Shin Osaka Washington Hotel Plaza (Osaka, Japan)

This relaxed three-star hotel in a large, modern building is a mere four-minute walk from the Tokaido ‘Bullet Train’ Line at Shin-Osaka train station. Along with free Wi-Fi, the Hotel Shin Osaka Washington Plaza provides two oriental restaurants and a gym. Straightforward accommodations with plain decor and light wood furnishings feature flat-screen TVs and mini-fridges, as well as work desks and hair dryers. Upgraded rooms — styled by an interior designer — are also available. Amenities include a business centre and a coin-operated laundry. Laptops can be hired from reception. Parking and in-room massage services are both offered at a fee. An all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast (at a fee) is served in the relaxed ‘Café de Paris’ each morning from 6.30am. The Hotel Shin Osaka Washington Plaza is a 15-minute walk from the pretty Sōzen-ji Buddhist temple and just two metro stops away from the bustling Umeda district. Osaka’s renowned castle is about four-and-a-half miles away.