Map Hotel Map, Address, Transportation & Nearest Stations and Airport

Arima Onsen town is a stone's throw away from both Osaka and Kobe, which is likely one reason that hotels and ryokans can charge such high rates there. Being at the upper end of the pricing echelon, Arimasansoh Goshobessho's room rates can't be considered good value. Still, we decided to spend a two-night getaway there in spite of that. Sticker shock notwithstanding, we feel that Arimasansoh can be considered among the nicer small properties that Japan has to offer. Arimasansoh is nestled at the end of a long strip of hotels in the Arima Onsen town - it's really quaint, but still within walking distance to the main tourist areas. The property is charming, and the buildings and villas blend in nicely to the calming environment that is full of trees, ponds and other pretty vegetation. Stepping into the grounds for the first time will instantly reduce your blood pressure - it's that soothing of a place. Service is refined, if a bit formal; we could tell they've all been comprehensively trained in Japanese hospitality. Given the clientele that stays there, being discreet and unobtrusive is probably appropriate. The sprawling hotel grounds are divided into two distinct sections. On the lower hillside along the banks of a river are the two-storey Maisonette rooms. We weren't able to tour this room type, but at first glance they seemed quite close together - sort of townhouse style. Further up the hill (near the reception area and the public onsen baths) are the one-storey Villa Suites, which is the room type that we stayed at. Our room was absolutely gigantic, and felt more spacious than the published size (for what it's worth, both the Maisonette and Villa Suites are listed as 100m².) There's an enormous living room as well as a large bedroom, along with a small balcony with views across the ravine. The Villas also have a bathroom the size of many hotel rooms. It comes complete with dual vanities, a sauna as well as a private Onsen (hot springs) bath. Further adding to the sense of massive space is the extremely high vaulted ceilings. Aesthetically speaking, the dark wood and dark brown furnishings were a bit on the dark side (for our tastes); the lighting was barely sufficient to prevent the room from exhibiting a gloomy feel - but just barely. The Onsen bath is nice; however, it's not of the free-flowing variety... it's empty and you fill the tub with the Onsen water by turning on the bath tap, just as you would a regular bath. It wouldn't be a problem but for the fact that the water trickles out at a glacial pace. We literally had to let the water run for over 30 minutes before the tub was filled up halfway. Arimasansoh also offers a communal Onsen bath area, one each for women and men. As was the case with the Onsen in the Villa, the water is unique in that it's brackish brown in color. And, you can really smell the sulfur. Arima Onsen is renowned for the (alleged) healing powers of its mineral hot springs; whether you believe it or

We had a wonderful 1 night stay a few months ago before tourism opened back up. Highly recommend this place for people who are into more private, chill time. Loved the concept of this ryokan because instead of shared baths there were numerous choices of private baths throughout the property! Each needed to be booked in advance for a 45 minute session. They had an online reservation system but I think it was only in Japanese (my husband's native language) so I can't comment on that. Our room was fantastic; modern and huge, but still had charm. I think we were in Suite 13 which had its own private bath which you could open up the huge windows to a nice tranquil view of greenery. I liked that the entry had a super long hallway which helped with any noise (so quiet!). Personal touches such as selecting a complimentary gift (small drawstring bag) and fruit tray was noticed and appreciated. They were also very helpful to find us a restaurant to eat dinner at on a Sunday night (since we opted to not have the course dinner) - it was a delightful local meal ran by a married couple! I wish I remembered the name but it was izakaya home cooking style and so delicious. The breakfast on property was AWESOME. I opted to get the Western Style and my husband the Japanese. Such presentation and variety and a perfect start to our day. We would definitely be back to visit this place. They made us feel very welcome and relaxed! Arigatou gozaimasu *bow*

Since it is new, taxi drivers may not know the location. It may be a bit far to walk from Osaka Station. If you take a taxi such as Uber, the taxi fare from Osaka Station will be around 1,000 yen including the reservation fee. The facilities were good, the staff was friendly, and check-in was possible before 11 AM. Please note that there is a 20,000 yen deposit per night. You can contact the hotel via chat with requests using the Four Seasons app. There is a pad in the room, so you can make requests as well. They seem to speak English well, and since it is a Japanese hotel, you can speak in Japanese. However, the housekeepers seem to be Chinese, so if you have something to say directly, you should speak in Chinese. The hotel is close to the Dojima Roll main branch, so it is within walking distance.

