First Cabin Nishi Umeda

I’d book here again for a solo trip, but only in the First Cabin class unless I were travelling with just a backpack. The bathrooms are well designed if you pack your toiletries together, but this is mostly a place to sleep, not somewhere to eat or spend a lot of time. Capsule hotels don’t have a sink in the pod, so it can be a hassle if your room is far from the bathroom. Mine was at the very end of the building. It was quiet with no neighbors, but I kept having to walk back and forth for my towel, toothbrush, clothes, vending machine money, and bathroom trips. Keep that in mind when packing. The hotel is divided by gender, so check when booking. In the men’s bathroom, one area had sinks and mirrors for brushing teeth, doing hair, moisturizing, and blow-drying. I think there were 7-8 sinks, plus two combined washer-dryers that seemed to dry well. They were only about 30% occupied while I was there. Another section had an indoor onsen-style bath, a hot pool, and I think six seated shower stalls. It was really comfortable. You’re fully nude in this area, which may take some getting used to if you’re Western. Baskets are there for your clothes, and you should shower before using the bath. If you’re uncomfortable bathing nude with others, there are two fully private standing showers, though you might have to queue or go at an off-hour. The toilet section had four clean toilets, urinals, and a drinks vending machine. Remember to bring a towel. There aren’t spare ones, so if you forget yours, you’ll be dripping wet on the walk back to your pod. The open pods also mean sound carries, so be considerate. Talking, music, eating, and alarms aren’t allowed, alarms have to be on vibrate. Travelling with friends could make coordinating difficult.

The location was handy, with a 7/11 right next door and metro stations about an 8-10 minute walk away. The larger rooms are quite spacious, and I paid around 8333¥ a night. They give you fresh towels and slippers daily, and the place gets cleaned every day. My main frustration was the wait for the shared facilities. There were only two showers for perhaps 30-40 women’s rooms, and just eight or nine beauty stations with sinks and mirrors. There isn’t a larger shared mirror and sink, unless you go to the spa area. Getting ready around 8-10am or showering from 8-11pm meant waiting 15-30 minutes. The showers also had some mould on the ceiling and inside the shower head, possibly because they’re used so much and ventilation seems insufficient. It was okay overall, but those issues mattered.

I travelled very light, so I had no trouble staying here. It’s a decent spot to crash for a night or a few, but there’s hardly room in the cabin for luggage. Although they can store your bags, having them outside the room makes unpacking and repacking inconvenient. Just something to know before you book.

The room was lovely, spacious, and really clean. I also liked that there was plenty of seating in the waiting area, with places to charge your phone or work remotely. Breakfast was free with three options, and there was one complimentary meal in the fridge too. It was hot and humid that day, and the walk from Osaka Station/Umeda to the hotel felt miserable because it’s quite far. Once I arrived, I had to wait until exactly 5pm to check in.