Far East Village Hotel Osaka, Namba South

The room climate control kept resetting itself to 25°C every couple of hours. We’d set it to a comfortable 20-21°C, then wake up sweating when it changed back. Staff couldn’t help and didn’t know how to adjust the settings. Laundry was another problem: the washing machines didn’t spin properly, and our clothes were still damp after two hours in the dryer. We booked a “family” room for two adults and our 9 and 11-year-old daughters for five nights, but it wasn’t suitable. The sofa bed meant for two was far too small for them, rock hard, and had no bedding. It felt like an afterthought. We asked right away to change rooms, then asked for an extra single bed, but were told neither was available. The hotel staff offered no real help or solution. We ended up calling our travel agent in Australia. The only option was to cancel that room and book two extra single rooms ourselves, at an additional cost of ¥139,000 out of pocket. Completely unacceptable. There were no food or kitchen facilities in the hotel, and no luggage forwarding service. We were told to walk about 700 metres and arrange it ourselves, which isn’t what you expect when travelling with family. The hotel failed at the basics: room suitability, customer service, and convenience. I wouldn’t recommend it, especially for families.

The best part was being able to walk to Dotonbori and explore its food and nightlife without sorting out transport. Subway and bus stops are very close too, making it easy to travel around Osaka and beyond. I stayed three nights at Far East Village Hotel Osaka, Namba South. The room and bathroom were basic and compact, but laid out thoughtfully and had what I needed for a comfortable city stay. It’s a clean, well-located choice if a smaller room is fine and you’ll spend most of your time out exploring.

Our rooms were spacious and well kept, and housekeeping came every three days and did a good job. You can ask reception for extra housekeeping. The front desk staff were friendly too. Bottled water was one amenity I missed, and it would be good if they offered luggage delivery in the future. Daikokucho station is nearby, with good connections to Namba, Umeda, and Tennoji. If you have heavy luggage, take exit 6 for elevator access. There are a few convenience stores close by and a supermarket across the main road. I liked the hotel, and it’s good value for travellers.

I really enjoyed staying here. The rooms are modern and comfortable, and have lots of electronic features. In the morning, press the button by the bed and the curtains open while soft music plays. It’s a quiet place to unwind after a busy day, with good public transport nearby. I also liked the free coffee machine at reception and the tables and chairs behind the desk where you can sit with a snack or coffee. For comparison, I’m in Kyoto now and paying 2.5 times as much for a 12 m2 room instead of the 15 m2 one at Far East Village. My only small complaint was that there were no English TV channels. I hadn’t come to watch TV, and the manager explained that the fixed cost of installing the equipment for a single channel is high. It doesn’t change my five-star rating. The staff were very friendly too.