It was late by the time I arrived at the Sheraton in Osaka. Given how far Kansai International is from downtown, I was worried about not only taking the right limo bus from the airport, but precisely how close to the hotel it would take me. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about: the bus made its first stop at the Sheraton after a half hour or so on the highway from the airport.

The lobby of the hotel was nice, with a high ceiling and chandelier leading to an escalator to the second floor where guests could check in.

I was a little discomforted by how poor the English of the front desk attendant was during check-in. I’d stayed with the Harbour Plaza Metropolis, a local brand, in Hong Kong and had been happily surprised by how easily I could speak with their staff, so I was equally surprised when an American-branded hotel presented a wider communications gap. Nonetheless, I made it through check-in without much issue and made my way upstairs.

The Room

Unlike the lobby, which was almost brisk in temperature, the upstairs hallway was hot and humid. My room was a bit cooler, but the AC had been left off, which I fixed quickly.

Aside from the temperature, which fell quickly once the AC kicked on, the room was fine. The bed was a bit firm but comfortable enough and the bottled water was a welcomed welcome amenity.

The TV was new and large but featured only a few channels, all in Japanese. Typically, I’d expect at least BBC or CNN to be offered in English. BBC World News was indeed present, but only with a vocal dub in Japanese that couldn’t be swapped by using the TV’s sound settings.

The bathroom had a relatively small counter space and the tiles felt like they were caving in a bit, which is a unsettling feeling on a high floor. The shower was yellowed and its wallpaper was peeling a bit, though water temperature wasn’t an issue. The towels were branded after Miyako Hotels & Resorts rather than Sheraton, which was appropriate.

The view wasn’t particularly remarkable, but as my room was on a high floor, you could at least get a sense of the local area:

On-Property Dining

A number of dining options are offered at the Sheraton Miyako Osaka. On the top floor is a buffet that offers a view of the city skyline. In the basement, leading to the subway station and a few shops, there are Japanese, Chinese and European restaurant options.

I’d hoped to try out the Japanese restaurant, a teppanyaki-style place that looked fairly nice, but was blown away by the dinner prices, which were well north of $100 per person. Lunch prices were somewhat more reasonable, but still much higher than I’d anticipated.

Final Thoughts

I feel bad to turn my nose up at this hotel, because it was an exceptional value. At just 4,000 SPG points per night, and with a subway station located immediately next door, I’m glad I stayed here.

That said, it’s obvious that this hotel carries the Sheraton name only for marketing purposes and probably isn’t worthy of it. I’d recommend it as a value stay if you’re in transit as I was and only staying in Osaka for a couple days, but if you’re going to be there much longer, consider a Cash + Points stay at the beautiful St. Regis Osaka instead.