Hotel Story@Namba by Tabist

I didn’t expect this place to be so affordable. It’s tempting to keep it a secret, but after such a good stay they deserve the review. You get a whole apartment in a nice part of Osaka, close to DenDen Town and Ota Road, one of my favorite areas. Check-in is done on a tablet, which I like, and it’s easy as long as you read the emails first. No long wait or sweaty line after a trip. There’s more than one apartment. I’ve tried two, and both were great but quite different: one had a big dining table, the other a comfortable couch. On booking.com you can usually tell which one you’re reserving.

Even with a washer and dryer, the room is spacious. It’s a self-service hotel, but they still provide basic amenities both in the room and in the lobby.

The apartment is fully equipped with the things you might need, including a washing machine with detergent already provided, a hair dryer, and a full set of utensils. The room is nice, and the location is great, about a four- or five-minute walk from the station with a 7-Eleven nearby. They respond very quickly when you need help, and I appreciated that. I’d give the stay a 5. There are always little details that could be improved, but it was still a very comfortable, nice visit. Thank you!

I live very close to these hotels, and it’s unfortunate to see them undermining the culture they’re trying to sell visitors. Every day, people heading to work and children walking to school have to deal with the hotels’ “shuttle vans” blocking the sidewalk. It may not technically be illegal in Japan if someone stays in the vehicle, but they leave the vans there for hours without following that rule. This is a busy street, and bending the rules like this is inappropriate. Please respect Japanese culture. The hotels also don’t teach their guests how to handle trash. In Japan, recycling is part of daily life, and different kinds of waste need to be packaged and put out on designated days. You can’t just leave garbage bags on the sidewalk in front of someone else’s home. There’s reportedly a ¥1000000 fine, about US$7000.00, for doing that. It’s a serious matter, and it makes Japan dirty. If you like visiting Japan and think it’s clean, please help keep it that way. We don’t mind tourism, but ignoring the rules damages the very things people come to see and experience. Please watch a couple of videos about Japanese manners before your trip. Hotel staff also need to make a concerted effort to educate both guests and tour drivers. From: The locals