During our family trip to Japan, we made our way to Osaka and stayed at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Osaka. The bayside 4.5 star hotel is affordable and modern and offers great value to families with Regency Club access. The hotel offers 480 spacious guestrooms including 46 suites and beautiful views of Osaka Bay.  The Hyatt Regency Osaka boasts a huge health and fitness center, spa, indoor and outdoor pool, 3 restaurants, 2 bars, 2 lounges, and even a game room and babysitting service for families. Read our Hyatt Regency Osaka review to see why this hotel is a great place to stay in Osaka with kids.

Hyatt Regency Osaka Review

How we booked our stay at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Osaka

Since Hyatt Regency Osaka is a Hyatt Category 2 property, it is more affordable (we’ve seen rooms as low as $132/night) compared to the other Hyatt hotels we stayed at during our week in Japan (Category 6 Grand Hyatt Tokyo and Category 7 Park Hyatt Tokyo). We booked our stay on Hyatt points and cash for just $55 plus 4,000 World of Hyatt points per night. We used one of our 4 annual confirmed suite upgrades as Hyatt Globalists to snag a Diplomat suite, which saved us over $2,000 on 2 nights.

Location of Hyatt Regency Osaka

The Hyatt Regency hotel in Osaka is located near the Port of Osaka with beautiful views of Osaka Bay, which is colorfully lit up at night. The hotel’s location seems preferable for business travelers than leisure travelers with its location next to the Osaka Prefecture Government building, Asia Pacific Trade Center, and Intex Osaka exhibition hall. Families wanting to visit Universal Studios Japan and the Kaiyukan Aquarium will be pleased to be located near both attractions. However, location is where Hyatt Regency Osaka lost points for us since it’s a 25-minute drive to downtown Osaka and the attractions we were interested in visiting. To make up for the distance, the hotel provides a free shuttle downtown and also provides free parking, which is an appreciated amenity. The nearest subway station is a 5-minute walk and the Osaka International Airport is a 30-minute drive. The hotel also provides an airport shuttle for 1,500 Yen per adult.

Reception at Osaka’s Hyatt Regency Hotel

As soon as we pulled up to the Osaka Hyatt Regency hotel, the doormen greeted us and helped us with our luggage. When I walked into the hotel to check in, I spotted two geishas walking through the reception area. They graciously allowed me to take a photo with them. Unfortunately the kids were sound asleep in the car so missed this opportunity. I was so excited to see real geishas! The hotel is home to many events, including weddings and business events, so who knows who these ladies had been entertaining.

The friendly doorman showed me to the reception desk in the spacious lobby while Bertaut waited in the car with the sleeping kids. The reception area is elegant and wide open with a spiral staircase and second level that looks onto the ground level.  Green marble floors and columns accent wooden walls and a dramatic 2-story sculpture stands in the entrance.

During check-in, we received a letter explaining our Regency Club benefits available to Hyatt Globalists as well as guests staying in rooms with regency club access. We also received a letter explaining additional amenities at the hotel, including the fitness center and pool. We appreciated having it all in writing since we arrived tired and wouldn’t need to call to double check on opening times and/or our amenities later.

Hyatt Regency Diplomat Suite

We made our way to our spacious 120 sq m diplomat suite featuring a large sitting area with views of Osaka Bay, a bedroom with two twin beds, a large bathroom with a soaking tub and shower, a work area, a half bathroom, and a mini-bar area. In-suite amenities included 2 flat screen TVs (one 50 inch and one 32 inch), cable and satellite TV channels, a DVD player, dual phone lines, individually controlled heat and air conditioning, mini fridge, coffeemaker, safe, iron and ironing board, daily newspaper upon request, and crib upon request.

We had so much space to stretch out and move around, which was came in handy with energizer bunny children. The furnishings were modern and comfortable, although not quite as luxurious as higher tiered Hyatt hotels. However, for $55 per night in a Diplomat Suite, we were more than satisfied!

The bedroom had a walk-in closet bigger than mine at home and a vanity desk to do make-up. Bathrobes and slippers, a iron and ironing board, and safe were available in the closet.

The main bathroom had a dual vanity, large soaking tub and separate shower. Our kids love to play in the bath but we prefer to shower, so having both is always a plus when traveling as a family. The toilet area was separated by a door and included one of those fancy Japanese toilets with multiple cleaning functions to get you cleaner than charmin. 😉

Our suite had bath amenities by REN including oat and bay shampoo, pro vitamin conditioner, grapeseed body wash, and grape seed and jojoba body cream.

The suite had a second half bathroom, which we found very useful as a family of four. There’s nothing worse than one of the kids doing the potty dance when daddy is taking his sweet time on the toilet. Hahaha! I know we’re not the only ones who has told their kid to pee in the shower when the toilet was not available in a hotel room. But no need for that when there’s a second bathroom!

A welcome bowl of fruit, bottled water, and a personalized welcome note waited in our suite for us. We think those small touches make a big difference in the overall stay at a hotel.

