Japan - Need Hotel Room Osaka 12/23/11

Can anyone highly recommend a good hotel in Osaka one night Dec 23, 2 persons, $100-$150 (or less), comfortable bed important as we will have been traveling for about 20 hours. Osaka Hotel availability seems very tight that night at the chain hotels and I'm not familiar with the Japanese local hotels. Been to Tripadvisor but wanted FT recommendations too. We are arriving ITM airport so it can be in that area or between Itami and Osaka. We don't speak Japanese. Thanks.

Hello!

We haven't actually stayed there (yet, we will be staying there next February) but I was told the Dotonbori hotel is pretty good.

http://www.dotonbori-h.co.jp/english/

Very small semi-double rooms (13 sq.m) but english spoken and great service.

Hope this helps.

Steffi

Forget my last post, its fully booked on the 23rd !

Maybe you could try one of the Toyoko Inns

If you're flying into Kansai Airport, that's actually quite far south of the city of Osaka proper.

Look in the Namba area of Osaka, since that has a direct train connection to the airport. Too bad the Dotonbori is fully booked, but there are plenty of other hotels in the area.

You may not know that Christmas Eve is considered the big date and party night in Japan, and with Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday night this year, people may have decided to start "celebrating" early.

If you're flying into Kansai Airport,
OP is flying to ITM.

Maybe you could try one of the Toyoko Inns

Toyoko Inns are not very well regarded on this forum for a variety of reasons, but they are all over the place and are cheap (probably cheaper than your budget). Wouldn't count on the bed being great though.

The Hyatt Regency Osaka is not in a very convenient location for airport access, but it is available that night and the bed should be fine. The advance pay rate for 2 that night is Y21200, over your budget but way less than better located hotels of equivalent quality, such as the Hilton.

Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka is about the upper level of your range, but looks nice.

http://goo.gl/xzyZ0

http://www.hotelmonterey.co.jp/en/htl/osaka/index.html

Ramada Osaka is under 12,000 yen on that date per kayak.com.

It's a straightforward train ride from ITM -- take the monorail to Senri-Chuo, change to the Midosuji Line (red line), get off at Nakatsu. The hotel is connected to the station underground so you don't even need to go outside. If you are headed to KIX the next day you can simply get on the subway, go to Namba and change to the Nankai train. Shin-Osaka Station (bullet train terminal) is two stops north and you can walk to Osaka Station in about 15 minutes.

I stayed there back in October and would definitely stay again. Only real downside is that is has the little modular "unit bathrooms" that are ubiquitous in cheap business hotels here. Bed was great, though.

You may not know that Christmas Eve is considered the big date and party night in Japan, and with Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday night this year, people may have decided to start "celebrating" early.

More to the point, December 23 is a national holiday.

You may not know that Christmas Eve is considered the big date and party night in Japan, and with Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday night this year, people may have decided to start "celebrating" early.More to the point, December 23 is a national holiday.
Three day Christmas weekend! For once Japan acts like a Western country! :cool:

Three day Christmas weekend! For once Japan acts like a Western country!

Not really (http://lmscomputers15.edu.glogster.com/christmas-in-japan/).

Ramada Osaka i



Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka not available so I booked Ramada even though it's more than our budget. We are staying at the Hilton (on points) Dec 24 (then on to kyoto--not going to KIX). It looks like we can walk to Hilton from Ramada, is that correct? How long a walk?

Still looking for something more in economical for Dec 23 if anyone has another idea.

Thanks very much for all your assistance.

Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka not available so I booked Ramada even though it's more than our budget. We are staying at the Hilton (on points) Dec 24 (then on to kyoto--not going to KIX). It looks like we can walk to Hilton from Ramada, is that correct? How long a walk?

Still looking for something more in economical for Dec 23 if anyone has another idea.

Thanks very much for all your assistance.

