Hotel Review: Hilton Osaka (King Executive Room) - Great Value and Location with an Edge over the Conrad Osaka

Japan has seen a massive influx of international visitors since its reopening on 11 October 2022 and flight prices from Singapore to Japan have soared rather significantly in Q4 of 2022. I was fortunate enough to redeem some of my expiring Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles for a flight on Japan Airlines in Business Class. Flying from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Kansai International Airport (KIX) gained me entry to the marvelous Qatar Airways Singapore Premium Lounge which is quite possibly the best lounge in Singapore Changi Airport at the moment. It is incredibly easy and affordable to get from Kansai International Airport to Hilton Osaka since you can hop on the Kansai Airport Limousine Bus which should take you directly to the hotel. Do note that at the time of writing, the Kansai Airport Limousine Bus only stops at Herbis Osaka instead of Hilton Osaka (due to reduced operations) but this only requires an easy 5-10 minute walk. When things return to normal, the limousine bus will take you directly to the entrance of the Hilton Osaka for ¥1,600 (one-way) and the journey should take approximately 80 minutes.

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Bedroom
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

I attempted to check-in to the Hilton Osaka at around 10:30 AM but was informed that the official check-in time is 3:00 PM and I may return later for my room. No details were provided to this front desk agent as he seemed uninterested to entertain any early arrivals to the property (regardless of elite status level or actual room availability). While I do understand that the official stance of the property remains to be at 3:00 PM, it is not uncommon for hotels to grant an early check-in (especially when rooms are available) to their top-tier elite members. I have been a Hilton Honors Diamond member for many years and this is quite possibly the first time that I have been turned down by a front desk staff without even retrieving my reservation from the system. I was also not offered any access to the Executive Lounge when I attempted to check-in which was disappointing since I would have really appreciated an espresso-based coffee. In any case, I did not pursue the matter since it was the start of my vacation, and I had initially wanted to drop-off my bags before heading out to Kuromon Ichiba Market for an early lunch anyway.

Bedroom with Workstation
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

When I returned to the Hilton Osaka after lunch at approximately 2:00 PM, I was informed that my room was ready for check-in and I had been upgraded to an Executive Room for being a Hilton Honors Diamond Member. Suite upgrades are extremely rare in Hilton Honors, and I have gotten way more suite upgrades as a Globalist member in a year than as a Diamond member for more than six years. The Executive Rooms at the Hilton Osaka are located on the highest floors of the property and they offer amazing views of the city and the river.

Bedroom
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

The Executive Room at the Hilton Osaka is relatively small, but hotel rooms in Japan are typically known to be smaller unless you are looking at high-end luxury properties. With that being said, I was rather surprised at how modern it looks (especially since the property opened back in 1986). After digging around a little, I realised that the hotel recently went through major refurbishment works in 2019 and I really love the warm lighting, the modern Japanese design, as well as the existence of a Nespresso coffee machine within the room itself.

Bedroom
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

I love that the room utilises Japanese Shōji for the bathroom as well as the windows - these sliding wooden-frame doors come with a translucent white paper, helps to diffuse light throughout the whole area. This is especially nice when it is a bright and sunny day out, and the light is too harsh during the day. Closing these sliding frames help to make the light a lot less glaring without the usual annoyances of having a blind or a sheer.

Nespresso Coffee Machine
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

I love the convenience of having an espresso-based coffee machine in the room - while you can always enjoy a cup of freshly-made coffee or tea at the Executive Lounge, it is just so much more convenient when it is literally a few steps away from your work desk. Complimentary drinking water in plastic bottles are provided daily but you should also take note that water from the taps is potable and you may therefore wish to stick with a refillable bottle instead of going through these ones for environmental reasons.

Nespresso Coffee Capsules
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

Alongside six coffee capsules which can be found in the drawer under the coffee machine, a selection of teabags (including roasted green tea) are also provided for your consumption.

TV and Workstation
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

Even if you are staying at the Hilton Osaka, the rooms should suffice and they are honestly nice enough - I would not mind spending a few weeks here if I had the pleasure of working from Osaka but the work desks are actually quite small. It is obviously not a deal breaker if you are only working on your laptop, but if you have paper documents or other devices as well, it might be a tight space. With that said, this is where the Executive Lounge comes in - it makes perfect sense to work from the lounge since it can potentially be a more conducive space so long you avoid the meal periods.

Universal Power Outlets
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

When I visited Osaka and Kyoto in November 2022, I stayed at some pretty great luxury hotels like the Park Hyatt Kyoto and the Conrad Osaka but none of those properties actually have a universal power outlet (which to me, is quite shocking) but surprisingly, the Hilton Osaka is the only hotel that I stayed in on that trip that has this readily provided. Located next to the work desk is where you will find a range of connectivity options (e.g. HDMI for output to the TV) as well as two universal power outlets which are extremely important if you travel with a bunch of devices like I do.

Bathroom
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

The Executive Room bathrooms at the Hilton Osaka are not huge and honestly, I can imagine someone who is bigger, having issues fitting in comfortably. I do love the clean design of the bathroom and it goes without saying that any self-respecting hotel in Japan will provide a Toto Washlet - I often joke about the positive correlation between the number of buttons for the washlet and the price you paid for the hotel.

