Bande Hotel Tenpozan Higashi

For the price, this was a really good stay, especially with the USJ park so close. We spent two nights here. It’s calm, and the rooms are like mini-apartments, with a fridge, TV, bathroom, microwave, and Wi-Fi. Tablets in the rooms have directions to Osaka sights such as USJ park and Dotomburi. The person at reception was friendly and gave us a sheet with the rules in our language, which was convenient. There’s a 7-11 nearby, and a bus station that can take you to Osaka Station when it’s time to leave.

The beds were the highlight for me. They’re arranged like bunk beds, with curtains, and the mattresses spread out the pressure well, so I slept soundly. We stayed two nights and three days while visiting USJ. The price was good, and the rooms were clean. It felt more like an apartment than a hotel, which was a fresh change. There aren’t many coin parking lots nearby, so if you get back late, the closest one may be full and you might spend some time finding a spot. Access to USJ and Kaiyukan is good. I’d stay here again when visiting Osaka.

We were two women traveling with a one-year-old, visiting the World Expo and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. The Japanese-style room had a shower, and the facilities were new and thoroughly cleaned. Front desk staff were polite and easy to talk to. We asked ahead about sending and receiving our luggage by mail, and they arranged it, which made getting around on our travel day much easier. The station was close, and there’s a 7-Eleven within walking distance. The building seems to be laid out like a typical home, so noise from other residents carries. The guests next door seemed to have a young child: running and banging on the door or wall could be heard throughout our room around 9 PM, then again around 7 AM after we woke up. It sounded like someone downstairs had complained and staff were trying to handle it, but it’s hard when it’s a child.

After walking around the Expo, relaxing on the tatami was just what we needed. We stayed in a Japanese-Western style room with our child, and everything was within reach, which made it comfortable. The bathroom was incredibly clean and reassuring, and they responded to our inquiries very courteously.