Lore Hostel Doutonbori

The location is the best thing about this hostel. The bathrooms were clean and had their own slippers, and free coffee in the kitchen was nice. But doing laundry was awkward because there weren’t enough hangers or places to hang clothes. The pillows and quilts were bad, and getting into the lower bunk was a hassle. You have to use a stool and duck your head to climb in. The girls-only rooms are on the second floor beside mixed rooms, but the girls’ showers are one floor below and you have to go through the main entrance to get there, which makes showering inconvenient. The other guests made things frustrating too. Some Korean girls got up at 7 every morning, switched on the lights while it was still dark, and rummaged through their bags, disturbing everyone else. Then they snapped at us when we came back in the afternoon and spoke quietly. They need a normal sleep schedule. Our umbrellas were also taken from the bucket. When we asked at the front desk, the Korean male staff didn’t understand what we were concerned about at first. They didn’t speak much English or Japanese. Once they understood, they told us to take another umbrella from the pile. That was frustrating, and didn’t feel like our things were being kept safe or respected.

I spent two nights here. The common area is roomy, and there’s plenty of space around the sinks and showers, which are separate from the toilets. Staff were friendly and professional enough, and they kept changing the garbage. Still, there were lots of flies around the toilet area. I’d rate cleanliness 2.75 out of 5.

Dotonbori is right nearby, so it’s easy to get food and go shopping without walking far, which is especially handy in winter. The stay is pretty cheap and includes bread for breakfast plus tea and coffee. The common area fits about 30 people and staff clean it regularly. There’s no secure luggage storage. If you’re on the third floor, you have to leave your bags by your bedside.

The location in the middle of Dotonbori was good, and the bathrooms were clean most of the time. There was free coffee and tea too. But after three nights here, I found the hostel awful and wouldn’t stay again. My lower bunk on the second floor was a pain to get in and out of. The room was also too warm. Whenever we turned down the AC, a staff member came in and switched it off or set it to fan mode. The noisy, social common area is only a few steps from the bedrooms, even late at night. There’s no security either, since anyone can walk in and out of the hostel and the bedrooms. You can find somewhere much more comfortable nearby for the same price.