Bijou Suites Kokoro

The staff were kind enough to let us leave our bags at their office after checkout. The place itself was clean, spacious, and nice, with easy access to the train system and the Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi shopping areas.

The location is within walking distance of Namba station, the malls, dotonburi, kuromon market and shinsaibaishi, but the room itself was a letdown. We booked Room 303, and the toilet was so cramped there was hardly room to turn. The shower cubicle was so low that most people would need to bend a little. With luggage around, there's very little space to move, so I'd say it's better suited to couples than families. The photos in the listing showed a different room, so don't rely on them. This also works more like an airbnb, with no front desk. We sent our luggage from tokyo to osaka, then had to wait in the room because nobody was there to receive it or help us.

For what I paid, I came away very disappointed. It cost 160,000 won per night, including on December 12th, and 320,000 won for the two nights. Nearby Toyoko Inn would have been 80,000 won with breakfast for two nights. I normally don't write hotel reviews, and usually just say a place is good, but I'm sharing my experience so others won't regret booking. Finding the entrance to this managerless apartment was like an escape room. I wandered for nearly an hour looking for the manager, who wasn't there. Eventually I spoke to a Japanese passerby and called the manager, who explained how to get in. There was a key in the lock on the door. I had booked mainly because of the balcony, expecting something like a Southeast Asian hotel, but once inside I couldn't cancel. The studio was about the size of a typical one-and-a-half-room apartment. With even one suitcase open it felt cramped, with no room to step out. There was a balcony, but the bed blocked access to it. The bathtub was like a standard one cut down by a third, with barely space to stand and no room to sit. There's hardly enough room for one person to shower. Even with the heater set to 30 degrees, it only just took the chill off and never got properly warm.

The accommodation felt cozy, had all the facilities we needed, and was convenient for getting around. I'd choose to stay here again if I have the chance.