APA Hotel Yodoyabashi Ekimae

I felt safe and comfortable here, and the hospitality was amazing. Everyone was accommodating. They have laundry, a spa, breakfast included and more. The rooms are small, sure, but you’re close to everything you need. Honestly, it’s a good hotel.

The Onsen was the highlight, and apart from a few issues I had a good stay. The room was small but fine, and the staff had the businesslike manner you’d expect at a business hotel. Some corners and curtains looked dirty, with stains that seemed questionable in the video. I also got sweaty because the heater couldn’t be turned off. @doris.is.me on Instagram IG TikTok TT Lemon8

The staff were helpful, spoke English, and check-in was easy. It starts at 3pm, and if you want to leave your bags at the front desk, you need to scan a QR code and register. There’s a small public bath in the basement, along with massage services and vending machines. The hotel is three stops from Namba. From the Midosuji Line, use Exit 11, where there’s an elevator and escalator, so you don’t have to haul bags up stairs.

The room itself was reasonably clean and about what I’d expect from a small, fairly priced hotel in Japan. There’s an optional cleaning service, but they leave a plastic bag of amenities outside your door each day. It felt like they were saving on labor while making a superficial show of caring about something besides profit. There are plenty of similarly priced places nearby, and unless I have a good reason to change my mind, I won’t stay with APA again. This was specifically my experience at this hotel, though the last APA I stayed at on this trip was much the same. Staff were rigid about the rules, seemingly only with foreigners. I arrived shortly after 14:00 and was told check-in was at 15:00, full stop. While I waited, I watched several Japanese guests check in both before and after that time. I understand Japanese, though they seemed to assume I didn’t, even though I’d spoken politely in Japanese from the start. I was taken aback that nobody even checked whether my room was ready before saying no. Later, when they noticed me in the lobby, I saw them turn away a few Japanese speakers who looked less well-off, so maybe status played a part. While I was waiting, the staff spoke disparagingly about foreigners to each other. I don’t know whether they couldn’t see me, thought I wouldn’t understand, or simply didn’t care. I’m fairly sure I heard them say something about gross.