Swissôtel Nankai, Osaka
Jul 18, 2009, 9:45 am
#1
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,448
Swissôtel Nankai, Osaka
Since Fairmont is part of a larger family of brands which includes Raffles & Swissotel, I thought I'd ask whether any FTers have stayed at Swissotel Nankai Osaka and what the impressions were. I've got 6 nights there in Nov. and hotel seems very central and close to a transportation hub, two big considerations for me as I'll probably use Osaka as a base and see other sights nearby like Kobe & Kyoto.
Anyway, appreciate any feedback anyone may have on the hotel.
Anyway, appreciate any feedback anyone may have on the hotel.
Aug 9, 2009, 6:29 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SF BayArea
Programs: Nothing worth mentioning
Posts: 2,223
Since Fairmont is part of a larger family of brands which includes Raffles & Swissotel, I thought I'd ask whether any FTers have stayed at Swissotel Nankai Osaka and what the impressions were. I've got 6 nights there in Nov. and hotel seems very central and close to a transportation hub, two big considerations for me as I'll probably use Osaka as a base and see other sights nearby like Kobe & Kyoto.
Anyway, appreciate any feedback anyone may have on the hotel.
Anyway, appreciate any feedback anyone may have on the hotel.
Mar 10, 2010, 7:45 am
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,448
Swissotel Nankai Osaka hotel review
I'd managed to obtain an incredible rate at this hotel for a 6 night stay for my first Japan trip in late Novemver 2009 and very much enjoyed the trip and the location and comfort of this hotel played a large part. However I think it's time for a soft refurbishment as the rooms are showing some wear.
This hotel is built atop the Nankai Namba Station, one of the private railways in Japan, so the ease of transportation from this station of the nearby subway or JR rail station is excellent. The airport train stops at Nankai Namba and if you make the correct number of turns from track to check in as I somehow did the hotel seems even more comvenient. As I learned later, however, if you leave through another exit it does take some searching to find, though there are three marked entrances I counted on different levels of the sprawling rail complex.
I was assigned room 2022, a king bed room the hotel calls "Classic King Plus" which are all on floors 14-23 and so offer a good city skyline view which is especially memorable at night. Sitting in one of the two chairs at the small coffee table and admiring the view was a favorite habit when I was in the room which actually wasn't a great deal of the time but usually was in the evening after a full day of sightseeing. I noticed the king bed was actually two doubles that had been pushed together to make a king. The beds themselves are fairly hard, harder than my liking though it in no way impacted my sleep as it was sound from catching up from the jetlag and later in the stay all the exercise from sightseeing.
The furniture was in fairly good condition and in working order, though slightly on the dated side and seemed from the late 1980's or early 1990's. The carpet seemed well worn but the age of the furnishing was most noticed on the bed head board which showed a discolouring on the fabric that wasn't too appealing as the picture I took shows. The automated toilet is in the bathroom with a smaller tub/shower while the sink and vanity is outside all all very quite user friendly if not quite up to the luxury standards of similiar hotels. The water pressure was very good and getting hot water never a problem so filling up the little tub and having a nice hot soak took very little time.
The mini-bar, safe and flat screen TV rounded out what was a comfortable room that made for a pleasant stay but I doubt I could hold that opinion if I'd been paying the USD$250-$350 normal nightly room rate as you expect more luxury fittings when paying luxury hotel prices. Just my opinion but the hotel trades a lot on its location and should refresh the rooms soon.
The public areas were all appealing and well laid out, though I didn't eat at the hotel largely due to the price premium versus equivalent off-site dining options which are a short walk away. I also opted against a dip in the hotel's pool as the room rate I'd booked didn't include access and paying roughly USD$20 for a couple hours in the pool seemed a little much. The PC's directly off the lobby are billed at JPY294 for 10 minutes or any portion thereof and there is a separate business centre where you can use PC's and printers. All the staff I encountered were very friendly and helpful and spoke very good English.
One note about the name Namba which is that it's used to describe the area around the hotel as well as the subway, Nankai and JR Rail stations which are all interconnected underground. Getting off the subway after exploring the city means a decent walk through a maze of shopping and fast Japanese food outlets and having a good memory for directions and layouts is a real plus in navigating the transportation network. More than once I was heading in the wrong direction before realising my error but all of the people I stopped and asked were very helpful if pointing me the right way.
The excellent transportation system means staying in Osaka and taking day trips to nearby Kobe, Kyoto and Nara are easily done with a rail pass. I included a day trip to Himeji to see it's noted feudal castle which is undergoing renovations in early 2010 and will see it's main tower enclosed in a wooden scaffold so I was glad to experience the castle before this lengthy resoration started. Osaka Castle is a more recently rebuilt landmark and worth seeing as are a few local temples that often get overlooked with all of the UNESCO World Heritage landmarks in Nara and Kyoto.
