Sakuranomiya Towers Hotel

I stayed in the pool room and had a great time. They even rent swimsuits. Check-in is straightforward: go in, turn left, and pick your room on the big touchscreen. Take the elevator afterward, and a flashing light points out your room. One thing to watch for: the checkout machine in the room might not take foreign credit cards, so bring cash just in case.

We booked this on a whim after I saw it in a video a few months earlier, just for the fun of spending a night in a quirky Love Hotel. It’s definitely not a regular hotel: the rooms have themes, and you can rent them by the hour. We chose 503, the pool-themed suite. Check-in starts after 8pm, checkout is 11am, and the place is very discreet. The suite was awesome and a lot of fun, though it could use a bit of refurbishing. The pool is massive and all yours, and there’s also a sauna, three bathrooms, and more, spread over two floors for private use. There’s a nice sound system and a TV with all kinds of channels, including adult ones. You also get a minibar, coffee, tea, water, and all sorts of amenities. If you’re looking to have some fun in Osaka, this is the place. I’d love to try the other themed rooms too.

This rating is for the Love Hotel service. Foreigners, be warned: these hotels are extremely popular with Japanese guests and are often fully booked. The advertised prices also don’t match what you actually pay. The outside price is more than twice as cheap as reality, since it’s a “starting at” rate. I came on a Monday morning and didn’t rent a room because they only had two available, and neither was one I wanted. Also, JR Sakuranomiya train station doesn’t have coin lockers, so avoid that station if you need one.

The train room lived up to the fun theme, with spot-on decor and train sounds. We booked room #505 for one night on the Towers Hotel website. When we arrived, staff greeted me and confirmed the reservation, then we took the elevator to the fifth floor, where a blinking light outside the room showed us where to go. The room was clean and had pretty much everything we needed: relaxing ambient music, good AC, fast Wifi, “fun” TV channels, a hair dryer and curling iron, massage chair, large bathroom, cup noodle, water, and more. In the morning we called reception to order breakfast delivered to the room. The staff spoke basic English, but ordering was easy enough. There’s no conbini right next to the hotel, so I’d get whatever you need before arriving. There’s another hotel across the street that could be convenient to stay at before or after. We enjoyed our stay and would recommend it to other travelers.