Hotel Nikko Osaka

When you arrive in a country as exciting as Japan and a city as manic as Osaka, the first thing you’re going to want to do is start exploring and likely continue exploring until you’re completely worn out. That’s why finding the right hotel becomes an important decision for this city, and with Hotel Nikko Osaka we think we’ve found it.

Disclaimer: Our time at Hotel Nikko Osaka was sponsored but all words and comments in this post are our own.

Location

Hotel Nikko Osaka’s central address along the Midosuji Avenue places it amidst many of the city’s most luxurious shops yet still within a stone’s throw away from the shopping and entertainment arcades of Dotonbori. It gets better as Hotel Nikko Osaka is directly connected to Osaka Metro Shinsaibashi Station via an underground walkway, providing great access to Osaka Castle, Universal Studios and other sight-seeing spots around the city.

Interior and rooms

We made our way round to the front entrance of the hotel and were greeted by the well-dressed smiling bellboy and just behind him a set of golden doors which looked like they came straight from New York.

Our check-in was nice and smooth and we were in our Double Room before long. The room decor was simple, modern and (most importantly) sparkling clean, even by Japan standards.

We also got the chance to stay in the Nikko Premium Junior Suite Room on our second night 

which was amazing. The Junior Suite is huge and comes with a stunning panoramic view of Osaka city. The living room has ample seating space for a full family and it was great to have nice desk space to get some work done – often difficult when travelling on the road.

Beds in both the rooms were great, a level of quality and comfort we’ve now come to expect from all the Nikko Hotels.

Restaurants

Osaka is known as the food capital of Japan so perhaps it comes as no surprise that Hotel Nikko Osaka stands up to the title with a selection of 9 fantastic restaurants. Over the two days we stayed at the hotel, we managed to eat (and drink) at 8 of the restaurants, only missing the French restaurant Les Celebrites because our stomachs were far too full. Here’s a quick rundown of what we ate and our thoughts on each of the restaurants we dined at:

• Serena – A buffet-style breakfast which offers both Western and Japanese choices. There was a huge selection of pastries which went down well with a nice cup of coffee.

• Japanese Benkay – Also offers a buffet-style breakfast but caters much more to traditional Japanese cuisine. We also really enjoyed the Japanese-style omelette made to order by the head chef. The chef was so kind and carefully took us around the food, explaining many of the dishes – we could tell he has a deep passion and knowledge of Japanese cuisine. 

We came back later in the day for the Kimono de lunch plan which partners with Wasabi Kimono rental shop for a Kimono lunch experience. The rental store is a few minutes walk and you can stop by Namba Shrine along the way. Once dressed up, we came back to a traditional Japanese 3-layered bento box. Inside there was a beautiful array of colourful, and very delicious, Japanese dishes.

• Chinese Toh-Lee – Beautifully presented Chinese dishes. We recommend trying the shredded phyllo pastry wrapped prawns in salad sauce. Literally getting hungry just thinking back to this dish.

• Teppanyaki Icho – Wonderfully tender steak cooked teppanyaki style. The accompanying dishes balanced out the richness of the beef. Chef also carefully explained where each of the ingredients was sourced from.

• Lobby Lounge – Located on the second floor is a sweet lovers paradise. Here you can have unlimited cakes for a reasonable price. Cakes were eye-catching with a collection of sweet and savoury flair.

• Tea Lounge Fountain – A super popular cafe on the first floor. We recommend calling to make a reservation beforehand as it gets busy around lunch and tea time. The cafe’s setting is lovely with floor to ceiling glass windows which look out onto Midosuji Avenue. We had the strawberry cake set which consisted of an assortment of strawberry flavoured desserts beautifully presented on a high tea tray.

• Bar Lounge Sky Cruiser – Located on the 31/F of the hotel. The vintage-styled bar offers guests an amazing view of the city. We came up for sunset, sipped on some cocktails as we watched the city lights turn on one by one. 

Final thoughts

Hotel Nikko Osaka offers luxury, convenience and delicious food all wrapped up in a bundle of fantastic service. We’re fairly experienced when it comes to Osaka hotels (seeing as we’ve spent a few months living at various hotels here), and we rank Hotel Nikko Osaka among the best. It has now become our top recommendation to anyone looking for a luxury hotel in Osaka.