and an express will whisk you in 33 minutes to Kansai International airport. It’s also an easy day trip to Kyoto by train.