Osaka Hotels with Bars

This is my second time in Osaka, and I chose the Waldorf Astoria again. The room facilities are excellent, and it's super convenient to walk to all the major department stores in Umeda from the hotel's underground access. However, the breakfast was quite disappointing. Apart from congee, there were no other Japanese food options at the breakfast buffet, only an à la carte set. While it was very refined, for the price, there should definitely be more Japanese food options included in the buffet.

Overall, I had a pleasant stay at the hotel. The room was nice and, by Japan standards, surprisingly spacious. The amenities were good, and the location was very convenient—close to the train station and within walking distance of Shinsaibashi. The main downside was the cleanliness. I noticed quite a bit of dust accumulated on the shelves, which was disappointing. I also requested a room makeover after staying for 2 nights during my 4-night stay, but the shelves were still dusty afterward. Other than the cleanliness issue, I enjoyed the room size, amenities, and convenient location. With better attention to housekeeping and dusting, this would have been a much more comfortable stay.

Rooms 28, 29, and 30 come with Executive Lounge access. I stayed on the 29th floor this time, and the view was fantastic, right across from Daimaru Department Store. The room was spacious, well-equipped, and made for a wonderful stay. Breakfast offers both Western and Japanese options. The Executive Lounge on the 31st floor is very relaxing for breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails; it's uncrowded with a great ambiance, and accessible multiple times a day with your room card.

The location is fantastic – it's quiet despite being in a bustling area, and not far from Osaka's iconic Glico Man and Shinsaibashi, as long as you can navigate well. Upon entering the hotel, there's a subtle, pleasant aroma that immediately makes you feel comfortable. For Japan, the room size is quite generous; of course, there are bigger ones, but I believe in Japan, the price and room size are definitely proportional to the value for money. The front desk staff, regardless of the time, always served with a smile and answered questions diligently. Yes, I mean diligently – they genuinely put their hearts into serving guests. There was a minor hiccup during check-in, which I didn't even dwell on. I simply mentioned it casually late at night when exchanging coins. To my surprise, when I returned to the hotel the next afternoon after shopping, I found an apology card and some fruit in my room. They truly value guest satisfaction and the quality of their hotel. If I visit Osaka again, this hotel will definitely be my top choice.

The hotel's location is super convenient. Just across the street on the right is Shin-Imamiya Station, and to the left, there's a convenience store and a huge Don Quijote. It's great to browse there for some fruits and snacks after a night out. They have a wide variety of products, and it's really good value after the tax refund.

The room I booked for my solo trip was just right. First off, it was super convenient for shopping. Within 500m, there are two supermarkets, a 7-Eleven, and right next door downstairs there's a big supermarket – perfect for picking up snacks, milk, bentos, instant noodles, and bread for breakfast. Secondly, the amenities were great. The shared laundry room has a washer-dryer combo (coin-operated), and there's also a microwave, ice machine, and vending machines. Inside the room, I had a mini-fridge, hairdryer, and a bathtub. The service experience was also excellent. The 1.5m bed was comfortable, and the room had great natural light with the window right by the head of the bed. Since I stayed multiple nights, service staff tidied up the bedding, cups, and replaced towels daily. Finally, transportation was a breeze. It's very close to the subway station, probably within 500m. Shinsaibashi and Umeda are easily reachable within half an hour, and the airport is just an hour away. You can use exit 4-A, which has a direct elevator.

What we found especially charming was that all the amenities were displayed in the lobby and were free for guests to take. They had everything you could possibly need—even face masks, which was a pleasant surprise. The atmosphere felt more like a modern student accommodation than a traditional hotel, which we really enjoyed. The staff were friendly, the rooftop bar was fantastic, and bike rentals were available. They also had a cafeteria-style common area with a coffee machine, microwaves, and water dispensers, making it the perfect place to enjoy food from the convenience store. Overall, it was a 10/10 stay, and we'd happily stay here again.

The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the subway station and consists of two buildings: the main building and an annex. The rooms aren't huge, but they're a good size for hotels in the same price range. They offer 24-hour hot water, coffee, drinks, and a microwave for heating food, which is great. Free luggage storage is also available. There's a Chinese-speaking staff member at the front desk, so communication was seamless. Breakfast was decent too. The only downside, if I had to pick one, was the constant stream of tour groups. It's also just a 5-minute walk from the main shopping street in Shinsaibashi.

Disappointing hospitality and poor organization, despite decent facilities There are three major downsides to my stay at this hotel. First and foremost, the check-in process was poorly managed. While having guests wait until 3:00 PM to check in is highly understandable, the complete lack of queue management is unacceptable. I went to the counter at around 2:55 PM to get myself ready for the check in, but the staff instructed me to go back to the waiting area and wait. However, right at 3:00 PM, newly arrived guests immediately formed a line at the counter. Those of us who had been waiting patiently in the seating area had to rush over to secure a spot. Everyone was scrambling to get into line as if we were asking for a free stay(Pic.1). The hotel showed a blatant lack of care for its guests. To make matters worse, guests are required to use a self-check-in system, which feels like shifting the operational burden from the staff onto the guests. This experience clearly reflects that the hotel prioritizes its own convenience over the comfort of its guests—a concerning approach for any hospitality business. The second major issue is the Wi-Fi. The internet speed was incredibly low to the point of being completely unusable(Pic.). If you rely heavily on hotel Wi-Fi for work or travel planning, I highly recommend looking elsewhere. The third point, though less severe, is the location. The hotel is situated a bit far from the subway, sitting almost exactly halfway between two stations. Regardless of which station you use, you will have to walk an equal distance of about 500 meters from either Hommachi Station (Red Line) or Sakaisuji-Hommachi Station (Green Line). While this is not entirely the hotel's fault, it is worth noting for future guests. To be fair, I would like to highlight some positive aspects. The hotel facilities are decent. They provide complimentary coffee and thoughtful amenities such as utensils and chopsticks for guests to use. Ultimately, I believe a hospitality business should always prioritize customer service and guest satisfaction over its own convenience, even if turning a profit is the ultimate goal. Unfortunately, my experience here made me feel like the guests are not a priority. Perhaps I was just unlucky, as I had read the reviews thoroughly before booking and saw no mention of these issues. I am sharing this experience simply to help others make an informed decision.

I deliberated for a long time over which hotel to book and finally settled on Hanshin. After checking in, I completely forgot that my booking included breakfast. It would have cost over 100 RMB per person for breakfast if I'd had to pay at the hotel, so getting two breakfasts included with a 600 RMB per night room felt like a huge saving! Although the breakfast didn't have a massive selection, everything I tried was perfectly to my taste. On the first day, I ate breakfast around 7 AM and didn't feel hungry again until my second meal at 6 PM. The room, though small, was clean, tidy, and incredibly quiet. On the second day, when the staff asked if I needed room cleaning, I declined and instead asked for a bottle of hand soap. It was POLA hand soap, which is exclusive to hotels and not available for purchase elsewhere. The hotel is super convenient from Kansai Airport; you can take the JR rapid express directly to Fukushima Station for 1180 JPY per person. From the station, it's just about 50 meters across the road. It's also within walking distance of Yodobashi Camera and Hankyu Department Store. I highly recommend this hotel – it's excellent value for money!