KOKO HOTEL Osaka Umeda

The breakfast was a fresh, tasty spread of Japanese dishes, which was an unusual experience for me as a European. It wasn’t really to my taste, but it was nice to try. The service was kind and helpful, and there were free cosmetic supplies to take if needed. The double room was very tiny, though, and with a large suitcase it was impossible to move around freely.

The reception staff were warm and tried hard to help, even with a bit of a language barrier. The breakfast was nutritious and worth trying. The bed was fairly spacious despite the small room, though the built-in toilet and particularly small pillow were drawbacks, so keep your expectations in check. The hotel sits between the malls and main train station to the west, and office and residential buildings to the east. There are also several convenience stores nearby, including 7-11 and Lawson.

I stayed for a week. There are plenty of amenities on the 2nd floor, including lotions, mouthwash, hair styling gel, water and tea, and the laundry machines wash and dry. Towels can be changed and the bin emptied daily by leaving them in the yellow bag on the door and setting the bin outside. Room cleaning is only available every three days. The location was decent, with convenience stores and restaurants nearby, around a 5 min walk to the underpass and 15 mins to Umeda Osaka Station. The staff were kind. My AC filter was quite dusty, but after I let them know, they cleaned it that same day and the room felt much better. I wasn’t keen on the red wallpaper design on just two floors. It was an okay stay overall.

The staff were friendly and spoke great English, and the location and prices were good. The shower is tiny, so tall people should keep that in mind. The AC sits right above your head, and leaving it on all night can mean waking up with a cough. The laundry room is cramped, with few machines and a dryer that doesn’t work very well, so plan around that.