To close I can confidently recommend the Swissotel Nankai Osaka as a solid hotel option at the right price. A little work could turn the hotel into a real gem and I hope they undertake that updating one day soon as the location of this hotel forgives many slight deficiencies in the room standards.
This hotel is built atop the Nankai Namba Station, one of the private railways in Japan, so the ease of transportation from this station of the nearby subway or JR rail station is excellent. The airport train stops at Nankai Namba and if you make the correct number of turns from track to check in as I somehow did the hotel seems even more comvenient. As I learned later, however, if you leave through another exit it does take some searching to find, though there are three marked entrances I counted on different levels of the sprawling rail complex.
I was assigned room 2022, a king bed room the hotel calls "Classic King Plus" which are all on floors 14-23 and so offer a good city skyline view which is especially memorable at night. Sitting in one of the two chairs at the small coffee table and admiring the view was a favorite habit when I was in the room which actually wasn't a great deal of the time but usually was in the evening after a full day of sightseeing. I noticed the king bed was actually two doubles that had been pushed together to make a king. The beds themselves are fairly hard, harder than my liking though it in no way impacted my sleep as it was sound from catching up from the jetlag and later in the stay all the exercise from sightseeing.
The furniture was in fairly good condition and in working order, though slightly on the dated side and seemed from the late 1980's or early 1990's. The carpet seemed well worn but the age of the furnishing was most noticed on the bed head board which showed a discolouring on the fabric that wasn't too appealing as the picture I took shows. The automated toilet is in the bathroom with a smaller tub/shower while the sink and vanity is outside all all very quite user friendly if not quite up to the luxury standards of similiar hotels. The water pressure was very good and getting hot water never a problem so filling up the little tub and having a nice hot soak took very little time.
The mini-bar, safe and flat screen TV rounded out what was a comfortable room that made for a pleasant stay but I doubt I could hold that opinion if I'd been paying the USD$250-$350 normal nightly room rate as you expect more luxury fittings when paying luxury hotel prices. Just my opinion but the hotel trades a lot on its location and should refresh the rooms soon.
The public areas were all appealing and well laid out, though I didn't eat at the hotel largely due to the price premium versus equivalent off-site dining options which are a short walk away. I also opted against a dip in the hotel's pool as the room rate I'd booked didn't include access and paying roughly USD$20 for a couple hours in the pool seemed a little much. The PC's directly off the lobby are billed at JPY294 for 10 minutes or any portion thereof and there is a separate business centre where you can use PC's and printers. All the staff I encountered were very friendly and helpful and spoke very good English.
One note about the name Namba which is that it's used to describe the area around the hotel as well as the subway, Nankai and JR Rail stations which are all interconnected underground. Getting off the subway after exploring the city means a decent walk through a maze of shopping and fast Japanese food outlets and having a good memory for directions and layouts is a real plus in navigating the transportation network. More than once I was heading in the wrong direction before realising my error but all of the people I stopped and asked were very helpful if pointing me the right way.
The excellent transportation system means staying in Osaka and taking day trips to nearby Kobe, Kyoto and Nara are easily done with a rail pass. I included a day trip to Himeji to see it's noted feudal castle which is undergoing renovations in early 2010 and will see it's main tower enclosed in a wooden scaffold so I was glad to experience the castle before this lengthy resoration started. Osaka Castle is a more recently rebuilt landmark and worth seeing as are a few local temples that often get overlooked with all of the UNESCO World Heritage landmarks in Nara and Kyoto.
To close I can confidently recommend the Swissotel Nankai Osaka as a solid hotel option at the right price. A little work could turn the hotel into a real gem and I hope they undertake that updating one day soon as the location of this hotel forgives many slight deficiencies in the room standards.
Mar 18, 2019, 9:42 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Europe
Programs: Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, Accor, Hyatt, (Former IHG Ambassador)
Posts: 1,394
I have not stayed at this hotel yet, but I was considering it as I will be in Osaka soon. I emailed the hotel asking if it's possible to open the windows in the room for fresh air. They replied and told me that no, you can NOT open them.
Just wanted to post this info here, in case anyone finds it useful.
Just wanted to post this info here, in case anyone finds it useful.
Mar 29, 2019, 6:50 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 407
Spread is meh. Breakfast is meh .Quality is like a mercure. Just like your typical busy Swissotel. Great views though.
