3 Min From Namba! Cross Hotel Osaka Is Our Latest Pick for Osaka's Best Sightseeing Hotel

Osaka is such a popular travel destination that it's part of what is often called Japan's Golden Route (Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka)! It's a busy modern city with its own castle, a massively popular theme park, iconic city streets, and a reputation as "the kitchen of Japan" thanks to the wealth of famously delicious local food. It's the kind of sightseeing destination that often earns repeat visits, with travelers returning time and time again to sample the gourmet goodies and soak up the atmosphere.

In a big city with lots to see, where should you stay? Well, if you're looking for a practical Osaka hotel, Cross Hotel Osaka is conveniently located in the Namba/Shinsaibashi area, a 3-minute walk from Namba Station, basically a part of the Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street, and overlooking the famous sights of Dotonbori. It's even right across the street from the souvenir shopping go-to shop Don Quijote, so it's no exaggeration to say it's an ideal hotel for Osaka sightseeing.

Cross Hotel Osaka
2-5-15 Shinsaibashi-suji, Chuo-ku, Osaka
Check-in/Check-out: 15:00 / 11:00
Access: 3 min from Namba Station, 5 min from Shinsaibashi Station
Official Website (en)

Already positioned in the ultimate location to welcome Osaka sightseers, Cross Hotel Osaka has also recently been working to develop its offerings and improve the guest experience, shifting from a "city hotel" to a more comfortable "lifestyle hotel." Even the hotel color scheme is changing, utilizing a forest green color to symbolize their commitment to the world, from eco-friendly efforts to LGBTQ-friendly facilities.

Imagine seeing the Glico Man from your hotel window! Cross Hotel Osaka's most exciting guest rooms are the Dotonbori View Rooms, which look right out over Dotonbori and the famous Glico sign. There are Dotonbori View Rooms from the 6th to 13th floors, but the lower floors (6~7) actually offer the most impressive view, with the Glico Man right outside your window. These rooms also come equipped with a Dyson hair dryer and a hair straightener, so even if you're in Osaka on a mission to take amazing selfies, you can travel lightly. Of course, Cross Hotel Osaka also offers a variety of other guest rooms to suit the needs of different travelers, including double, twin, king, triple, and suite options.

▶︎ Cross Hotel Osaka Guest Room Details

Book a plan with lounge access to enjoy this comfortable space on the third floor! Cross Hotel Osaka's "meetlounge" has a large table with elegant chess and othello boards, along with comfortable seating by the window, perfect for a break from a busy day in Namba. The space also has wi-fi and plenty of power outlets, so you can use it to plan the day's itinerary, or even get some work done.

The lounge is well-stocked with snacks and hors d'oeuvres made with regional ingredients and local recipes, like quiche made with locally caught whitebait and Kansai akashiyaki (a version of takoyaki served in broth). To wash it all down, they also have ample drink options, including wine, beer, Japanese sake, and soft drinks. We recommend trying the Mikkuchu Juchu, a version of the local Kansai specialty "mix juice" made with a selection of different fruit juices! If you're interested in trying the sake, they have a few local brews, and sparkling sake with a fun little bit of fizz!

"meetlounge"
Hours: 15:00 - 22:00 (entry until 21:30)
Location: 3rd Floor

Cross Hotel Osaka also has a popular breakfast buffet, with breakfast basics and even a few local Osaka specialties. Starting with the salad bar, toppings include a hearty selection of proteins including beef, chicken, and salmon, to start the day feeling satisfied. Warm options, on the other hand, include a rotating selection of Osaka's famous griddle dishes, like ikayaki (a squid dish similar to okonomiyaki) and tonpeiyaki (made with pork belly and egg), so guests can enjoy something new every day. As one of their eco-friendly efforts, Cross Hotel Osaka exclusively uses ASC/MSC-approved sustainable seafood in their restaurant!

Osaka's Minami area (a southern chunk of the city) is known for its sightseeing areas, and at the heart of it all is Dotonbori. This busy street is famously lined with huge colorful signs constructed to resemble huge octopuses or human-sized gyoza, and down below the shops sell souvenirs and tons of mouth-watering street food, including Osaka's beloved takoyaki (octopus balls). Where Dotonbori Street crosses with the Shinsaibashi-suji shopping street that runs through Shinsaibashi, you'll also find the iconic Glico Man sign, where generations of sightseers have come to copy the man's winning pose. At night, the area becomes even more lively and brightly-lit, as a center of Osaka nightlife. And best of all, it's all less than a five-minute walk from Cross Hotel Osaka!

While the nearby Shinsaibashi-suji shopping street is worth strolling along, when it's time to get down to serious souvenir shopping, you'll want to visit Don Quijote. This chain of discount shops stocks all the snacks, cosmetics, anime merchandise, and other fun Japanese bits and bobs you could dream of, so it's hard not to fill up a shopping cart (or two) when you visit. Of course, when you end up with so many heavy shopping bags, the distance to your hotel becomes a matter of the utmost importance. Luckily, Cross Hotel is literally across the street from a multi-floored Don Quijote, so you can get all your stuff back to your room no problem.