Hotels.com shows Shin Osaka Hotel Annex at $114 and Hotel the Lutheran at $94. (The latter sounds weird but it's a perfectly fine, budget hotel).

Three day Christmas weekend! For once Japan acts like a Western country! :cool:

Actually, Dec 23 is the emperor's birthday. It has nothing to do with Christmas. In fact, a lot of people work on Christmas Day. :)

Hotels.com shows Shin Osaka Hotel Annex at $114 and Hotel the Lutheran at $94..

thanks. Lutheran actually $140 for 2 people including all taxes. Shin Osaka has something called a semi-double? what the heck is that? one bed or two?

thanks. Lutheran actually $140 for 2 people including all taxes. Shin Osaka has something called a semi-double? what the heck is that? one bed or two?
When I search hotels.com for OSAKA 23/December, 1 night, 2 adults, I see: "Hotel the Lutheran $94 total, including taxes & fees"/. That seems a fair price for that place. $140 seems steep.

Semi-double is one bed. Somewhat narrower than a normal double bed - rather wider than a dorm-style single. OK if you're a svelte couple. If not, it could be a big mistake (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cocoa_lounge/383896295/).

When I search hotels.com for OSAKA 23/December, 1 night, 2 adults, I see: "Hotel the Lutheran $94 total, including taxes & fees"/. That seems a fair price for that place. $140 seems steep.
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With my mom. Can't do semi-double. Studio Twin room: when i click through to actually make booking $121.99 plus taxes =
Total
(including tax recovery charges and service fees) $140.90

Actually, Dec 23 is the emperor's birthday. It has nothing to do with Christmas. In fact, a lot of people work on Christmas Day. :)
I am aware of that. Fortunately, we are not compelled to actually march down to the Imperial Palace to wish His Majesty a happy birthday, so we are free to use the three-day weekend as I described. :p

It certainly beats the usual need to take a vacation day to celebrate Christmas with the family...though the price for that is getting shafted with most of the New Years holidays falling on the weekend. :mad:

I am aware of that. Fortunately, we are not compelled to actually march down to the Imperial Palace to wish His Majesty a happy birthday, so we are free to use the three-day weekend as I described. :p

It certainly beats the usual need to take a vacation day to celebrate Christmas with the family...though the price for that is getting shafted with most of the New Years holidays falling on the weekend. :mad:

It seems you're saying that for once a coincidence of dates allows you to act as if you were in a Western country. That's qualitatively different - in a way that I think is important - from the suggestion that Japan is acting like a Western country.

It seems you're saying that for once a coincidence of dates allows you to act as if you were in a Western country. That's qualitatively different - in a way that I think is important - from the suggestion that Japan is acting like a Western country.
It seems that you ignored the smiley face on my post.

It seems that you ignored the smiley face on my post.

I don't see a smiley face. You've used a "cool" face emoticon, a tongue-out emoticon and an angry emoticon. Somehow they failed to bring a smile to my face. I'll drop this now. It's getting boring.

I don't see a smiley face. You've used a "cool" face emoticon, a tongue-out emoticon and an angry emoticon. Somehow they failed to bring a smile to my face. I'll drop this now. It's getting boring.
Yes, your humorless, trivial attempt to assert your superior knowledge of Japanese holidays and culture has sucked all of the mirth from this topic.

Let me save you some trouble: March 20th is a holiday to celebrate the Vernal Equinox. It is not Japan celebrating Easter early. I hope that we've avoided some unnecessary confusion there.

Let me save you some trouble: March 20th is a holiday to celebrate the Vernal Equinox. It is not Japan celebrating Easter early.

Rather they are allowing three days to recover from Paddy's Day.

Rather they are allowing three days to recover from Paddy's Day.
Alas, March 20th is a Tuesday next year. So you've got to stumble through the Monday before.

Oh no, the Monday before is clearly a freebie, just like the Friday after Thanksgiving. At least that's what I'm going to tell the disciplinary committee.