Bathtub
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

In spite of the size constraints, the Executive Rooms here at the Hilton Osaka also feature a bathtub in the wet area of the bathroom. With that being said, you should take note that the tub size is most likely smaller than what you are used to. These Japanese soaking tubs are designed to fit in smaller, confined spaces and they are generally just sufficient enough for you to sit (but not lie-down) in.

Bath Amenities
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

Consistent to brand standards, bath amenities at the Hilton Osaka are provided by Crabtree & Evelyn but the bulk-size amenities have not been introduced here. While it may sound like a minor inconvenience, the installation of these bulk-size amenities sometimes make the whole bathtub experience a lot more cumbersome (especially when you have a freestanding tub located away from the shower area) but I do not foresee this being a problem at this property.

Afternoon Tea
Executive Lounge - Hilton Osaka

The Executive Lounge of the Hilton Osaka (accessible to Hilton Honors Diamond members) is open for breakfast, afternoon tea, as well as evening cocktails and canapes - it is also open throughout the day during its operational hours (6:45 AM to 9:00PM) for some cookies and coffee/tea.

View from Lounge
Executive Lounge - Hilton Osaka

Located on Level 3 of the Hilton Osaka, the Executive Lounge may not have sweeping views of the city but it looks out to the shopping mall just across the street which is home to some luxury labels (most of which is actually more affordable to get in Japan than in Singapore). While the Executive Lounge remains to be a largely functional space without many bells and whistles, it is actually quite nice to work from during the day (outside of meal periods).

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During my stay, afternoon tea was served from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM and an assortment of seasonally-inspired pastries was provided. If you are looking for something other than coffee, the coffee machine also makes a mean matcha latte (albeit a little bit sweet) that you might wish to try.

Afternoon Tea
Executive Lounge - Hilton Osaka

While the pastries and desserts offered during Afternoon Tea were nothing to shout about, they were a whole lot better than what was offered at the Conrad Osaka during my stay (I will link it once the review is up).

Evening Cocktails and Canapés
Executive Lounge - Hilton Osaka

A selection of alcoholic beverages and an assortment of canapes were served from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM each evening at the Executive Lounge. When I visited back in November 2022, I was informed that I could only stay an hour (instead of the whole duration) due to the lounge capacity but this was never actually enforced as there were empty tables around me - I remember when the Conrad Centennial Singapore used to vacate guests (even when the executive lounge was empty) once the one-hour window was up.

Evening Cocktails and Canapés
Executive Lounge - Hilton Osaka

Apart from the usual spirits, a selection of wines (including sparkling) was also offered during the evening cocktail hour - guests may help themselves to the buffet and the drinks but the usage of a gloves are strongly-encouraged.

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I really enjoyed the hot canapes at the Executive Lounge during my stay - the fried rice was phenomenal (and it was probably made even better under the influence of alcohol) and the selection was definitely substantial enough for a light dinner if you do not plan on heading out. Once again, the food options here at the Hilton Osaka were a lot more impressive than what was offered at the Conrad Osaka which costs a whole lot more.

View from Bedroom
King Executive Room - Hilton Osaka

After having drinks and a light dinner in the Executive Lounge, I came back to this beautiful view of the surrounding area from my bedroom. All of the Executive Rooms at the Hilton Osaka are located on the highest floors of the property so you can almost be certain of a great view. Having stayed at the Hilton Tokyo previously in an Executive Room and a Tower Suite, it is safe to say that the Hilton Osaka stands out in more ways than I had initially imagined.

Buffet Breakfast
Folk Kitchen - Hilton Osaka

When checking-in to the property, I was informed that a continental breakfast would be served at the Executive Lounge but I decided to try my luck at Folk Kitchen instead since it offers a much more comprehensive breakfast experience. Most properties in Asia allow hotel guests to enjoy the full breakfast experience at the all-day dining restaurant (even though some hotels charge either a supplement or a premium for this option) but I can confirm that Hilton Honors Diamond members can enjoy their breakfast at Folk Kitchen while staying at the Hilton Osaka.

Buffet Breakfast
Folk Kitchen - Hilton Osaka

There is a good selection of both Western and Japanese dishes at the breakfast buffet, and food quality is generally quite good with a couple of staples that you can expect. While some might argue that you do not actually need to book a breakfast-inclusive rate when traveling in Japan (since you should be eating all your meals outside of a hotel), I really do enjoy having a light bite and some proper coffee before starting my day.

Buffet Breakfast
Folk Kitchen - Hilton Osaka

This is my very first trip to Osaka but I have been to Tokyo various times - I have also stayed at both the Hilton Tokyo and Conrad Tokyo on separate occasions and the Conrad is always the clear winner (even though it comes at a much higher price point) between those two properties. I came to Osaka with the same kind of mentality, thinking that the Conrad Osaka will beat the Hilton Osaka in all aspects but I was pleasantly surprised at how much value one can get at the Hilton Osaka (which is honestly also in a much more desirable location for a leisure guest). While there is no doubt that the hard product is better at the Conrad Osaka, the Hilton Osaka is actually better for me in terms of service and F&B offerings.

Hilton Osaka
1-chōme-8-8 Umeda, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-0001, Japan
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