Don Quijote Dotonbori Midosuji (ドン・キホーテ 道頓堀御堂筋店)
2-5-9 Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo Ward, Osaka
Hours: 10:00 - 4:00 (4 am the next morning)
Official Website (jp)
▶︎ 1 min on foot from Cross Hotel Osaka

For some seriously trendy shopping and cool cafes, look no further than the area west of Cross Hotel Osaka, especially the little areas called Amerika-Mura and Orange Street. These loosely connected neighborhoods are known for their fashion, with a mix of boutiques selling streetwear (Stussy, Supreme, BAPE, Carhartt), and a huge number of different vintage and thrift stores (Second Street, Override, and dozens more) selling used clothing to fit the wide variety of Japanese fashion trends. The overall area is great for vintage clothes shopping, but it's also filled with picturesque little alleys, and plenty of relaxed cafes, so it's a nice place to hang out without any aim in particular. If high fashion brands are more your style, you'll want to walk along Midosuji Road instead. Not only will you find the main entrance to Cross Hotel Osaka, but along the broad avenue you'll also find luxury brands and polished boutiques.

Amerika-Mura (アメリカ村)
2 Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo Ward, Osaka
▶︎ 6 min on foot from Cross Hotel Osaka

Orange Street (オレンジストリート 立花通り)
Minamihorie, Nishi Ward, Osaka
▶︎ 7 min on foot from Cross Hotel Osaka

Tucked away just a few steps from the wild noise and bright lights of Dotonbori, the peace and quiet of Hozenji Temple is a shock to the senses. This little oasis feels far from the crowds, and the temple courtyard is famous for its unique statue of Fudo Myoo (a Buddhist deity sometimes called Acala in English) covered fully in thick moss. Visitors line up to pray and make their wishes to this verdant deity, sloshing generous ladle-fulls of water as they go and keeping him well hydrated.

Next to this courtyard area, the alleys around Hozenji aren't nearly as busy as nearby Dotonbori, but they're actually home to quite a few small traditional restaurants and izakayas. If you want a slightly more traditional eating experience while exploring downtown Osaka, this might be a good area to look around.

Hozenji Temple (天龍山 法善寺)
1-2-16 Namba, Chuo Ward, Osaka

Hozenji Yokocho Alley (法善寺横丁)
1-1-6 Namba, Chuo Ward, Osaka

▶︎ 5 min on foot from Cross Hotel Osaka

Osaka is a city famous for food, and most sightseers gravitate towards the city's most famous exports: okomiyaki and takoyaki. We get it, okonomiyaki and takoyaki are unbelievably delicious - but they're not the only great food options Osaka has to offer! One fun Osaka spot to check out is Jiyuken, a restaurant that specializes in "yoshoku" (洋食), which is Japan's very unique take on Western dishes. Jiyuken has been in operation since 1910, under four generations of owners, and over the years they've developed their own take on Japanese curry. Jiyuken's curry rice comes served with a raw egg in the middle, which you mix in to achieve a unique rich texture. Walking into the shop, it feels a little like you've been transported back 30 or 40 years, so it's a great place to experience a taste of classic Osaka.

Jiyuken Namba (自由軒 難波本店)
3-1-34 Namba, Chuo Ward, Osaka
▶︎ 8 min on foot from Cross Hotel Osaka

Kushikatsu might not be the most famous dish to come out of Osaka, but that doesn't make it any less of a local specialty! The dish is a simple one, with various meats and vegetables deep-fried on skewers and subsequently dipped in sauce (no double dipping), and in Osaka it can be found at cheap street food spots and fancy restaurants alike. But if you want to try the best of the best when it comes to kushikatsu, you can't go wrong with Kushinobo. Their omakase kushikatsu comes with somewhere around 12 hot, crispy skewers, which arrive on the table one at a time, accompanied by a selection of five different sauces. Simple, but oh so delicious! We also wholeheartedly recommend the vegetables served with homemade miso, which make a truly mouth-watering combo. Kushikatsu might not be the first thing you think of when you imagine high-end Japanese cuisine, but this is one Osaka meal worth trying.

Kushinobo Osaka Hozenji (串の坊 大阪法善寺本店)
1-5-6 Namba, Chuo Ward, Osaka
Hours: 11:30 - 22:00
▶︎ 6 min on foot from Cross Hotel Osaka

Whether it's your first trip to Osaka or your 50th, if you want to see everything that makes Osaka great - from the busy streets with bright neon signs to the quiet back alleys - you'll need a convenient hotel to call home base. For impeccably located lodgings within easy walking distance of Osaka's sightseeing hotspots and transportation hubs, you can't go wrong with Cross Hotel Osaka!


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