Grand Prince Hotel Osaka Bay

There's a free bus service to help guests get where they need to go. The rooms, views, service, and breakfast are all great, and the hotel deserves its five-star rating. The food at the hotel is pricey, though the shop inside is good.

I usually prefer not to review a place at all rather than give it one or two stars, as I mentioned on my profile. But I think the hotel owner should take this seriously. I nearly gave one star, but a wonderful luxury dining experience here in October 2025 persuaded me otherwise. At the time I was staying at the hotel next door, and the food and service were what you'd expect from a luxury hotel. I liked this hotel's classy interior too, and promised myself I'd stay here one day. When I finally did, the service, or lack of it, stunned me. Front desk staff scolded customers in the lobby. At breakfast, a woman had taken my saved seat by mistake. When I pointed that out, the server abruptly shooed her away from the table like a naughty child. I felt embarrassed for her. I've worked in hospitality and trained hotel staff and clerks, and this is exactly the sort of thing I tell them never to do or say. It was appalling. Breakfast itself was just okay, nowhere near a five-star level. The hotel next door, where I stayed last time, had much better breakfast and service. My expectations were crushed. Management should seriously retrain the staff. This isn't about language, whether their English is poor or their Japanese is informal rather than keigo. I've stayed in hotels where nobody spoke English, but their sincere effort came through. The problem here was a lack of hospitality, warmth, smiles, and heartfelt kindness, the qualities Japan is known for. On my next stop, a three-star hotel gave five-star service. I'd take that any day over the reverse.

The breakfast matched what many international guests had said in their reviews. The hot kitchen did egg dishes very well, especially the excellent omelet and Eggs Benedict with its well-balanced, flavorful sauce. Don't miss the onsen eggs. There's also a pancake machine that children seem to love, and I appreciated that the hotel served fruit jam made in Osaka. I stayed alone in February and took a bus from the airport to the hotel. I took a photo of the bus schedule, so I can share it if you're planning to go back to the airport from the hotel. For getting into the city, the hotel had a small shuttle van to JR Osaka Station, and it also picked guests up there for the return trip. A hotel's stars can really show in the service guests receive. I arrived after a storm and heavy rain during the airport journey, and was worried the weather would spoil my sightseeing at the bay. Mr. Kubota Ryoko from the Front Office noticed something seemed off in my mood and demeanor. He came over and asked, “Ma’am, you don’t seem quite okay. Are you feeling alright?” After I checked in, he took time to talk with me and see if I was okay. His kindness lifted my spirits and eased my worries. I had arrived safely, and by then the sky had cleared. I'd never received this kind of attention at a hotel in Japan before. It made me happy that a staff member noticed my body language and tried to help when I entered the place he was responsible for looking after.

The hotel was the best place we stayed in Japan. The rooms were very spacious and looked luxurious. It's about 30 minutes from the city centre, but that wasn't a problem thanks to the free shuttle and a tram station nearby. I didn't think the buffet breakfast was worth its price, since 7 eleven has so much tasty food for much less.