Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel

I had two FNAs from Marriott credit cards for 50k points and chose to use them for a 2-night stay at this Category 6 hotel located on the upper floors of Abeno Harukas, the tallest building in Japan. We drove here after our stay at the Conrad Osaka and parked in the underground hotel parking lot for 3,000 yen per night. Since the hotel has the highest rating (4.7) among Marriott hotels in Osaka (even higher than the Ritz-Carlton Osaka (4.6) and the same rating as the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto) and is in an attractive modern building, I had somewhat high expectations. 

We arrived at the front desk on the 19th floor, and after noting that I had Bonvoy Platinum status, we were escorted to the Club Lounge on the 38th floor for check-in. There, we were informed that we had been upgraded to an Upper Floor Deluxe room on the 54th floor. We were also asked if we would like to receive for our stay 1,000 Marriott bonus points or a choice of a beverage and snack item to be delivered to our room. We chose two glasses of white wine along with crackers and cheese, which were delivered within an hour. While the check-in person was friendly, helpful, and professional, the entire check-in process was bureaucratic and time-consuming. 

After having just stayed at the Conrad Osaka, we felt a bit let down by the size and quality of the room, but this is not a luxury hotel, so expectations should be adjusted. Still, the room was of adequate size at 38sqm/409sqf with an exceptional view. The room interior feels it is about ready for an upgrade, but the bathroom appears to have been upgraded and is more nicely appointed. The beverages in the refrigerator are all free for guests on the upper-level floors (53rd, 54th, and 55th) and are replenished every day. These include three canned beers, two small bottles of red and white wine, and a few soft drinks. The snacks (potato chips and crackers) too are free and replenished daily. I suspect that guests, even if they don’t drink, remove all the drinks so they are replenished and can be taken again each day. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for the hotel’s high guest rating. 

Free wine, crackers, and cheese delivered to our room

Free drinks replenished daily

Service was solid but not exceptional. Other than breakfast and the club lounge, we had little interaction with staff, but the interaction was always good and professional, as you might expect in Japan.

View at breakfast

Breakfast (6:30 am to 11:00 am) was served at COOKA on the 19th floor. We did not eat dinner at any of the hotel restaurants, which I think were closed for dinner during our stay, but instead ate in the club lounge. COOKA is a very bright space with wonderful views of Osaka. Breakfast begins with ordering an omelet at your table with the waitress and then going to the buffet for everything else. Aside from the usual buffet items, there was a nice selection of juices and smoothies, the best croissant that I’ve eaten in Japan, and Vietnamese noodle soup. It is an extensive buffet, and the space is attractively designed.

Breakfast buffet

The gym is on the 38th floor next to the club lounge. Though not particularly large, it has great views and was not in use when we viewed it. Although this is a large hotel, I was surprised and disappointed to find that it had no pool, bath, or sauna. 

The club lounge is large with high ceilings and plenty of seating but unlike Conrad Osaka’s lounge, the outside city view is obstructed. That said, the buffet food selection is sufficient in place of dinner and includes dessert and a more extensive and better beer, wine, and champagne selection than the Conrad Osaka. However, the food was quickly eaten and slowly replaced, even though the lounge is very well staffed.  

Partial drink selection

Club lounge found selection

I’m not sure if this is only for Platinum or above members or for everyone who checks into the hotel, but we received two free tickets for each day of our stay to go to the observatory called “Harukas 300” (because the building is 300 meters tall) on the 58th to 60th floors. You can walk the circumference of the 60th floor and see 360 degrees around Osaka. The top of the building is open and the 58th and 59th floors below it form the Harukas Sky Garden into which the air from the top enters. The Sky Garden has tables, and you can order food from a concession and drink beer in the summertime. But, since it was winter, they put out kotatsu (small table with electric heater underneath) which could be reserved for a nabe dinner and provided hanten (quilted jackets) to wear against the cold air that enters from the building’s open top. Overall, it was an interesting experience that many guests appeared to enjoy. 

Harukas Sky Garden

Open roof-top

Sky Garden kotatsu

The hotel is a little bit out of the way from central Osaka and took about half an hour to drive to from Conrad Osaka, which is centrally located. Still, the Osaka Abenobashi Station is under the hotel building, so getting around town should be no problem. There is also a large shopping mall across the street and the Kintetsu Department Store is on the 2nd basement to 9th floors. Although the hotel building is very modern, the surrounding area is a bit less attractive and developed. 

Although we were somewhat disappointed that the hotel offered few amenities such as a pool, sauna, and bathing facility, we enjoyed the hotel’s other features including the club lounge, buffet breakfast, and the 60th-floor observatory. Because of the distance of the hotel from central Osaka and a somewhat uninteresting surrounding area, I am less likely to book this hotel again over one in a more convenient area. I think a stay here is a reasonable use of a 50k FNA from a credit card, but I might be inclined to add 15k points (which Marriott now allows) for a 65k stay at a nicer and better-located hotel.