Recommendation:   By Mrs.Hayley Casarotto  Australia This hotel is superbly located in namba, right between the namba subway and the nankai namba station, which is the terminus for the rapi:t airport express line. it is very easy to find using the map from the hotel's website.
the hotel itself ... is situated in one of osaka's undercover shopping malls, meaning that there are dozens of excellent food locations within walking distance. there are also numerous shops, karaoke booths, arcades and pachinko parlors - however, our room was very quiet in spite of the racket at street level.
the rooms were clean and comfortable. check-in was very quick and easy, and the staff were very polite and helpful. free internet access is available using the supplied cable in the rooms, though there is no wifi for handheld devices.
the elevators from the ground floor to the lobby (3rd floor) smell strongly of cigarette smoke due to the pachinko parlor located in the basement, but the hotel itself does not have any cigarette smell that i noticed.
i would definitely stay here again should i return to osaka.
Recommendation:  By Mr.Sze Chieh Loh  Singapore Good location for shopping and food. Big room. Nice breakfast at restuarant.
long walking distance from jr and bus terminal may make it difficult for people with large heavy luggage to reach. However, underground walkway is covered and no ... stairs obstacle.
not easily accessible by car/shuttle bus.
Recommendation: By Mr.stuart melville  New Zealand Facilities are fine
room was not large but had all we needed
service was helpful and friendly
dont miss breakfast if included
not huge variety of western breakfast options
location great for underground but 15 min walk to jr ... rail station
get proper map of hotel location before arrive or take a taxi
good shopping in area
namba walk shopping good
Recommendation:  By Ms.Karen Irving Australia I stayed at the namba oriental hotel for a week in august 2007 and had a wonderful time. It was 25 degrees celcius and stinking hot and humid outside, with crazy pachinko parlours and crowds of holiday-makers out in the mall, but inside the hotel was ... a calm, quiet, cool oasis.
i paid about $us92/night for a single room with a large, queen size bed, free internet and the complimentary breakfast/or lunch package. Breakfast was a very satisfactory assortment of simple japanese and western food in a modest restaurant with both western and asian seating, and on the days i chose to use my voucher for lunch instead of dinner, i was served a lovely shabu shabu meal. My room featured a sofa and a desk, making it a very comfortable home away from home.
i speak a little japanese, but contrary to the other reviewers i found that the standard of english at the front desk was usually quite satisfactory, and the service very friendly and helpful.
it is right in the middle of namba, in osaka's minami district, a convenient location featuring a combini right downstairs, the direct link to kansai airport via the nankai line which terminates at namba station about 5 mins walk away, and 2 mins walk in the other direction is the infamous b21 entrance to namba walk and the subway (chikatetsu) station which (after a bit of a trek down the namba walk shopping arcade) brings you to the entrance of the midosuji subway line. So at namba oriental you are perfecty placed for both your journey from/to the airport, and to the rest of osaka, himeji, kyoto and beyond.
as everyone else has said, as namba station is a huge, sprawling and confusing underground city, and as most of minami features endless mazes of covered walking malls, it can be very confusing to find your way around. Especially with all the pachinko parlours and food stalls which give the area its charm and energy.
if arriving from kix airport and taking the nankai express to namba nankai station, i recommend you make your way out into the street and look for sen nichi mae walking mall. It's right in front of you, but if you can't read the kanji, just ask somebody.
walk 200 metres up through the mall, and you should need to take a left turn and it's there on your right in between wendy's and lawson's convenience store (combini). But when you get a little closer -- just ask somebody.
if coming from northern osaka, you will probably arrive down in namba subway, which, once you exit the trains area, goes off in a number of directions underground to malls and department stores -- titled a, b, c and d. B is long and c intersects it in the middle. It is really confusing. But you are looking for the "namba walk". Ask around. There are maps on the walls, but they can be difficult to navigate. You are looking for exit b21. Once you find yourself heading along the b direction, and the exit numbers are going up (b12, b13 etc. ) you know you're on the right track. Take the lifts on your right when you find exit b21, up to the street, you will be deposited right in front of sen nichi mae covered mall, which looms off to your right. Walk inside, the namba oriental is just past the first intersection on your left.
easy. I highly, highly recommend this hotel. I just had a great time and it was so convenient and friendly. You just have to find it. Remember: "namba orientaru hoteru wa, doko ni arimasu ka"?
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