Context & Disclaimer: I'm a very objective travel reviewer as someone who has a fair share of business and leisure stays. I leave reviews to help hotels improve their standards and also to help my fellow travellers make the best travel decisions for themselves. I've stayed at luxury to mid-range properties around the world including recent stays at the Prince Gallery Tokyo, Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, Ritz-Carlton Toronto, JW Marriott Hong Kong. This review also follows a recent stay at the Prince Gallery Tokyo where the standards were exceptionally high. I haven't reviewed them yet but will do so shortly. Japan is known for its warm hospitality and careful attention to detail. At high-end hotels, they go over the top particularly to make your experience a unique one, so when you're paying $700+/night for the Ritz you expect high standards. Especially when every luxury hotelier in Tokyo has said the RC Osaka was just recently awarded its 5* My guest journey starts off rocky and torpedoes downhill. Check-In 1 - it's been raining in Osaka all day and we walked into the hotel from the outside. No one to greet us or take our luggage. Not a single person to be found. 2 - I'm soaking wet and struggling to find the check-in lobby. I must've seen 3 staff members look at me and not offer help or ask if I need any assistance. 3 - I finally find the check-in lobby where it's a giant zoo and RC staff directing traffic like its 5pm at Shibuya crossing. An absolute loud mess. I'm still soaking wet with my glasses and both pieces of luggage, and a staff member asks me if I'm checking in or checking out. What??? 0 attention to detail right there. Anyway, she directs me to wait in line. 4 - At the RC Tokyo & Prince Gallery Tokyo and any luxury hotel that operates like one (e.g., Four Seasons), takes your luggage and ask for your name. By the time you make it to check-in, they greet you by name and help you get settled in. If you book a room on the club floor, they ask if you'd like to check-in there privately. Yes I booked a Club Room, and so I waited about 10 minutes dripping wet before asking someone if I could please check-in via the Club Lounge. 5 - We're making our way to the Club Lounge, with the attendant dragging our luggage along the way which makes lots of noise. 6 - Finally check-in with no problems. The Room 7 - I understand that this is a Victorian-style property and some of the room and structure might be dated. But I can't believe that the bathtub is something from a Residence Inn or Courtyard Marriott. The shower is equally not up to par with the RC brand. 8 - Toiletries. I'm not sure if this is RC making a push for sustainability, but soap, shampoo, and conditioner are given to guests in large bottle format, again like at a Residence Inn or Courtyard Marriott, instead of small individual bottles. Not a big deal, but just not up to par with other luxury hotels or RC standards across Japan. What if someone spit in there? Back to the lounge

The location of Intercontinental hotel Osaka is very convenient for dining and shopping. The service is very good also, highly recommended.

