We've stayed here twice now, and both times we've had a great experience. The hotel is located about a 15-minute train ride from the Dotonbori district—which we actually consider a positive. That said, Umeda offers plenty to do on its own, and you can enjoy many of the same experiences you'd find in Dotonbori, but with fewer crowds. My wife loves the hotel’s spa, which is included with the room—a major bonus. The breakfasts are also very good, though they cater primarily to an Asian palate, so travelers expecting pancakes, bagels, or bacon may be disappointed. There’s excellent shopping, easy access to a major train station nearby, and plenty of great restaurants in the area. When we return to Osaka, we’ll definitely be staying at Villa Fontaine again.

The main frustration is the elevator. It’s slow, and it always stops on the 4th floor. With only two elevators serving a large number of guests, it can sometimes take quite a while to get to and from your room. There’s also stiff competition for the four washer/dryer combos in the building. It would be a major improvement if each floor had its own units.

Fantastic location, very convenient to lots of food and things to do as well as Metro and train stations. We loved the heated baths in the hotel, the laundry facilities, and the amazing breakfast each morning. The sento was comparable to some of the other Japanese hotels I've stayed at, but the breakfast was definitely a stand out for me - the dining area was lovely and the food was very good, especially if like us you find yourself needing to get more fruits and veggies in your Japan trip diet!

The check in and out process for the hotel spa was a little involved, but makes sense since they have so many different facilities, some of which are an extra charge. Once we'd been one time, it was easy enough to navigate. We didn't experience issues with it, but since there are relatively few laundry machines available I could definitely see a potential for problems being able to get a free machine when you need it.

Great location, a short walk from the station. Room was not massive but certainly not cramped for a couple. We enjoyed our stay. We even got our washing done! Good value for money.

Not much. Some better directions to walk from the station to the hotel would be useful. After the first time, it’s really easy.

The hotel is located inside the market right next to Umeda station with great bars, restaurants and shopping around within walking distance. The rooms are good size for Osaka. But the best part is the staff. They are very helpful. Speak good English and welcoming. I think without the staff, this hotel would have been just a three star hotel but they made it more special. The breakfast, to my surprise, had a great selection of Japanese food. I wish there were more western selection but overall very good as well

The spa was crowded most times. Given the size of the hotel, I would not depend on it

Great Japanese breakfast buffet. Nice onsen with heated stone therapy and cold room with no extra charge. Umeda station within a couple of blocks. Mall with shopping and many food choices right next door. Very quiet room. Luggage storage and laundry facilities. Beds are on firmer side.

Staff in reception area who stop you at the elevator requesting your passport when checking in with luggage in hand are a bit off putting. They don't invite you to even get close to the reception desk or have a seat in chairs first. Every time you use the elevator it stops on the 4th floor which is the reception desk floor and they look at you as if they are providing security for the hotel. Checking in and out for spa is also very cumbersome with many steps and people directing you so you can pass through security gate coming and going and sign in and out on machines. Not sure if they have outside guests using hotel and spa, but both processes could be improved.

We loved the little details, such as the choice of choosing scented oils for your room, the facemasks, and that they had bottled water in the rooms that were replenished every day. It was great that the hotel had laundry machines accompanied with technology that allowed you to view from your TV whether a machine was available and how much longer it had left on its cycle. We loved the public baths and hot stones, and really loved the private baths and sauna which we booked twice during our stay. Really happy that the public baths were tattoo friendly!

Rooms were a little dated for our taste and slippers didn't feel very nice against the skin compared to other hotels that we've stayed at.

We had an amazing experience at this hotel in Osaka! From the moment we walked in, everything smelled fresh and clean, and the space felt warm and welcoming. The entire hotel was spotless — you can tell they take pride in maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and comfort. One of the highlights of our stay was the spa. It was absolutely fantastic — relaxing, well-designed, and the perfect way to unwind after a long day of sightseeing. We felt completely refreshed each time we used it. The staff were incredibly kind and helpful throughout our visit. They were always smiling, respectful, and went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. We also really enjoyed the breakfast. There was a nice variety of both Japanese and Western options, everything was fresh and tasty, and the dining area was clean and inviting. Overall, it was a peaceful, comfortable stay that made our time in Osaka even better. We would 100% stay here again and highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city!

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Room I stayed was so spacious, and I liked the size of bed. Also the public bath was new and clean, I enjoyed it so much and wished I had more time! It is not right in front of Umeda station but you can easily walk from/to the station.

Nothing

Location and service of the hotel is really good for anyone who likes to have an awesome time partying, eating and relaxing after lots of exploring. Just have quick or long dip in their public/private spas and saunas from 6am to midnight. Note: (only to customers staying in the hotel can access these facilities and private rooms is additional fees.) Vending machine and ice machine in the laundry room, coined/suica card and other recommened cards on the touch screen are other ways to pay. washing machines does wash and dry no need for extra detergents or softners Love this place.

That the rooms were spacious & they cleaned the rooms everyday, topped up mineral water bottles and changed towels.

It felt like the staff were fobbing off work to the automated machines. Why not set the machines before the staff and let them take the passports from Guests (as is usual) and do the necessary with the machines instead of walking guests to the machines and helping guests work the machines. It seems like a pointless and extra step for guests. Just handle everything for guests and give them the breakfast vouchers of whatever it is that is necessary and be done with it.