APA Hotel Osaka Temma

I liked having a sentō here. It was a decent size and nice overall, and the hotel gave me a chance to explore another part of Osaka, including the riverside park behind it. The location was good, too. I've had mixed stays at other APA hotels, and this one had a disappointing bed: the mattress seemed to be coming apart, with one side lacking support and the other feeling quite hard. The pillows were terrible.

Breakfast was the part I'd come back for. I'm a curry fan, though I don't usually think of it as breakfast, and the range of naan and curries with different spice levels won me over. The chicken tikka on the side had a lovely kick, more than I usually find in Japan, and with the butter curry sauce it was fantastic. The beds were comfortably semi-firm, and the location was handy. Staff were welcoming and helpful, no complaints there. I had a really enjoyable stay and would recommend it.

We arrived in Osaka early, and the staff were friendly and kept our luggage for us. We had two rooms for me and my two teenage kids, and got into them around 4 pm. My room smelled awful, like someone's armpit and a wet sock. I tried the AC and sprayed the little bottle they provided, but neither helped. I reported it at the front desk and they gave me an air purifier. Back in the room, I ran both the AC and purifier on their highest settings. Forty minutes later, the smell was still there.

The staff were sweet and very helpful, and finding out there was a spa included was a lovely surprise. The building feels old, though, and the room had such a strong damp smell that we had to leave the first one and switch rooms. Housekeeping is scheduled every three days, but you can ask for it earlier. Even after cleaning, the room looked tidied up rather than properly cleaned.