If you have an early morning flight to catch out of Osaka Itami Airport, there is hardly any place more convenient than the Osaka Airterminal Hotel. The hotel is located directly in the airport’s terminal and it is operated by the company that runs the airport.
I had a chance to stay there a couple of months ago during a trip that included my daughter’s first flight. In case you are wondering, we booked our double room directly with the hotel and paid 15,900 yen (approx. 110 dollars) for one night. Continue reading this review to see what the stay was like.
Getting to the Hotel
Once you arrive at Osaka Itami Airport, whether from the city or on a flight, the Osaka Airterminal Hotel is well-signposted and easy to find.
It can be found on the terminal’s third floor, one floor above the arrivals level.
Check-in & Lobby
Once inside the hotel, there was a wooden wall lined with framed model aircraft (I liked the concept). Walking along the wall led to a reception desk. Next to the reception desk was an express check-out key box.
On the reception desk were some amenities including earplugs. Depending on the time you arrive and your sensitivity to aircraft noise, you might find them helpful. Itami Airport has a curfew, though, so you do not have to worry about hearing aircraft noise overnight.
When I got to the hotel in the morning, the front desk staff swiftly tagged my bags as I wanted to store them before checking in later in the day and also filled my daughter’s thermos with hot water. Later in the day, I stopped by the reception again to check-in. At that point, our bags had already been placed in our room.
A bit closer to the hotel’s entrance than the reception desk was a lounging area with a couple of large benches and a small coffee table.
Additionally, there were also a couple of booths with a desk along one of this space’s walls. Those were perfect for getting some work done later at night without disturbing my daughter and wife who were already sleeping.
The booths were equipped with power outlets.
Across from the reception was another small seating area. That one had a few lounge chairs arranged around a couple of coffee tables and some safety boxes for guests to store valuables in.
Next to this area was also a small showcase with some model aircraft.
Guest Room
While there were some rooms along hallways parallel to the reception, most of Osaka Airterminal Hotel’s rooms could be found along a long hallway perpendicular to the reception area (the hotel was T-shaped). The hotel only had one floor.
In addition to the rooms, there were also vending machines in two places along the long hallway. Near one of the vending machine corners was also a smoking room.
We were assigned room 107 – a “Double A” room located in the hotel’s “South Wing” – i.e. to the right side of the reception.
Stepping into the room, there was a large closet and the bathroom door.
The bathroom was larger than the “unit baths” that can be found in Japanese business hotels like Toyoko Inns. That said, it was still fairly small and nothing to write home about.
On the left side of the small room was a bathtub, next to it was a sink, and to the right of the sink was a toilet. It’s worth noting that there were separate faucets for the bathtub and for the sink.
Shampoo, conditioner, body soap, and hand soap were provided in big dispensers. Single-use amenities including dental kits, razors, body towels, and hair brushes were available too.
Most of the main part of the room was taken up by a fairly comfortable double bed. Its position was shifted slightly to the left since we also requested a baby bed which was placed to the right of the double bed. There was an extra charge of about 8 dollars for the baby bed.
Based on the hotel’s website, it looks like the space that was taken up by the baby bed in our case is where a small sofa chair and a coffee table can be found under normal circumstances.
The bed’s headboard was equipped with reading lights, as well as power outlets and USB-A charging ports.
Across from the bed was a desk that doubled as a vanity and a TV stand.
Under the TV was a cabinet with a small refrigerator, a hairdryer, an electric kettle, and some tea.
Lastly, the room’s window didn’t offer any interesting views, let alone views of aircraft.
Dining & Breakfast
There were no restaurants directly at the Osaka Airterminal Hotel. That said, with the hotel being located inside the terminal, there were plenty of establishments to choose from there.
It was also possible to order food and drinks from one of the restaurants at the airport – Osaka Airport Winery – as “room service” for a small delivery fee.
There was no breakfast room at the hotel either. That said, guests could still pay for breakfast which was provided in two different ways:
- A discounted (800 yen instead of 1,020 yen) Japanese breakfast set at one of the restaurants in the terminal
- A discounted (500 yen instead of 810 yen) Le Pan Kobe Kitano sandwich set for take-out
We decided to pay for the latter when checking in and, in turn, were given a pair of coupons. We were then able to exchange those coupons for the sandwich boxes the next morning between 6AM and 10AM.
The sandwiches – especially the BLT – were good. That said, the portion was fairly small.
Osaka Airterminal Hotel (Itami Airport) Summary
Being a business hotel, there was not much to speak about in terms of amenities. That said, the room was well-equipped and clean, the lobby was pleasant to get some work done in, and the staff was helpful. What really made the hotel special, though, was, of course, its location.
If you have an early morning flight to catch out of Itami Airport, then staying at this hotel is a no-brainer. In case your flight departs later in the morning or in the afternoon, you might want to look at other options in the city too.
