Feel Osaka Yu

Great atmosphere and very friendly people (Kazu and the team). I only planned to relax in the lounge for a few minutes, but ended up spending the whole evening chatting with travelers from all over the world. The hostel was clean, comfortable, and in a great location. If you enjoy meeting people and sharing experiences while traveling, this is a fantastic place to stay. Would happily stay here again.

My third time visiting this hostel in 3 years; Kaz and his dad are exceptional hosts and they’ve maintained their standard since my last time visiting. Common areas immaculate and they are very helpful in local recommendations. Very good location for the main Osaka tourist spots and walking distance from all the best bars and clubs.

The working area in the room had a nice view. The jamming session in the common room was a nice surprise.

Location is unbeatable, next to Shinsaibashi and about a 10min walk from Dotonbori. Spotless at all times and very nicely decorated. In the women's dorm there's a mini kitchen and a changing room with a full lenght mirror (cute touch, had never seen this in any other hostel). As in every accommodation in Japan, they provide slippers, shampoo, conditioner and body wash for free + hairdryer and a towel. Very nice bathrooms downstairs (mixed and for women only) + washer & dryer (for a small extra fee).

Way too many unreasonable rules: - Checkout is strictly until 10:29 (yes, if you show up at 10:30 you’re fined). - I arrived 30 minutes before official check-in and asked if I could wait in the lobby/bar area in case my room wasn’t ready yet. Instead of letting me sit inside, the staff told me to go to a café through the intercom. Not exactly a warm welcome. - Eating on the bed is allowed, but if you spill, you get fined (as if they're not going to wash the bedsheets anyway). - They use a face recognition system (they take your picture at check-in), something I’ve never experienced anywhere else and felt excessive. - 10.000 yen deposit required. - Extra fee for late check-in (after 9pm) and luggage storage. The property is plastered with signs encouraging guests to report even the smallest things, like an unattended glass or a chair out of place. Combined with all the fines and rules, it just made me feel uneasy and hyper-aware of every move I made. In the women’s dorms there are only 2wcs with teeny tiny sinks, while the full bathroom (with showers, mirrors, etc, which is actually very nice) is 4 floors down. Not very convenient to trek across the hostel just to shower or get ready in the morning. It felt like it was designed with good intentions, but not much practical thought for women’s needs. Overall, I arrived with good expectations, which were crushed right away when I was denied entry and left standing outside in 35°C heat. They could easily have let me wait inside since I was a guest who had already paid in full, something they could have confirmed in a minute. So even if this was meant as a “security” measure, it didn’t make sense. From there, the excessive rules just made me feel uneasy for the rest of my stay. A disappointing way to end my Japan trip.