HOTEL HILLARYS Shinsaibashi

Hotel Description

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from HOTEL HILLARYS when I first walked up to it on Higashishinsaibashi street – it’s tucked between a couple of smaller shops and doesn’t exactly scream “look at me!” But you know what? That turned out to be part of its charm. The lobby’s compact but thoughtfully designed, and the staff actually seemed genuinely happy to help rather than just going through the motions. Check-in was smooth, no weird paperwork drama that sometimes happens at smaller Japanese hotels.

The location is where this place really shines, though. I mean, you’re literally a three-minute walk from the heart of Shinsaibashi’s shopping chaos – close enough that you can duck back to drop off bags or grab a quick rest, but far enough down Higashishinsaibashi that you’re not dealing with the street noise until 2 AM. That’s the sweet spot right there. Dotonbori’s famous neon madness is maybe a seven-minute stroll south, and honestly, after a night of bar hopping and trying every takoyaki stand you can find, you’ll appreciate not having to navigate complicated train transfers or expensive taxi rides back to your room. The narrow streets in this area come alive after dark – you’ll hear the distant hum of conversation and clinking glasses, but it’s not overwhelming when you’re trying to sleep.

What impressed me most was how they’ve maximized the space without making it feel cramped. The rooms are typically Japanese-compact, sure, but everything has its place and the bed was actually comfortable (not always a given at 3-star spots). The bathroom’s tiny but functional – though if you’re over six feet tall, you might want to duck in the shower. Little touches like having a decent hair dryer and outlets in sensible places show they’ve thought about what travelers actually need. The building’s older but well-maintained, and I appreciated that they kept some character rather than going for generic modern renovation. You can hear the occasional footstep from upstairs, but nothing that kept me awake – it’s an old building in a busy district, you know? The AC worked great, which was clutch during my August visit when Osaka turns into a humid sauna. One thing to note: there’s no parking, but honestly, you don’t need a car in this neighborhood anyway. The Shinsaibashi subway station is close enough that you can easily explore other parts of Osaka, and there’s a 7-Eleven practically next door for late-night snack runs or forgotten toiletries.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $118. Double Room – Non-Smoking – Eco Plan(No Daily Cleaning) with 1 double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $130. Standard Double Room – Non-Smoking with 1 double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $130. Standard Double Room – Smoking with 1 double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $123. Single Room – Non-Smoking with 1 single bed for Max persons: 1
• Estimated price from: $123. Single Room – Smoking with 1 single bed for Max persons: 1

Reviews

• Scarlett from United Kingdom – 7 June 2025 (9/10)

  Perfect location right in the middle of a vibrant area of Osaka. We didn’t find it noisy on the 9th floor. Definitely worth the money
  
  What could be improved: Could’ve been a bit more space to open luggage.

• Christoph from Austria – 1 June 2025 (8/10)

  Nice central hotel rooms with small onsen. The onsen was a bit too hot for us, however that’s of course personal, so I wouldn’t say rate is as negative. We enjoyed the free onsen and the complimentary popsicles afterwards.
  
  What could be improved: The breakfast room was quite small and overfilled, which led to waiting times until someone left and you were allocated to a free table.

• Wen-yi from Taiwan – 8 May 2025 (9/10)

  The room was spacious, very clean, and comfortable.
  
  What could be improved: The public bath was a bit cold and not very large, but it was still a great experience!

• Francesca from Netherlands – 27 April 2025 (8/10)

  Location is 10/10!!!
  Rooms clean and they make the room every day’!
  Daily aperitivo free offered from the hotel!
  
  What could be improved: Rooms are small, so if you come with two big luggage make sure to reserve a bigger room from the beginning. Breakfast… 90% Asian food. After eating it day and night I would still like to have enough options for my breakfast.. not really international.

• Dianne from Philippines – 27 April 2025 (9/10)

  Location and Room size
  
  What could be improved: They don’t replace our glasses or cups daily

• Melanie from India – 23 April 2025 (9/10)

  The rooms were lovely -‘& comfortable, it was our first stay on our Japan vacation & we were glad we booked this place. The location is fabulous- Dotonbori, Hozenji Yokocho and the happening places are just a stones throw away. Their home baked breads were great. Would recommend this place and stay here again
  
  What could be improved: Everything was lovely

• Harshada from United Arab Emirates – 21 April 2025 (9/10)

  Located right in the prime location. Rooms are decent clean and staff is helpful. You can keep you bags at the reception and roam the shopping street. The location is great and near to shopping street as well as the restaurants all around sinsaibashi street
  
  What could be improved: Not applicable

• Mary from Australia – 18 April 2025 (9/10)

  Comfortable stay. Good location.

• Camille from United Kingdom – 16 April 2025 (9/10)

  Great location, comfortable, onsite sento

• Johnson from United States – 26 March 2025 (8/10)

  Breakfast is average. Location is about 18 to 20 minutes of walk from Namba station. Very close to Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori. I like the way bed was set up we both can have a way to get up unlike a lot of hotels in Japan one person has to climb to the other to get out of bed. Hotel is clean and free bread and coffee, tea in the afternoon.
  
  What could be improved: The temperature of the public bath is way too hot to use. My foot barely touched the water and leave.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities