Hyatt Category 3 Hotels In Osaka and Kyoto
By Lana Vu
On my family's recent trip to Japan, we found great value in budget-friendly Hyatt hotels. As I mentioned in my reviews of Hyatt Regency Hakone and two mid-tier Tokyo hotels, it can be a struggle for groups of three or more to navigate Japan's strict room occupancy rules. Hotel occupancy is governed by Japan’s Hotel Business Act and Fire Service Act, which require hotels to collect and photocopy the passports of every foreign guest, including infants and children. Hotels consider children 12+ as adults, but can opt for some leeway with children, particularly those 6 and under. (As always, we recommend reaching out to the hotel in writing to see if a room can accommodate your party.) So, we were thrilled to use our points toward these Hyatt Category 3 hotels in Osaka and Kyoto. We actually got them even cheaper since we booked pre-deval, but they still bring solid value today. Here's what my family thought of Hyatt Place Kyoto and Caption by Hyatt Namba Osaka.
Cost Breakdown
Both properties are now a Category 3 following the latest devaluation, though I'd originally booked Hyatt Place Kyoto when it was a Category 2 at time of booking and Caption Osaka when it was a Category 1. Still, these Hyatt hotels remain affordable on points, which is particularly crucial when needing to book more than one room. Here's the current pricing. Remember that there are five tiers now, so the prices may fall somewhere between the lowest, moderate and top numbers.
| Room Type | Lowest | Moderate | Top |
| Standard Room | 8,000 | 15,000 | 20,000 |
| Standard Suite | 16,000 | 23,000 | 28,000 |
Hyatt Place Kyoto
We'll compare the locations, amenities, accommodations and check-in service of the Hyatt Category 3 hotels in Osaka and Kyoto.
CHECK-IN
The entrance to the hotel is right by Exit 6 of Marutamachi Station, with a short covered walkway to shelter from rain. There was no wait at check-in on arrival, and we were greeted promptly and politely. The front desk agent recognized our Globalist status, and clarified that two adults and two children were covered by the breakfast benefit. Since our teen was over 12, he was considered an adult and we were charged for his breakfasts. In each of our rooms, we arrived to a welcome amenity of snacks and treats.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The hotel offers 239 rooms. The standard Two Twin rooms can accommodate 3 adults and one child under 12 since the couch folds out to a single and a rollaway can be requested. The King room is listed as having an occupancy of 2. An additional nice touch was the stand of complimentary umbrellas for guest use on rainy days, a thoughtful touch we appreciated on a rainy evening.
The Standard Room was a very comfortable size, with bed, small sofa, table, ottoman and long desk along the wall. The open closet design helped to keep the room open and airy. The kids’ standard Two Twin rooms had a fold-out couch, whereas the King room had a regular small sofa. There was a small fridge in the room and a public microwave for use by the bar/marketplace area behind the lobby.
AMENITIES
DINING
THE KITCHEN is located just past the lobby of Hyatt Place Kyoto. This is one of the Hyatt Places that does not serve complimentary breakfast. We qualified for breakfast for three as Globalists, but it was a little over $20 per day. Breakfast was likely the best I’ve seen at a Hyatt Place, with both a buffet and custom egg station, and with Western and Japanese hot and cold items. Those who enjoy Japanese cuisine have a very nice selection of ramen, house-made curry, hot items, cold items and toppings. The lady at the egg station was so kind to make omurice on request when asked.
Common allergy ingredients were clearly labelled to safely accommodate all diets. For those without free breakfast, there were many dining options within a short walk, including konbinis, a grocery store, and nearby fast casual restaurants. The hotel also had a small bar and convenience market area just by the check-in desk.
LAUNDRY
As a carry-on diehard who is still fastidious, I appreciate good laundry options. This property's option was second only to full in-room laundry. Laundry machine status was live-updated so you could see when a machine came available, or how close it was to finishing. Machines locked with a code to maintain security, and guests were simply asked to be courteous and pick up their laundry promptly. Detergent was preloaded in the machines, and each machine was a full washer/dryer. It was so gratifying to be able to run a load without missing a beat on our vacation.