Last edited by cowism; Mar 29, 2019 at 6:58 pm
Apr 29, 2019, 9:57 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Europe
Programs: Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, Accor, Hyatt, (Former IHG Ambassador)
Posts: 1,394
Was passing through Osaka recently and wanted to try out the Swissotel as a platinum member. Rates for the most basic rooms were over 45,000JPY for a single night in the week I was there. Ouch. I didn't go inside, but from what I saw online, those prices were were in no way justified for what's on offer. This doesn't look like a 5 star hotel.
Stayed at the Marriott Miyako Osaka and Hilton Osaka instead for almost half that price.
Stayed at the Marriott Miyako Osaka and Hilton Osaka instead for almost half that price.
Last edited by est-gratuite; Apr 29, 2019 at 11:10 am
May 7, 2019, 9:19 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Singapore
Programs: Accor Plus Platinum, SQ PPS Solitaire. TK Elite Plus
Posts: 11
Managed to score below 20,000JPY a night for end of 2018 during a Swissotel sale. Am a platinum member. Booked 4 rooms for 4 nights. Only one room was upgraded. Complimentary breakfast and lounge access was provided to Plat member and one guest. Complimentary drinks was offered to all rooms. The staff there was still kind of unfamiliar with he Accor perks. Guess they should have improved by now.
Lounge spread.....I'm not impressed.
Breakfast spread at the restaurant was impressive and an awesome view of Osaka!
Location of hotel is definitely the plus point of this property. Right above the train station, shopping mall and eateries are everywhere. A short 10 minutes walk to Dotonburi.
Very polite and attentive staff. The AFOM was formerly the FOM from Pullman G Bangkok. Nice chap!
Definitely my choice hotel if I'm in Osaka.
Lounge spread.....I'm not impressed.
Breakfast spread at the restaurant was impressive and an awesome view of Osaka!
Location of hotel is definitely the plus point of this property. Right above the train station, shopping mall and eateries are everywhere. A short 10 minutes walk to Dotonburi.
Very polite and attentive staff. The AFOM was formerly the FOM from Pullman G Bangkok. Nice chap!
Definitely my choice hotel if I'm in Osaka.
May 7, 2019, 10:32 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: Accor, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Virgin Velocity
Posts: 570
Managed to score below 20,000JPY a night for end of 2018 during a Swissotel sale. Am a platinum member. Booked 4 rooms for 4 nights. Only one room was upgraded. Complimentary breakfast and lounge access was provided to Plat member and one guest. Complimentary drinks was offered to all rooms. The staff there was still kind of unfamiliar with he Accor perks. Guess they should have improved by now.
Lounge spread.....I'm not impressed.
Breakfast spread at the restaurant was impressive and an awesome view of Osaka!
Location of hotel is definitely the plus point of this property. Right above the train station, shopping mall and eateries are everywhere. A short 10 minutes walk to Dotonburi.
Very polite and attentive staff. The AFOM was formerly the FOM from Pullman G Bangkok. Nice chap!
Definitely my choice hotel if I'm in Osaka.
Lounge spread.....I'm not impressed.
Breakfast spread at the restaurant was impressive and an awesome view of Osaka!
Location of hotel is definitely the plus point of this property. Right above the train station, shopping mall and eateries are everywhere. A short 10 minutes walk to Dotonburi.
Very polite and attentive staff. The AFOM was formerly the FOM from Pullman G Bangkok. Nice chap!
Definitely my choice hotel if I'm in Osaka.
The welcome drink policy is also supposed to only be for the member and registered guests staying in the member's room, so you were fortunate there!
https://www.accorhotels.com/leclub/c...tatus=Platinum
It can be frustrating when properties are unaware of the benefits they should be extending, but I believe that the hotel got it pretty right in your case, though I'm not certain about what correct room upgrade policy is. It would be nice if the program extended benefits to other rooms the member has booked, though. Do other programs operate similarly to Accor in this case, or are they less/more generous with extending benefits to other rooms on the same reservation?
Thanks for your thoughts on the hotel, I will definitely consider it when I eventually have the opportunity to travel to Japan!
Last edited by Maelstrom; May 7, 2019 at 10:43 pm
Dec 13, 2022, 10:47 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 75
Had a recent weekend stay at this property. Booked Executive Twin and got Executive Twin (Gold status). The location is convenient. Club lounge not crowded at all but no afternoon tea provided. Generally the stay was comfortable but price was steep.
The Executive Twin room at 32nd floor
Welcome plate
The view
The Club Lounge
The Executive Twin room at 32nd floor
Welcome plate
The view
The Club Lounge
