APA Hotel and Resort Osaka Umeda Eki Tower

My wife and I are happy to have stayed in this hotel. It is new and the staff was very accommodating. The biggest draw back was the number of guest that stayed in the hotel. There is always a line in the elevators. It is near public transportation. The breakfast buffet is awesome and has a wide variety of food selection. The buffet selection changes daily. We were at the hotel December 31 to Jan 1 and we experienced Japanese New Year at a small cozy temple called Taiyu-ji temple. Overall it was a good experience except the line at the elevator.

Two main tips: 1. Don't stay in a room above the 6th floor - the lifts take forever 2. Don't expect a warm welcome - thus had to be the worst check-in experience ever. After queuing for 10 minutes, watching harassed staff trying to help confused clients to use the inflexible unfriendly automated system, our turn came. We had booked two rooms and wanted to pay for both although our family, staying in the other room hadn't arrived. After 20 minutes (I kid you not) of debate and button-pushing they agreed that I could pay for both rooms and the keys for the second room could be left at reception. Just what you don't need after a long journey. Here's a tip for the hotel. Let your staff, who know your system, press the buttons instead of trying to train your guests after they've become confused and tired. You'd need fewer staff, it would be quicker and your guests would be happier. You only get one chance to make a first impression and this one was awful.