Concierge: We emailed the hotel weeks in advance of our stay to assist with bookings. Weeks would pass before they would respond, and multiple follow up emails were required to get a response. They did successfully book one 3 Michelin star restaurant to which we owe them significant credit. However, when we arrived and asked basic requests such as where to find restaurants or stores, the concierge was usually very short and had no suggestions. We were better off consulting Google maps. And this for a 5 star concierge service? In addition, the English skills of many of the concierge staff were extremely limited. While I know some Japanese, it should not be required at a hotel of this calibre. In fact, when visiting Japan, a 5 star hotel should have fluent English speakers for most front facing staff. Hotel Condition: The hotel has significant and noticeable wear and tear. We were in a Grand Deluxe Suite and when I arrived, a man was literally gluing on a piece of the door that had torn off. The woodwork throughout the suite was heavily scratched and dented including tables. The carpet was worn thin, and the sofa's velvet exterior was worn. In any event, for a hotel suite whose copay was $500+ per night, this was disappointing. Check out Process: The check out process was extremely troubling and disappointing. We asked for a Butler to assist with bags multiple times, and even after 45 minutes they did not come up to our room to collect our bags. This resulted in us having to drag our bags down to the lobby ourselves, as we were rushing for a Shinkansen train. Normally, this would have been fine, but we had a lot of luggage. The significantly wait time for luggage assistance is not characteristic of a St. Regis. Hidden Taxes and No Final Folio Provided: The hotel has some hidden taxes associated with rooms that have copays for upgrades. While we expected to pay 50,000 yen per night + about 37,000 yen in total taxes (about 5600 yen per night in tax), we did not expect too many additional taxes. Yet there was another 6500 or so taxes per night in taxes we were assessed. Even after numerous attempts, the hotel never sent a final folio nor explained the charges which is all I asked. General Impressions: The hotel seems poorly managed with a ”choatic” vibe in which there is not only no personalized guests are vying for the attention for concierge staff who are stretched too thin with minimal English skills. While I understand this is a busy time for the hotel, the hotel should not be having any difficulty meeting basic demands of elite members even when they are at capacity. The hotel felt more like a 3-4 star hotel than a St. Regis. Among St. Regis hotels, this one was a major disappointment.

Although I was not staying at the W, the MIXup cafe is a fun spot in the middle of Osaka to have a tea or coffee and their amazing dessert(s). I was looking to try their seasonal dessert, the strawberry mille feuille, although it was already sold out when I arrived. This gives me another reason to return soon! The staff was so friendly and helpful. Upon arrival, I was swiftly shown to my table that I reserved ahead of time (thanks, Marriott Bonvoy), and was walked through the menu and how their orders work. Many teas to choose from, and the cake I chose was plated so beautifully. The chantilly cream with the berries - out of this world! The entire experience was smooth, and I was delighted with the level of service provided. In a way, this is ”normal” and expected for Japan, but I want to highlight that I really enjoyed this visit and look forward to going back.

For USD475 a night is level of service is quite disappointing. We stayed 4 nights at the hotel with our 2.5 year old toddler. Pros The location is amazing, the train station is right below the hotel, 1 station to the Kids Plaza and easy access to other attractions. So many restaurants options within the building or walking distance. Everything is connected by footbridges, extremely troller friendly. Appreciate the water bottle refill tap at the lobby of the lift lobby and the choice of amenities. Cons Back to the service, English at check-in and operator is limited. The most disappointing is house-keeping. 1) they really only just make the bed each day and clear the bins, no tidying of the room, not even clearing the room service from the day before. Unlike other this level of hotels, housekeeper will do a light tidy up of counter areas. Not for our experience! 2) even we hung up all our towels so they can be reused but each day we find our towels are replaced. Same for the slippers. 3) limited breakfast room service only two ¥9000 sets, and no Japanese options, only western. Over the in-room dining menu is western focus and limited. 4) the bathroom is very open design so not recommended if you are sharing a room with a friend. If one is having a shower, if someone rings the door you won’t be able to open the door as there is no door or dividers. 5) they said mini bar is complimentary on the introduction sheet but turns out is only for the first night If they can provide better service or lower the price I will stay again purely for its location.

We enjoy our 3-night stay here. Umeda is transport hub and we took super fast train from Kyoto (just 45 mins) and the station exit is close to this hotel. The 5-star hotel is tall, very clean, elegantly decorated and spacious. Room inside is excellent in every aspect. We had a wonderful and open views overlooking the city and the big wheel. There're several restaurants or otherwise many dining choices in the neighborhood. We tried the lunch all-you-can-eat which is nice. Staff ok, English not very good though. The hotel is so kind and generous for giving me a small bunch of flowers on my birthday 💐 Price is unexpectedly good too, about USD205 per night for our triple room and our stay is during the Easter holidays! Overall, recommended with hesitation.