Sakura Sands Hotel

Check-in and checkout were straightforward, and the location put us fairly close to everything. This apartment hotel had the basics we needed to feel comfortable: a fridge, kitchen, washer, bathroom, microwave, and some cooking utensils. The amenities make it seem handy for families. The pillows were on the flat side and not very comfortable. We could have asked for more, but decided we were fine.

The only real plus was the fairly central location. The room was old and poorly maintained, and both it and the AC smelled like they hadn't been cleaned in ages. It was also filthy. There was a thick coat of dust, and I had to take allergy medicine for dust mites even though dust usually doesn't bother me. The fridge door had mold on it, and there were bits of instant ramen on the kitchen counter. A terrible stay. I wouldn't recommend it, and those nice ratings must be fake.

Hommachi metro was about a five-minute walk, and the location was really convenient. Dotonboki took around 20 minutes on foot, or you can ride the metro to Namba. From there it's two stops to Namba and two to Umeda Osaka on the Midosuji line. We booked two rooms, one twin and one double. My children were in the twin on level 7, where everything worked fine. We had a standard room on level 2. Its room heater and bathroom heater weren't as warm as the kids' room. We did have a microwave and washing machine, which came in handy for our bento meals and laundry.

There are Sevel and Family Mart nearby, so it was easy to find something to eat. The location is very convenient, and the room turned out larger than we'd expected. It had a microwave, refrigerator, air conditioner, washing machine, and other useful things. A real hidden gem among hotels.