Sakuranomiya Hotel-Self Service

There’s no lift, and carrying my bags up the narrow stairs to the fifth floor was cumbersome. Getting into the room was also a hassle: the owner gave me the wrong number for the lock, and we struggled with it for a long time. After I reached him on an internet call, he sent the correct code.

The room had a big, comfortable bed for two, plenty of outlets, and a spacious bedroom with a kitchen area. The orange cat outside meowed loudly and angrily every morning. I didn’t mind, but I’m sure some people would. The walls were thin, so you could hear people coming and going. There’s no elevator, and management should be clearer about that. Don’t bring big luggage, as we learned the hard way. The bathroom was extremely cramped, with the toilet right beside the shower and your knees touching the door when you sat down. The sink was inside the shower. If you’re a bigger person, this probably isn’t the hotel for you. The faucets were hard to turn, so I had to use a towel to shut them off while showering. The mattress had mysterious stains, and the bedsheet kept slipping off. The door lock was difficult to use, as was the lock that held the key.

It’s about 500 meters from the nearest stations, so with heavy luggage I’d look elsewhere. The entrance can be tricky to spot too, look for a small plate beside the doors. Inside, the room felt much smaller than the photos suggested. It smelled a bit and didn’t seem especially clean. Fine for one night, but I wouldn’t want to stay longer.

The walls are paper thin, so don’t expect much privacy. Still, the room was big enough for two of us during our nearly week-long stay, and the hotel was more than okay for its location near Sakuranomiya and Kyobashi stations. It might feel cramped if you spend a lot of time indoors, but that’s usually not the plan when visiting Osaka.