Hotel: ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka
When: June 2025
Status: Platinum Ambassador
Rate: 36,666pts/night (reward night)
Booked: 1 Queen Standard
Received: 1 Queen Premium Lounge Access High Floor (initially upgraded to 1 Super King Standard about two weeks before arrival and upgraded again a couple of days before, room types are a bit odd here but probably a 3-4 category upgrade depending how you look at it)
This hotel holds sentimental value for me as the first hotel I ever stayed at in Japan when visiting with my parents during high school, so naturally I'm very sad that it is set to be demolished later this year! Perhaps this review is more for the archives than anything else.
A points booking is particularly good value here due to the wide variety of room types starting with a tiny single bed room. With points bookings you can get up to a queen room (which typically costs a fair bit more than a single) for the same points rate as the single!
We arrived at around 12:30pm after a short train ride from Kyoto and they were kind enough to provide access to our room immediately, not sure if status had anything to do with this as there were plenty of other guests (and for some, just their bags) waiting in the lobby. The receptionist provided a letter outlining the Club beneefits and issued a welcome drink voucher, she even said if we didn't use the voucher to bring it back and she'd swap it for points.
The rooms are on the older side but still in great condition, the bed was comfy and we had a nice view looking towards Osaka Station. Bathroom was good and had the brand-standard Antipodes toiletries. Complimentary bottled water was provided and replenished daily. The only English-language TV channel was CNN and I thought it was a nice touch that they provided details on how to access it on the welcome letter.
We had Club Access by way of our annual lounge pass and it is apparently one of the largest in western Japan. Located on the 24th floor with views to the south. It is open all day with breakfast from 7-10.30am, afternoon tea from 3-5pm and evening coughtails from 6-8pm, with non-alcoholic drinks and nibbles available outside of these times. All the meal services are self-serve except for a small list of à la carte items at breakfast. While certainly less flashy than the club at the ANA IC in Tokyo, it made up for it by feeling more homely and having a much better Japanese offering. I would say breakfast was the best of the three meal presentations, loved their French Toast! I'd also note that the afternoon tea only had sweets/cakes, no savoury items.
The hotel has a nice gym and pool area which I went to have a quick look at but didn't otherwise use. I also visited the hotel's Library Bar to use my drink voucher and was able to put it towards a house whiskey which was nice.
Location is pretty convenient and there are like half a dozen train stations within walking distance. The bus stops for the airport limousine bus to KIX and ITM are also close by.
Staff were great all-round - it seems most guests are either Japanese or package tour / airline crew (including Jetstar who stay before heading back to BNE/CNS/SYD!) but they certainly put in the effort to make English-speaking visitors feel welcome. Special mention to Nabin who was working in the club lounge, great guy and he is even mentioned on their website, deservingly so!
I have no doubt that the hotel will keep up the high service standards all the way to the end and I hope the staff are assisted in finding somewhere else to work. I was happy to be able to visit one last time and if you get a chance to visit between now and their closure in October, I'd recommend it!
