More about Swissotel Nankai Osaka
Swissotel is near to Dotonbori. Served by Nankai Rail and subway below hotel.
by TripAdvisor Member wonder-luster
We paid about SGD350 per room for a double and single bed. Fantastic space but this price does not include free internet connection, which is a let down. Even so, Swissotel is conveniently located next to electric town and night shopping. The room is spacious and new and on the same premises as Takashimaya.
Swissotel Nankai is reachable by Nankai Rail and subway, which means you can reach the hotel from KIX directly by rail and go downtown directly by subway. JR rail station is a bit of a walk away ( 15 min ) but it is connected by underpass. There are so many shops and eateries along the way to the station in the underpass that we did not really feel the distance much.
The hotel is located in Namba and therefore not on the Osaka JR train loop. Every connection to anywhere along the loop means a 15 min walk and then a feeder JR train to Tennoji Station, before changing another JR train to elsewhere. We had only the JR pass so Swissotel Osaka was tough walking and train changing. We later gave up and paid for subway rides to save the transit time. That was the only blip in our stay there.
Beautiful Hotel & Wonderful Service
by TripAdvisor Member sayun
The Swissotel Nankai is a great place to stay in Osaka, Japan. It's conveniently located above the Nankai train station and within walking distance to shopping and restaurants. The hotel is beautifully appointed and the staff is very friendly, yet professional. We received wonderful service during our 2 night stay there.
GO OSAKA! Swissotel is the Best!
by TripAdvisor Member BabyUm
Swissotel Nankai Osaka is the best located hotel in Osaka!!! If you consider staying at hotels within the price range, please consider this as your top choice and book early, as I had difficulties booking rooms at this hotel but was lucky to be able to finally book 2 rooms 2 weeks before arrival, possibly because of last minute cancellation.
WE took the train directly from the airport and arrived at the Namba station. Upon arrival, look out for a phone booth with signage of Swissotel Nankai. Call the reception from the phone booth and they will arrange for your luggage to be picked up from the station, which was a major relief after a long flight and with a boisterous 3-yr old boy in tow.
We managed to get connecting rooms - i stayed in a classic room, while grandma+little one had the crest room which was much nicer. However, if you plan on spending days out of the hotel, a classic room is fine and think 3,000 yen cheaper.
Major underground shopping arcade right at the Namba station which is right next doorl, with Takashimaya right below the hotel which was really convenient for getting food supply and tidbits.
Dont forget to pick up a mini guide from Swissotel on train directions to major attractions like Universal Studio, Aquarium and Osaka Castle. Prove to be extra handy as Osaka has limited English signage and we carried that at all times.
You could also shop for knick knacks and have major crab feast at Dotombori, which is 5 min walking distance from the hotel. Check out this restaurant Kani Doraku, which has a huge moving model crab as its signage and we had the best crab feast ever.
If schedule permit please consider 2-3 days in Osaka. Very interesting city with a balance of food, shopping & amusement for kids and we spent some of our most memorable days in Japan at Osaka.
Excellent Choice in Osaka
by TripAdvisor Member kiyokawa
I spent four nights over two separate stays at the Swissotel Nankai Osaka in December '07. This was my first visit to Osaka and the hotel's location provided an excellent base for sightseeing in the city, as well as easy, direct transportation to/from the KIX airport via the Rapit express train on Nankai Railways.
Here's a quick summary of my impressions:
ROOMS. The rooms are reasonably large by Japan standards and nicely furnished (albeit somewhat dated) and very clean. The rooms offer excellent views of the city through large picture windows. The bathroom is equipped with an impressive assortment of amenities.
LOCATION. The hotel is centrally-located within Osaka and perched above the Namba rail station. It's easy to get around Osaka from this location.
CONVENIENCE. The hotel is conveniently situated adjacent to Namba Park, which boasts a wide assortment of restaurants, shops and theatres in an enclosed, multi-level complex. Additionally, there is a large, sprawling retail complex below ground (and connected to the rail and subway lines) with lots of inexpensive eateries and shops.
DINING. The food at the hotel's Swiss Cafe was excellent, although we only ate there at breakfast, which included a great selection of Western and Japanese food. The restaurant is quite busy for breakfast, but service was always prompt and efficient. The breakfast included a large assortment of hot and cold items, as well as a juice press for those who wish to press their own fresh orange or grapefruit juice-- a nice touch.
COST. The room rates were very reasonable and certainly competitive within Osaka. Overall, I think the hotel was an excellent value, particularly if you value a buffet breakfast in your room rate.
SERVICE. The service at the hotel was gracious and friendly throughout-- from the bellperson to the front desk to the restaurant staff. Everyone was available to offer assistance at the slightest gesture-- and with a smile, too. Although English is my only language, I did not experience any difficulty communicating with any of the hotel staff. The Concierge desk is particularly fluent in English.
AIRPORT TRANSFER. One of the hotel's biggest advantages (and likely key selling points) is its proximity to the Rapit train that directly serves KIX Airport from the Namba station below the hotel. The hotel bellperson can also greet you at the train platform to assist you with your luggage, too. A phone to the bell desk is available on the train platform.
OVERALL. I'd highly recommend this hotel in terms of overall value, quality of the experience, and location. I hope to visit the property again!
Once again a good experience
by TripAdvisor Member tequilatamm
We stayed at the Swissotel Nankai from 26-Dec to 30-Dec.
We had stayed at this hotel the previous year around the same time and after looking at various equivalent options in the Umeda area, we decided that Swissotel Nankai was the most conveniently located to the things we wanted to see and do, which to a large extent included shopping.