LOCATION
Hyatt Place Kyoto is located in Nakagyo Ward, just south of Kyoto Gyoen National Garden and east on Nijo Castle. Convenient to public transportation, the hotel is just by Exit 6 of Marutamachi Station on the Karasuma line, a short 4 stops from Kyoto Station. When researching, I actually liked the location better than the Hyatt Regency Kyoto. Park Hyatt Kyoto looked admittedly amazing and located in popular Gion, but it was out of our budget needing two rooms, and all the public transportation was by bus or taxi rather than trains.
Caption by Hyatt Namba Osaka
We'll compare the locations, amenities, accommodations and check-in service of the Hyatt Category 3 hotels in Osaka and Kyoto.
CHECK-IN
The lobby is located immediately to the right on entry, along with the onsite restaurant/cafe casual sitting area. There was no wait at check-in on arrival, and we were greeted immediately. The front desk staff thanked us for being Globalists, confirmed our room choices, and apologetically clarified that our Globalist breakfast benefits would extend only to the room that the Globalist would be staying, not to our kids’ room. No problem—that meets with the terms of the program and we were expecting as much. The front desk had an extensive selection of convenience toiletry items (toothbrush, toothpaste, lotions, etc) rather than offering them in the room.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The hotel offers 167 rooms, each with bed, table, two chairs, open closet, and bathroom. The standard Queen rooms can accommodate 2 adults and one child, the standard two twin rooms can accommodate 2 adults and two children under 12. Neither room could be booked online with 3 persons over 12, but again—one could try calling the hotel to upgrade in cash to the rooms that can accommodate 3 adults + 1 child, the Deluxe rooms, King or Two twin. Caption Osaka also offered complimentary umbrellas for guest use.
The Standard Room was impeccably clean, with king/queen, or two twin beds, two chairs, table, open closet and small countertop with in-room coffee and tea with mini-fridge underneath. The decor was Osaka-fun. My kids loved the little touches like closet bar and light fixtures featuring katana handles. One important note: I was warned by a friend well in advance that the beds were very, very firm. As soon as I booked, I added a note requesting mattress pads/toppers on all the beds. It made a huge difference, and while the beds were still a little firm, they were fine for sleeping.
DINING
Talk Shop is located on the first floor, and it served as the breakfast area and cafe. The restaurant was simple and did not serve complimentary breakfast. We qualified for a set breakfast as Globalists, but only for one room. Breakfast choices included Western and Japanese options (menus below) and were frankly very very mediocre. We would not have paid for this breakfast, and ordered it to taste for this review, before hustling ourselves to better options in easy walking distance. With one of the best fluffy soufflé pancake cafes a 3-minute walk away and Kuramon market with life-changing tuna 5 minutes away, this breakfast was an easy pass for us.
LOCATION
Caption Osaka is located conveniently just a few minutes walk from Namba Station or Nippombashi Station, and an easy walk to abundant dining/shopping/transportation options. It was located right at the heart of much of the best dining in Osaka – Kuramon Market, Dotonbori,and Namba. It’s also very close to Den-Den Town, the electronics, pop culture, games, and anime heart of Osaka.
Hyatt Category 3 Hotels In Osaka and Kyoto: ToP Thoughts
Both properties offered excellent cleanliness, location, safety, convenience, service and value for the points. Hyatt Place Kyoto in particular stood out as an exceptional value, and is likely the best Hyatt Place we’ve experienced. If you’re looking for well-priced properties with a focus on exploring Kyoto and/or Osaka, these are both great options. Have you stayed in either of these Hyatt Category 3 hotels in Osaka and Kyoto? Let us know your thoughts in the ToP Facebook Group.
