Fraser Residence Nankai Osaka Hotel

When I came back at 1:45 PM, the room still wasn't ready. The hotel had taken our luggage and knew we'd been waiting since morning, but I didn't feel anyone made an effort to help or move things along. That was the part that made the day so frustrating. I'd contacted Fraser Residence Nankai Osaka before our trip because I was arriving early with two kids, and asked whether early check-in might be possible. They said it depended on availability, which I understood. At the desk, I was told housekeeping was working on the room, but getting them to “push further” for an 11 AM check-in would mean paying an extra half day's rent. I was willing to pay if needed. It was how the offer was put to us that felt insensitive and unprofessional, especially after we'd explained our situation in advance. Since the room was already booked for us, I couldn't understand why asking for help had to feel uncomfortable. If we'd waited for the usual 3 PM check-in, the room wouldn't have gone to someone else. This wasn't really about the money, but about courtesy and how a family with children was treated. The front desk experience fell far short of what I expect from a hotel. A hotel's reputation depends on service and consideration as well as its rooms and location, and I think management needs to address this seriously. Pratap Tamang, Shankar Bhattrai, Taichi Narikawa and Aashik Lama did not do anything useful to help us. The front office needs attention, and serious action is needed.

Shankar at reception made a huge difference to our visit. Each day he patiently talked us through the subway routes in excellent English, gave us maps and step-by-step directions, and explained the costs so we knew what to expect on our outings. He turned the stay into a five-star experience. We'd come back in a heartbeat. Our studio had everything we needed for three nights, and the included breakfast was very good. The hotel is across from Namba Station, which made getting in from the airport and sightseeing around Osaka easy.

We looked forward to breakfast each morning. The buffet changed daily and everything we tried was delicious. There was a small misunderstanding about the hotel collecting payment, but management sorted it out quickly after I emailed them. Our Two Bedroom Deluxe suite was wonderfully roomy, with wraparound windows and a king bed in the main bedroom, something that's hard to find in Japan. Two bathrooms and an in-suite washer-dryer made things convenient, and housekeeping came daily to tidy, take the rubbish and replace towels. The hotel is modern and attractive, right by Namba train station and across from Namba City shopping mall. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend it to friends.

It was our first time in Japan, and the staff made check-in and getting our luggage transferred really easy. The kitchen staff were so kind and happy to chat. One lady thought we might be from Hawaii, though I unfortunately can't remember her name. It was also lovely meeting the manager, who was from there too. Sorry I'm so bad with names, and thank you both for being so welcoming. We stayed April 9-12 and plan to visit again in January. We'll book here again.