Planning A Fall Trip To Japan (Osaka & Kyoto)!

By: Ben Schlappig

Updated: November 17, 2023
Published: August 22, 2023

116 comments

116

I’ve just (mostly) finished planning our next major trip, and it will hopefully contain several interesting hotel and flight reviews. Let me share the details, at least based on what I’ve planned so far.

In this post:

We’re flying Starlux Airlines to Japan!

Okay, planning for this trip actually started several weeks back. In the spring of 2023, Alaska Airlines and Starlux Airlines launched a partnership, and Alaska Mileage Plan introduced award redemptions on Starlux Airlines as of late July 2023.

When this launched, award availability was wide open, and there was very attractive introductory pricing, so I knew I needed to book something right away. I wanted to connect to somewhere within Asia, to be able to review the carriers’ A350-900s and A330-900neos.

Ford and I love Japan (I mean, who doesn’t?), so that seemed like the best option, especially given the value at the time:

We could fly from Los Angeles to Taipei in Starlux Airlines’ A350 business class for 60K miles
We could fly from Taipei to Osaka in Starlux Airlines’ A330 business class for 15K miles

This was introductory pricing that was pulled within a day, so unfortunately at this point the same award would be significantly more expensive. However, I’d say that 75K miles one-way for Starlux business class to Japan is an amazing value.

I can’t wait to once again fly Starlux Airlines. Now, in fairness, I’m thinking we’re only going to keep this itinerary in one direction, as I’d like to review something else new in the other direction. However, as of now I see nothing good, so Starlux Airlines is certainly a great backup to have!

I’m excited to fly Starlux Airlines’ A350 business class!

We’re planning on visiting Osaka and Kyoto

Okay, I realize I’m basically the last person on earth who hasn’t visited Kyoto in the past decade, so it’s time to change that. 😉 I don’t know how many times Ford and I have planned a trip to Kyoto at this point, and for whatever reason it always fell through. I think it’ll work out this time, because you can bet that I really want to fly with Starlux Airlines!

Our plan is to first spend a few nights in Osaka. I booked the Conrad Osaka, which seems to be preferred by most to the St. Regis Osaka and Ritz-Carlton Osaka, as it’s much more modern. I managed to book this through Hilton Honors — I booked two nights for 95,000 points each, and one night using a free night award.

With that in mind, a few thoughts and questions:

To those more familiar with the Osaka luxury hotel market, is the Conrad still preferred to the other options?
Is Osaka worth spending a few days in? We love Tokyo, but would like to see something new this trip, and I’ve never “properly” visited Osaka
Half of what I love about Japan is the food, so if anyone has any restaurant recommendations for Osaka, please do let me know (ranging from random to Michelin three star)

The plan is to then go to Kyoto, where I’ve booked the Park Hyatt Kyoto for two nights and then the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto for two nights. I booked the Park Hyatt Kyoto for 45,000 World of Hyatt points per night, while I booked the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto for 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points per night (and for one night managed to use an 85,000-point free night award, which I topped off with 15,000 points).

It’s absolutely wild what the cash rates are like in Kyoto, as these hotels are retailing for well over $2,000 per night for base rooms.

Much like with Osaka, if anyone has any restaurant recommendations for Kyoto, I’d love to hear them! Also, are there any other Kyoto hotels we should pop into for a night, that would make for an interesting review? I’m intrigued by Roku Kyoto, which is a Hilton LXR property, but it seems it’s not quite to the same caliber of the Park Hyatt and Ritz-Carlton?

While there are several other parts of Japan I’d love to visit on this trip, realistically speaking we can only be gone for so long, so unfortunately I think that’ll be the extent of the trip this time around.

Bottom line

Several weeks back, I locked in some Starlux Airlines business class tickets to Japan, back when Alaska Airlines added the Taiwanese airline as a partner. I’ve now finished planning the rest of the trip, including stays with points at the Conrad Osaka, Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, and Park Hyatt Kyoto.

We’re open to modifying hotels and plans, so if anyone has any specific things they’d change, please let me know. And if anyone has any restaurant tips for Osaka or Kyoto (or favorite restaurant guides that they trust for these places), I’d love to hear them, because the food is a big part of what makes Japan awesome.