Regency Club Lounge at the Osaka Hyatt Regency Hotel

The Regency Club Lounge was under renovation during our stay, but guests with club access were still able to reap the benefits in the Lobby Lounge and self-service lounge. They provided a self-service lounge on the 26th floor with coffee, tea and cookies from 7am to 10pm. The Lobby Lounge offered complimentary coffee, tea and soft drinks throughout the day as well as evening drinks (alcohol too) and canapés from 6-8pm. Regency Club guests received complimentary breakfast at The Café, which offered a vast buffet. The Regency Club Desk in the lobby was also available for guests with any questions or needs.

We loved the happy hour from 6-8pm, which served as our dinner when the kids were exhausted from all the sightseeing of the day. They had a selection of fruit, salads, hot and cold appetizers, and dessert. Drinks included wine, champagne, soft drinks and possibly cocktails too but we opted for wine so I honestly can’t remember.

Dining at Hyatt Regency Osaka

The Hyatt Regency Osaka has several dining options including 3 restaurants, a lobby lounge, a sports bar, and a rooftop bar and BBQ open seasonally. When the Lobby Lounge is not hosting Regency Club happy hour, it serves specialty coffees and teas including Matcha Afternoon Tea. The Cafe serves international fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Basilica, the Italian Trattoria, features an open kitchen and wood fired pizza oven with indoor and outdoor terrace seating. YO-U features Japanese Yakiniku, Shabu Shabu and other Japanese cuisine served Horigotatsu style with seats on the floor. The poolside bar Pergola is open seasonally serving light fare and drinks. The Manhattan Bar serves drinks and bare fare such as burgers, sandwiches and snacks.

Breakfast at The Cafe

We ate at The Cafe for breakfast, which was complimentary for Hyatt Globalists and Regency Club guests. We were very impressed by the breakfast buffet, which included made-to-order omelettes, pancakes, french toast and waffles with daily specials like banana pancakes. Hot dishes included scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and more. There was a selection of cereal, yogurt, pastries, bread, and fruit for picky eaters like our preschooler. We also were able to try traditional Japanese breakfast food, like onsen tamago and congee, which is rice porridge.

Hyatt Regency Bar

We didn’t need to visit the Hyatt Regency bar since we had complimentary drinks from 6-8pm in the Lobby Bar. We took a look around though and found the ambience to be laid back and relaxing. The large windows overlooked Osaka Bay, which was sparkling at night.

The City Country Club- Hyatt Regency Gym, Pool, and Spa

The fitness center at Hyatt Regency Osaka is open 24 hours, which is a perk for jet-lagged travelers who can’t sleep and need to find something to do at 3am. We experienced the worst leg lag of our lives in Japan, which led to our discovery of AYO glasses to beat jet lag after we returned home. If only we’d known about them before that trip!

The 19,378 square-foot health and fitness center, called the City Country Club, was impressive. The gym had a great selection of cardio and strength-training equipment, an aerobics studio, heated indoor lap pool, and adjacent whirlpool. There’s also a full-service spa and relaxation area and outdoor pool open seasonally. We were not allowed to take our professional camera into the indoor pool or spa area for the privacy of other guests so don’t have any photos of that, but were able to get one of the fitness room.

Game Room and Activities for Children

As a family with young kids full of energy, we always appreciate hotels that have children’s programs, babysitting services, or game rooms where kids can blow off some steam. The Hyatt Regency Osaka provides babysitting services arranged through an outside company for a fee. There’s also a game room where families can hang out and play foosball. We also appreciated the desks in the lobby with paper and instructions for origami, which was a hit with the kids. The kind doormen offered our children beautiful origami animals when we were leaving the hotel, which they treasured.

Service at Hyatt Regency Hotel in Osaka

We experienced very good service at Hyatt Regency Osaka from staff who were eager to help us and always with a smile. We noticed during our time in Japan that service is incredibly polished throughout the entire country. We received good service not just in high-end luxury resorts but also in affordable hotels (like this one), heck even from toll booth collectors. That being said, since this resort is not one of Hyatt’s top luxury brands, the service was not as over-the-top like at the Category 7 hotels that are much more expensive.

For example, the bellman delivered our bags to our room but we did not receive a tour of our suite like at Park Hyatt Tokyo. Also, turndown service at ultra luxe hotels includes laying bath robes and slippers at the foot of the bed. Turndown service at Hyatt Regency Osaka involved turning down the comforter, perhaps because we checked in late and they wanted us to see the room in its original state.

Last Words on the Osaka Hyatt Regency Hotel

We were happy with our decision to stay at Hyatt Regency Osaka for a mere $55 plus 4,000 Hyatt points in a spacious Diplomat Suite. As a family of four, we appreciated the extra value as Regency Club guests with complimentary alcoholic drinks and canapés in the evening, complimentary breakfast, and all-day complimentary drinks and cookies in the lounge. Free parking and free shuttles downtown added additional value. The kids enjoyed the game room and origami stations, and as parents we liked having the option of hiring a babysitter had we wanted to go on a date night. With an indoor pool, spa and well-equipped fitness center, the Hyatt Regency Osaka offers many ways to de-stress while traveling. Although we typically stay in Hyatt’s luxury brand hotels (Park Hyatt and Andaz), we were pleasantly surprised by the friendly service, generous amenities, and overall stay at this Hyatt Regency hotel.

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