APA Hotel Shin Osaka Minamikata Ekimae

This is a standard APA hotel. I checked in at 14:40 using my membership benefit, but the floor was a mess. APA seems to have this problem even after the 15:00 check-in time. It doesn't feel professional or welcoming to guests. Most rooms don't have a view from the window. I'd suggest staying at another hotel nearby.

This is my favorite hotel in Osaka. The staff are kind and always ready to help, and the location is great, close to Osaka Station with easy train access to Tokyo. It's a good option for an affordable trip to Japan. I'd also really recommend experiencing the nightlife in this district.

The neighborhood has great food and transport options. The laundry at the hotel is very small, so for a large load I'd suggest Coin Laundry Higashinakajima Branch, about a five-minute walk away. The front desk were extremely helpful and patient while we figured out Takkyubin for the first time and sorted out an overweight parcel.

We were grateful to concierge staff member Y. Midorikawa, who handled our luggage forwarding request so kindly and professionally. It was 7 am, and he was alone at the desk and quite busy, but we still felt welcomed and looked after the whole time. We chose this hotel to save on accommodation, since it's a little outside Namba, and were pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the room was and how thoughtfully equipped it felt compared with a couple of other hotels we'd already stayed in in Osaka and Tokyo. It's conveniently placed among all kinds of restaurants and shops, and the train station is a five-minute walk away. We'll definitely come back.