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Dusty Guest

August 28, 2023, 3:57 pm

Seconding Osaka for street food, it's what the city is known for. They also have pretty good okonomiyaki. Follow your nose, you won't be disappointed. For Kyoto, I have two restaurant rec's. One a western fusion, one a traditional: 1. モチコチキン専門店 LOCO CHICKEN - tiny 4 seat restaurant serving Gluten Free fried chicken. It's excellent, and was my mom's favorite meal on our trip last fall. It's 2 streets west of the Kamo river, on Kawaramachi-dori 2. Teuchi Toru Soba - another smaller restaurant, I think 8 seat if I remember right. They specialize in Soba, and do the traditional-style made of pure buckwheat rather than mixed with regular wheat. Once again, a gluten free spot we took my mom last year. It's on Nijo dori, several blocks south of Kyoto National Garden. If you want to follow your nose, try Pontocho Alley. It has loads of small izakayas and restaurants, and I've never been disappointed eating there.

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JapanAlpsRambler New Member

August 26, 2023, 3:42 am

I've stayed at all of the Marriott & Hilton luxury hotels in Osaka and Kyoto recently within the past 18 months. Since I'm a military officer who was stationed just outside Tokyo during Covid, we were able to hit these spots during visits to my wife’s hometown long before outside tourism opened up and just as domestic tourism started ramping up again. KYOTO: Definitely recommend you spend at least 1 night at HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO, part of the Luxury Collection. I'd easily put it in my top 5 worldwide. Highlights were awesome elite recognition (upgraded to a 1,200 sf Nijo suite with a points-redemption stay), served breakfast (vice buffet, which I know you prefer, and can chooses Japanese or Western sets), and onsen on-site. The take home sized bath amenities even came in specially branded metal containers, and incredible terry clothe slippers. In my view, tops Kyoto Ritz Carlton by every measure except no river view, but compensates with an awesome view of Nijo Castle literally across the street. OSAKA: I know you’ve kind of soured on the W brand but Osaka really deserves a look. More family friendly than most W properties, and one of the best Bonvoy Elite free breakfasts I’ve enjoyed anywhere. It was also served vice buffet, except for a bakery trolley that comes around several time during the meal with the most delicious almond croissants on the planet. It is a bargain with points too, consistently <50K + always geat elite recognition. St Regis is a hidden gem too, and I’d say go there if doing a third night. Not massive in size, but peerless quality oil the furnishings, decor, cocktails, breakfast, service, everything. I’d take both these over the Ritz in Osaka all day long. The Osaka Conrad is also exceptional though, and I like it better than the Tokyo Conrad. I think it excels with a polished staff, although I barely remember the breakfast, so probably wasn’t a high point… Restaurants: In Osaka, the Okonomiyaki shop called AJINOYA in Dotonbori area is famous throughout Asia (Always see a lot Koreans and Thais, so must be in all their guidebooks?) They have a set for two with Yakisoba and Okonomiyaki that we always get.

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CSP Guest

August 25, 2023, 2:59 pm

In the Kansai area, i suggest eating at 551 Horai. It is a chain but you can't get it anywhere else in Japan. If you like dumplings and buns, it is great + relatively cheap. If you are in Osaka, Ikkaku in the Dotonbori area is also really good for roast chicken.

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Walter Guest

August 25, 2023, 2:15 am

Stayed at Mitsui Kyoto recently. It was great. Also stayed at the Park Hyatt but much preferred the Mitsui for the natural light in the rooms and the underground hot spring.

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berantle Guest

August 24, 2023, 8:59 pm

Personally, I think staying at the Western hotel chains in Kyoto is a missed opportunity to try the various Japanese premium/luxury hotels (e.g. Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto, Hotel Okura Kyoto Chazaki Bettei, Aoi Hotel Kyoto), ryokans (e.g. Nanzenji Sando Kikusui Kyoto, Sowaka Ryokan, Hiiragiya Ryokan, Yuzuya Ryokan) and refurbished machiyas (townhouses) within Kyoto.

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