Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka

I specifically chose this hotel for the ARASHI concert in Osaka. The location is truly excellent. Osaka OCAT is right below the hotel, offering buses to Osaka's two major airports, Tottori, Tokushima, Takamatsu, and more. It's about a 50-minute ride to Kansai Airport. The hotel's basement has JR, Osaka Metro, and Hanshin lines. It's a 10-minute walk to Namba Takashimaya Department Store and the surrounding shopping streets, and a 15-minute walk to Shinsaibashi Daimaru Department Store. There are many restaurants in the hotel's underground mall, and a supermarket on the first floor of the adjacent building where you can shop and get tax refunds. The hotel lobby and restaurant have a Western classical decor, and there's even a small chapel. I saw a wedding taking place there on the day I checked in. However, the room decor is a bit old and simple; the single room size isn't small for a Japanese hotel. The hotel lobby is on the 22nd floor, and guest rooms are from the 24th to 31st floors. Each floor entrance requires a room card to access the corridor, which is a good security feature. My room was on the 29th floor, with an average view – facing another guest room. On a side note, the sheer curtains in the room are very transparent. If you have the lights on at night with only the sheer curtains drawn, people in the opposite rooms can see inside, as I unintentionally experienced myself 😅. The hotel breakfast offers a rich variety and excellent quality, including Japanese and Western dishes, desserts, ice cream, and fruits, even watermelon and cherries. The breakfast restaurant on the 23rd floor has an excellent view; the last two photos are taken from there. My only dissatisfaction during this stay was the hotel's service. Most guests at the hotel were Caucasian, with some Koreans and people from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. It was noticeable how enthusiastic the hotel staff were towards Caucasian guests, and how indifferent they were towards Chinese guests. I wouldn't call it discrimination, but more of a perfunctory, by-the-book service. On the first day at breakfast, after scanning my room card, I was told my booking didn't include breakfast. I informed the staff that my reservation did include it; after a phone confirmation with the front desk, it was indeed included. To my surprise, the same issue occurred again on the second day. I'm unsure if the breakfast information wasn't entered into the system during check-in or what caused this recurring problem. Why wasn't the dining information updated after the first day's incident? Crucially, throughout both interactions, I didn't sense any apology from the hotel staff. However, the housekeeping staff were quite enthusiastic; they would actively greet me in the hallway and step aside to let me pass first.

This hotel is incredibly convenient, located just a two-minute walk from the Namba bus station hub. It's also very close to Dotonbori, about a ten-minute walk. The room was quite spacious for Japan, and the breakfast was excellent, served in a restaurant with nearly a 270-degree panoramic view.

An average hotel. It's very close to the subway station. The hotel's style is an imitation of classical English, but it felt a bit creepy.

Great location, close to Namba subway station. It's incredibly convenient to get to Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori, Sennichimae, Kuromon Market, and Kizu Market from this hotel. A truly excellent hotel.

This hotel is very close to Namba Station; you can reach it directly via the underground pass. It's a classic, traditional hotel with an interior design that evokes a sense of history and Western charm. The breakfast spread is excellent.