Osaka-shi, Japan

There are so many hotels in Osaka that you would need months to spend a night in each one of them, which is exactly what you would expect of West Japan's largest city. What may come as a surprise though, is how easy it is to choose a hotel. While the city seems to sprawl endlessly, the hotels tend to be concentrated in certain areas.

Kita-ku

In the district immediately south of Osaka Station there are a number of well-recognized names, but none more so perhaps than the Hilton Osaka. The rooms are large and luxuriously furnished, and the hotel offers a host of business and entertainment facilities as well as four fine restaurants. Also on the south side, within easy walking distance of the station, you will find the Ritz-Carlton, Osaka. With 40 floors, the views are absolutely splendid. The hotel, like the Hilton, has everything you need: a pool, a sauna, business and fitness centers, and several fine restaurants.

An indigenous hotel chain with as much claim to quality as these two is the Osaka ANA Hotel. Although slightly farther from the main station, the ANA Hotel offers facilities and services that make its only slightly less convenient location irrelevant. From the pool and sauna to its expansive banquet rooms, your stay is guaranteed to be a pleasant one.

There are a number of other hotels in the "station-south" area that, while unable to match the above-mentioned hotels in facilities, are still considered superior accommodations. These include the Osaka Dai-ichi Hotel with its commanding views and the Hotel Granvia Osaka. Just a little farther south, across the Dojima River, is the quasi-island of Nakanoshima, where you will find the RIHGA Grand Hotel and the RIHGA Royal Hotel. The facilities of the latter place it in the same class as the Hilton and the Ritz Carlton, while both of these "island" hotels are popular for their location.

Visitors to Osaka hoping to stay away from these high-energy locations may want to look east. The Imperial Hotel Osaka could be described as breathtaking. Located along a lazy river that is often spotted with recreational craft, the hotel has superior facilities that include a pool, sauna, fitness center and conference/banquet rooms for any occasion, as well as six fine restaurants that overlook the river.

Chuo-ku

One of Osaka's most popular areas is Chuo-ku and its surrounding districts, including the bustling shopping and entertainment districts of Namba and Shianbashi, so you can be sure that there are some quality accommodations here. The top pick is arguably the Swissotel Nankai, Osaka. Only a minute from Namba Station, the hotel offers exquisite rooms and ample business and relaxation facilities. Only slightly less impressive—only because it does not have the same health facilities—is the Nikko Hotel Osaka. Rooms on the upper floors of this towering hotel give an unbridled view of the city.

On the less expensive end of the spectrum, the modern Kaneyoshi Ryokan has comfortable, Japanese ryokan accomodations in an incredibly convenient location, within walking distance of many of the city's most popular dining and entertainment options.  Equally convenient and moderately priced is the Mitsui Garden Hotel Osaka, which offers Western-style accommodations along with both Western and Japanese cuisine.

Near Osaka Castle, there are a number of hotels that border this beautiful, historical and architectural draw, but none surpass the New Otani Osaka. The facilities contain everything you would expect from a superior-class establishment. There are 13 different restaurants to choose from!

Lastly, and somewhat separated from the rest, being located in Suminoe to the west, in what is known as the "Bay Area", is what is  perhaps Osaka's finest hotel, the Hyatt Regency Osaka. The views of the bay are exemplary, and while the hotel gets top marks for form and function, it offers impeccable service as well. If you are looking for the ultimate in accommodations, this may be the place for you.

The Japanese have a special term that sums up the people of Osaka: kuidaore, which literally means "eat till you drop." This is good news for visitors. Whatever tickles your fancy is available here, whether it be a local specialty or something from one of the far off corners of the globe.  In Osaka you can dine on the tightest of budgets or splurge and spend a month's wages on one meal. The choice is yours!

Umeda

Okonomiyaki, a thick savory pancake made of shredded cabbage and diced seafood or meat, is a famous Osaka dish that has now spread throughout Japan. It is often grilled by diners at their tables and usually topped with a brown sauce, a sprinkle of dried seaweed powder, and shaved bonito flakes. Check out Kiji Umeda to sample some of the best of this local favorite.

Then, of course, there's sushi, but although you will find many restaurants serving it, such as Kakiyasu in the Hep Navio shopping center and Daidaiya, you should also make a point of trying some of the regional flavors, such as Kagoshima-style noodles from Kamitora, where they make them fresh by hand. For a substantial meal at rock bottom prices, there is an amazing selection of restaurants specializing in noodles here, and if eating them while enjoying a fantastic view of the city sounds good to you, try out the soba and udon noodles at Kineya. Or for something really special, try chanko ryori, the staple fare of sumo wrestlers in training, at Gomasuri Chanko.

Chuo-ku

The top Japanese restaurants in Osaka, such as Kanidoraku Honten, serve kaiseki ryori. Be prepared to pay top prices in these restaurants, but what you get for your money is a total culinary experience. Waitresses in kimonos will serve you a gorgeous selection of seasonal seafood and vegetables, including sashimi, tempura, boiled vegetables, pickles and soup, artistically laid out on exquisite ceramic platters. Not to worry though, you can still get great, authentic Japanese food without the high price tag and elaborate service at such comfortable, yet traditional places like Wakamatsu.For something even less formal but just as delicious, try the okonomiyaki at Sennichimae Hatsuse, which has been making the local speciality since 1945.

Osaka is also blessed with European restaurants that cover just about every country on that continent, and Chuo-ku is one of the best places to find your favorite international cuisines. If Italian is what you're after, the seasonal menu at Pietra Santa is sure to please, or for tastes from the Asian mainland, sample Thai at Krungtep or indulge in Indian cuisine at Bombay Kitchen Shinsaibashi, a popular local spot. England (Pig & Whistle) and Ireland (Key Point) are also well represented in the form of pubs that serve pub fare accompanied by British and Irish beers.

Konohana-ku

One of the biggest attractions in Konohana-ku is Universal Studios Japan, and like its American counterparts, the Universal Citywalk Osaka is a great place to go to find some favorite, albeit more Western, flavors like BubbaGump Shrimp, a chain familiar to many Americans. Wolfgang Puck Cafe offers the celebrity chef's signature style of California-style cuisine to tourists visiting the Citywalk, and Kua' Aina is the place to go if you're craving a burger and fries that have a Hawaiian flair.  For those not headed to Universal Studios, the Hard Rock Cafe is another well-known option in Konohana-ku, where hopeful visitors may have the chance to catch a glimpse of some of their favorite celebrities from both the music and movie industries.

If you had to name just one thing not to be missed during a visit to Osaka, it might just be the food.  From the foreign to the downright familiar, it's all available here, and it's everywhere. So whether your preference is to lounge in a fine restaurant, or snack on a local specialty from the cart of one of the city's many ubiquitous street food vendors, there will be no shortage of options in this fantastic food-lovers paradise.