Weekly SHO Hotel Namba

The hospitality was friendly, and I'd like to stay here again. Thank you.

I spent a week here for work. The staff were friendly, and if the humidity and Wi-Fi were sorted out, I'd stay regularly. As it is, the Wi-Fi kept dropping out or getting slow, and often barely connected. The room was incredibly humid. I wanted to run the air conditioning and dehumidifier full blast, but both switched off automatically at 10:00, so the room was still damp when I got back from work. There were lots of flying insects, and black dust fell from the air conditioner. The water temperature in the first-floor unit bath was unstable. There was a hair dryer in the room, but the cheap, distorted aftermarket mirror wasn't usable for makeup, so I used the unit bath mirror or a handheld one. It's a budget place in the Nihonbashi/Namba area, with no extra service, and seems best for a short stay if you're fine bringing what you need or renting it cheaply. The room was value for money, but I really wish they'd fix the dampness and Wi-Fi.

The hotel is worth what you pay, but do the math first. I included a photo showing the current prices for toothbrushes and other items. Single rooms are advertised from ¥1,900. Weekly Sho may look like an Osaka-only privately owned hotel, but it's more like a franchise, with hotels outside the prefecture too. It's pay-per-use. The first night is a standard hotel stay, but from the second night, towels, amenities, and room cleaning cost extra. If you're trying to keep the stay cheap, you'll need to scrimp on those. On the first floor there's a front desk, shared restroom, microwave, washer, dryer, and three guest rooms. Floors two through five have guest rooms and a microwave. Wi-Fi is fine from the second floor up, but hard to connect on the first. In bed, moving your pillow toward the aisle may let you connect lying down, though the signal can still be poor. The rooms have exposed concrete walls and flooring that looks like tatami mats. Sound comes through from the hallway, so you have to accept some trade-offs for a low price. The unit bath is very cramped, with no washlet, and larger people may bump the door while trying to open it from the toilet. The tub is small too, so men may want to use the public bath. Four people won't fit comfortably in it, about three can use the tub, so stagger your visits. The main smoking area is the outdoor plaza on the fifth floor, with another spot on the second-floor emergency stairs. Normally, your room key opens the front door so you can come and go anytime. As of September 2024, that lock was malfunctioning and the door could be opened without a key. You don't have to leave your key at reception.

Rates are cheap and service is good, so I can recommend the hotel. Still, be very careful: a man in his 50s living on the fourth floor kept making unreasonable demands, accusing me of taking something from the shared refrigerator. He was so unreasonable that I had to call the police in the middle of the night. I explained everything to reception the next day, got a refund for the nights I had left, and checked out. I don't think he was banned from staying there again.