Pop open the bubbly, because we’re going to go back, way back, to the age when money seemed to fall from the skies, and the roads were paved with diamonds. Yes, we’re going back to Japan’s so-called bubble era, which stopped producing fruits of grandeur in the beginning of the 1990s. The Washington Plaza Hotel Shin-Osaka was completed in the summer of 1991. But more than just a temporal anachronism, the hotel offers competently appointed, relatively spacious rooms, and some nice views to boot!
A rather unassuming entrance, but easy to find
There are Washington Plaza Hotels across Japan, but today we are specifically speaking of the branch at Shin-Osaka Station. The convenience really can’t be beat for those coming in late or leaving early, as it’s not even a five minute walk to the Shinkansen (“bullet train”) entrance, which can whisk you to east to Tokyo in as fast as 2.5 hours, or west to Hiroshima (70 minutes) or Fukuoka’s Hakata Station (2.5 hours). Trains to Kyoto, both bullet and regular (for those not holding a rail pass), make the trip in fourteen minutes and 25 minutes, respectively. Central Osaka is also around five minutes away by subway or regular JR train.
So much gold, it almost hurts
There is something elusively beautiful about how the lighting centerpiece, with its golden, stalactite interpretation, shines down on us so many years after the bubble era’s bubble, well, burst. The lobby below, while perhaps not having optimal feng shui, is also respectably bedazzling. And while the Washington Plaza Hotel Shin-Osaka is aging, maintenance and cleaning are keenly attended to (as expected from a hotel in Japan), so it doesn’t feel rundown in any way.
Rooms a bit bigger than your average business hotel
Though the room may not appear to be exceptionally spacious, many rooms on the budget side of the hotel divide in Japan are considerably smaller. At the Washington Hotel Plaza, no contortions are required to navigate the room. A full size bed and imminently usable desk complete the picture.
A bathroom that won’t leave you wondering if you’re on an airplane
Updated bathrooms somewhat stray from a pure bubble era design, but that’s probably for the best. Environmentally friendly soap, shampoo, and conditioner dispensers service both the sink area and the deep shower/bathtub combination. You know you are in a slightly upgraded budget bathroom when the faucet for the sink and bathtub are independent!
No room lower than the twelfth floor, which means good views aplenty!
The area immediately around the hotel does not have too many tall buildings, so there is a good chance you’ll have a nice view to gaze out upon. Rooms go as high as the 22nd floor, with a Japanese restaurant and a Chinese restaurant splitting the 23rd floor and commanding the view pictured above. For those with a particular interest in trains, there is quite a lot to see!
Simply put: A dependable choice
The Washington Plaza Hotel at Shin-Osaka has location, reasonable comfort, and a design esthetic which will bring you back in time. Next time you need transit convenience and want something a bit better than a tiny business hotel, you may want to give it a try!
History
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