Hotel MIkado South Namba

The room was big enough for one suitcase, which was all I needed in the single room. The location is good, with metro and JR lines nearby and Namba just two or three stops away. You can apparently leave your bags at reception for two or three days after checkout, which is great. I think you can rent a bike for 24 hours, since I returned mine around 3 or 4 AM. The men’s onsen hours get a thumbs up. Staff are around 24 hours, but don’t expect much after 11 PM, when it’s pretty much a dead hour.

I had my own room, small but with enough space to move around, and it came with a small TV. The WiFi was fast and reliable. Shared bathrooms were clean and just a short walk down the same floor; the showers are downstairs on the first level. Robes are provided, so you don’t need to pack as much, and there were plenty of towels. Downstairs also has two separate lounge areas for eating and socializing, with some food prep supplies, plus a vending machine for drinks and cigarettes. The front desk staff were polite and respectful. It’s a super affordable place in a neighborhood with character, and the metro is about a ten-minute walk away. I’d recommend it.

My partner and I spent two nights in mid-October 2025 in a traditional tatami room with three beds. The room had plenty of space, and the beds were very comfortable. The sheets were quite clean, though there was a lot of dust in the crevices. The onsen was older and on the small side, but the water was very hot and the space was totally fine. The place was tidy but not deeply clean, much like many Japanese hotels. The staff were friendly and unobtrusive, rather than especially effusive, and the facilities looked a bit worn but worked perfectly well. Luggage storage is on a rack by the front door, and the staff were accommodating when we left our bags for several hours both before and after our stay. The location was fine too: close to a subway station, walkable if you don’t mind a longer walk, and in a slightly crummier part of Osaka. I’d give it three or four stars, depending on what you want from a hotel. Review cross-posted to Agoda.

The building is old, and that shows in several ways. On our floor, one of the two toilets was out of order; the one still working had no bidet and an old-looking seat. Toilets get crowded, and the showers are only on the first floor. They look very old and need renovation. The upper bunk has almost no headroom, and sound carries easily, so you hear everything happening on the floor. There’s a fridge in the room. Slippers and bathrobes are provided. We’re three people backpacking on a budget. Laundry is available, with detergent costing 50 yen and the washer and dryer 200 yen each. The manager didn’t tell us that the main entrance locks at midnight and needs a password. We later spotted it written inside the elevator. This place may suit travelers who don’t care about tidiness or appearance. We usually fall into that category, but even for us the stay leaned toward unpleasant. It was a basic stay with several inconveniences.