When we stayed last year, we booked a standard room. While it had not been recently renovated, it was in good shape and spacious, and we enjoyed our stay.
This year, we decided to book a club level executive room and enjoy the benefits of club breakfast and evening drinks/snacks.
On check-in, we were instructed to go to the 33rd floor to check in at the club lounge. The staff seemed busy and stressed, but were courteous and checked us in efficiently.
Much to our delight, they had upgraded us to a corner suite, which was especially nice, since we were already on a club level at the top of the building. We were assigned room 3201.
I suppose from this point I may not be an impartial judge of my hotel experience this time, as we had such a nice room, but they later mentioned that because we were staying for "so many nights" (4 nights) we were probably upgraded for this reason.
Anyway, the room had an entry with toilet and sink, a reasonable sized loungeroom with a view of the river and shopping streets from the desk, a short hallway between the lounge and bedroom which contained a dressing table, and the bathroom off to the left.
The bedroom was about the same size as the lounge with a day couch and plenty of storage, and another window of similar size.
The hallway area also had a small window next to the dressing table.
The bathroom was not large, and a little bit gaudy with pink and mauve marble and gold fittings, but it also had a deep jacuzzi tub and a shower head with very good pressure.
The club level breakfast was nothing particularly special, but they would cook you eggs in various styles if you wished, and there were the usual pastries and japanese breakfast items such as congee and miso.
The evening snacks consisted of mostly the same things every night, but a long list of wine and spirits. One item seemed to change between chicken wings, dim sims, and spring rolls, and there were nacho chips with guacamole and salsa available, and if you asked they would heat these for you along with some meat and cheese and they were very good.
This hotel usually has good deals, and speaking for the two very different levels of rooms we have stayed in, I think it is good value for money at all the rooms, and a great location!
Really Good & Super Concierge
by TripAdvisor Member eyj1001
My family just spent 5 nights at Swissotel.
Excellent view from our connecting rooms on the 26th floor. Rooms were really clean. Good breakfast buffet. Central location meant we were able to do other Osaka districts, Universal Studio/Tenpozan, Nara and Sagano simply using the subway and trains right from underneath the hotel and this is with 3 young children (4, 6 & 7) in tow!
But what I really want to say is that their Concierge is just amazing! When it was time to check out and leave, the Concierge not only took our luggage all the way down to the train station below, the lovely staff also helped us in getting the Rapi:t train tickets, saw us to the right carriage and even stowed the luggage for us before wishing us bon voyage with a bow and a radiant smile. Now that's service par excellent.
But that's not all, when en-route to the airport we discovered our youngest had left her Nintendo DS in the hotel room. A quick phone call from the airport yielded confirmation from the Concierge that: yes housekeeping has found it and no, it's no trouble at all if I wish to have it sent back by courier. Days after arriving home, we received a DHL package and I'll never forget the yelp of delight from my daughter when she opened the package and found her beloved NDS returned.
Thank you Osaka Swissotel for these lovely memories, you have found yourself a fan!
Great Location
by TripAdvisor Member ozallan
This hotel is in a great location in Osaka, the shopping and restaurant centre of the city. Hotel on top of Namba railway station so great to get anywhere around or out of the city.
Get a room on a high floor with sweeping views of the city.
The room I was given was in need of an upgrade. It was old and tied. There are updated rooms so ask for one of those.
Also make sure your rate includes breakfast. Their buffet breakfast is excellent.
Excellent view and service
by TripAdvisor Member HansonLam
My wife and I stay for 7 nights in this hotel. The staff attitude is very professional. Their English is very good and I have no problem with the communication. Breakfast buffet at the cafe is very good. Western style breakfast together with Japanese congee and soup is available. My room was on the 22/F and I have an excellent view of North Osaka and the nearby Dotonbori area. Since the hotel is right above the Nankai electric railway, moving my luggages around was a breeze. The hotel is readily accessible by local subways and I used it as a hub to travel around the surrounding areas like Kyoto, Kobe even to Hiroshima. Given the level of services, I think the price is not expensive at all and I would definitely stay again at this hotel next trip.
Try something else
by TripAdvisor Member Zuckerbussi
We booked this hotel because of its good reviews on tripadvisor. We stayed for 4 nights and have been quite disappointed.
I would like to mention the following:
+++ three points for the location and the view (we stayed on the 30th floor)
--- the room was a little bit run down / not perfectly clean: there have been some major stains on the carpet and some mouldy areas between some flagstones in the bathroom
--- we had to wait about 10 minutes to check in; after a 6 hours-journey that felt like half an hour
-- on the booking site there was written "rooms provide internet access". In Japan almost every 3 star hotel has free internet access already and does not even mention it. In this hotel you have to pay extra
--- the price on the booking site has not been correct: the hotel charged extra 15% service fee.
- to enter the hotel from the front side you have to fight your way through 6 floors of a shopping center
- we had the feeling that the hotel saves money on personnel expenses. Check in and breakfast area (only on one day) has been understaffed.
- there is music playing the whole time. Ok that's Japan. But sad Schubert compositions during breakfast? This is just one example for the lacking "style" of this hotel...
Forum Posts
Re: transfer to hotel
by mrtravelbug
Hi guys,
just wanna know how long and how much it would cost to go from JR shin-osaka station to Swissotel nankai osaka. Also, what other options are there. Thanks guys
mr travelbug
Re: Re: transfer to hotel
by michaelayne
check this other forum.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g298566-i2803-k1595894-Most_convenient_hotel_inn_that_s_near_Shin_Osaka_station-Osaka_Osaka_Prefecture_Kinki.html
it takes 15 minutes.
