Toyoko Inn Osaka Taniyon Kosaten

The room and breakfast were the worst parts of our 20 nights in Japan, and this was the worst hotel of the trip. Toyoko INN Osaka Taniyon Kosaten is old and rundown, with damaged, outdated furniture and poor room upkeep. As soon as we stepped off the elevator, the floor smelled strongly of smoke. We’d been given a smoking room, and it reeked as if someone had just smoked in it. The smell had soaked into the walls, sheets, and everything else. I’m pregnant and at the end of my first trimester, and the odor was making me feel sick, so we politely asked to move rooms. The hotel made no effort to help. We requested a refund so we could leave, but they refused. We checked other floors too, and every one smelled of cigarette smoke. Completely unbelievable. Breakfast was just as disappointing. It was served in a cold, unwelcoming canteen with long cafeteria tables, also used by guests eating their own food. The place felt like a bad hostel, with no attention to guests. The breakfast itself was the worst of our trip: they had croissants but no butter or jam, although every other hotel in Japan had offered those. There wasn’t a proper coffee machine, just a thermos of already lukewarm coffee with no way to heat it or add milk. The tea station stayed empty the whole time. Tables were left greasy and dirty between guests, with leftovers and sticky surfaces. APA Hotel Osaka Tanimachi Yonchome-Ekimae is right next door, at the same prices and in far better condition. It’s a shame to be treated this way in such a welcoming country as Japan.

The staff were kind and pleasant, and I found the rooms clean and comfortable. The price was reasonable for a leisure stay, and the free breakfast was satisfying and a real help.

I was there November 17th to 19th, and check-in was really quick. The room is small compared with Western hotel rooms, but that didn’t bother me since I was only there to sleep. The bathtub is pretty big, though, if you want to soak after a long day.

I’m not keen on the breakfast changing to rice balls. Hope they bring the buffet back soon.