Cross Hotel Osaka — Hotel in Osaka

If I could give this hotel a zero for rooms and service I would. I'm not sure why this hotel is rated a 4-star. It is closer to a 3-star/2-star hotel.

The Pros: Like everyone stated, it is in a great location. Right next to the shopping distract and food. So, no need to hop on a taxi or worry about getting lost. Which is good because the wifi in the area is terrible. Even if you have a local e-sim card. That can make using Google maps a bit of a challenge.

The Cons: Reception was not welcoming. As soon as we entered the hotel we were met with passive hostility. We came in at 12:30pm and were told we could not check in until 3pm. Which, understandable because that is the official check in time. Except... we sat and watched family after family check in before 3p. I finally had enough and was allowed to check my family in at 2:30p. Why?

Semi-pro: There are free lock racks in the lobby to place your bags. Think old school bike lock not actual lockers. You lock your bags up like you would your bike. So, if you are worried I would suggest bringing a luggage lock. The area isn't very secure, so you are banking on others being kind enough to not steal.

Con: The lobby is extremely busy seemingly with customers not staying at the hotel. And in my opinion a bit chaotic. Which was surprising given our stay at other hotels in Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto.

Con: The hotel has two very small, very slow, older elevators that services the whole hotel so be prepared for a long wait and some who won't be pleased with allowing you room in the elevator (happened to me when I was alone and bagless).

Con: OUR ROOM -- we were placed RIGHT NEXT TO THE ELEVATOR. We could hear both elevators go by every few seconds. It was beyond loud. It sounded like we were living in NYC next to the busy trains/subway. The hotel KNOWS this is a huge issue because they placed a portable speaker in our room to play music in order to drown out the noise.

Con: On top of this the rooms aren't just small. They are tiny. Think Harry Potter under a staircase tiny. They are also very dim. Small lights that barely lit the room and hallway. The small window barely allows enough light in to illuminate a portion of the room. I would have just sucked this up and said "lesson learned" except again... they put us next to the very loud and constantly used elevator.

Major Con: After a while/unable to rest even with music on I decided to go downstairs and ask to change rooms. It's around 4p at this time. I'm met with a lot of empty apologies and told they cannot change us rooms because the hotel was fully booked. But, they "might, maybe be able to change us rooms for the next night IF we come back at 3pm the next day and ask them." First, I checked online, there were more rooms available at the hotel. Second, really? It's 4pm. This is not an extremely busy travel time as it is after Cherry Blossom season and a few weeks before Golden Week (yes, I do my research) so I know I'm being told a flat out lie. Because there is a language barrier, I decided not to argue the point. Said thank you. Bowed politely and left to pack my family up and check out of the hotel. No need to add extra stress to our holiday. That is not why we travel.

I can't help but question why we were even placed in that room: I reserved the room 4 months in advance and PREPAID. Plus, we arrived early. There was no reason for us to be placed in that room. ( feel free to use your imagination and fill in the blanks for the why...)

Pro: the room was clean.

I found a different hotel and checked us out early. Best decision since we are staying in Osaka for longer than one night. No, they did not offer us a refund for the other nights I prepaid for. Wouldn't even give me a receipt for our stay when I asked. I was told no, but I could get a receipt for the tourist tax fee I paid.

I am saddened that I wasted my and my families time at this hotel and that we had this experience in Osaka. There are much better hotels in the area. Not as centrally located but are definitely worth you time,...

My Favorite Hotel in Osaka, Japan!

Location: You can't beat the location! Right in the heart of Dotonbori, our window offered a view of the Glico Man (see picture). Just across the street is a huge Don Quijote store, which is less crowded than the one with the Ferris wheel—definitely a plus in my book. For a crowd-free photo of the famous bridge, head there around 7-8 AM when it's virtually empty! (Just a 2-minute walk from the hotel).

Room: The room isn't large, but it has everything you need with a smart layout. We got four bottles of mineral water for two people every day. I loved the bathroom door seal—no leaks—and the water pressure was excellent, even on higher floors. Bathroom and WC are separated.

AC Unit: You can set the temperature as low as 18°C, which is a lifesaver during the summer.

Breakfast: This was one of the best breakfast buffets I've ever experienced! They offer a wide variety of dishes (both Western and Eastern) if you wonder how big the menu is it’s from one end of the room to another, all perfectly cooked. The menu changes daily, and there are plenty of dessert options made with top-quality ingredients. It made me excited to wake up early just for breakfast 😂.

Lounge: You have to visit the lounge! They have everything: food, games, drinks, etc. We got to try all the sake available, which was great for beginners like us to figure out what we like. They also have domestic red and white wines. The lounge is open from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM. It's perfect for spending a cozy rainy day indoors 😊.

Staff: The staff is incredibly friendly, always greeting you with smiles. Their communication skills are excellent, and they all speak English well. They were very helpful whenever we needed anything. My favorite people were front desk receptionist and lounge receptionist! ❤️

This hotel could easily be a 5-star establishment if not for a few spatial limitations (like the absence of a swimming pool). But totally got all the...

We had previously stayed at Cross Hotel Kyoto so when we saw Cross Hotel Osaka right in the middle of Dontonburi we did not hesitate to make our reservation.

This hotel is wonderfully located in Dontonburi, about 5~ minute walk from Namba station (exit14). Situated at a very convenient location to everywhere. McD's is practically behind the hotel in Dontonburi, and def check out Osaka Panga, an Halal waygu yakiniku place about a 5minute walk behind the hotel. There are also plenty of other food options, and lots of shopping!

We sent our luggage from Tokyo the day before and when we arrived at the hotel our luggage was waiting for us. Check in was quick and easy. The rooms were clean and spacious. There was also a microwave in the common area on our floor (I assume it's on every floor as well). I found having a microwave in the common area a nice touch, since some nights you just want to pick up foods from 7-11 or reheat foods from earlier in the day.

We purchased breakfast along w/ our reservation and it was great! They had a large selection at breakfast - bacon, sausages, the best scrambled eggs I've ever seen at a hotel breakfast, some salad bits, beef tendon stew(every morning), rice, miso soup / daikon beef soup, variety of fruits, pancakes etc. They also had hot and cold coffee, milk, variety of juices. It was really nice to be able to just roll downstairs early morning to grab breakfast. The beef tendon stew was my favorite, along w/ some rice and soup! They rotate the choices of katsu every other day (one day is pork, the next is shrimp, then back to pork etc.). Same with their soup, one is Miso, the second is daikon beef soup, and third day back to miso soup. I highly recommend adding breakfast to your reservation. It beats McDs everyday or trying to find something that'd be open at 7am.

I love the Cross Hotel brand, we've had fantastic service both in...