Cat Spa & Cat Ryokan by Neco Republic Osaka

The setup for sleeping whilst viewing the cats was a wonderful idea. The bed compartments were very cosy and private, and everything was really clean. We were very impressed at how well the cats were treated and the hosts were attentive to maintaining a healthy and comfortable environment for them, letting us know who was friendly and who needed space. It assured us that this was a good place with the cat's experience as paramount which was important to us as animal lovers.

The mattress was a touch thin but that just might be a western view of someone not used to sleeping on low beds.

The beds were comfortable and provided a view of the cats through the window. We were able to spend an hour with the cats each day which was very pleasant and the cats were very sweet. The bathroom was also nice and I was happy with the provided skincare items.

This was a fun place to stay for one night. We loved watching the cats play and getting to spend time with them. We had the entire place to ourselves which was great. It was clean and quiet, near train stations and anything else we wanted to do.

It would have been tight or impractical if we were sharing this space with anyone else. The futons on the bed were a little thin, luckily we were only there for 1 night.

The location was good -- close to train stations, good restaurants, coin laundry, and other amenities. The idea of staying in a cat spa was appealing, and the cats were indeed very cute and entertaining to look at. You get one complimentary hour per day to be with the cats with your reservation so that was nice. The bathroom and shower were clean and had everything we needed. The bedding and the rest of the facilities were also clean. We're a family of 4 so we got the whole place to ourselves.

When we arrived, someone quickly checked us in and then basically ran away. I wasn't sure if she was really busy or nervous or both but she forgot to mention that the cat spa guests can use the hostel's kitchen and common area which is in a different building right next door. So for 2 days we thought that the tiny common area of the spa is all we had to prepare and eat meals. Using the hostel's common area and kitchen really saved this stay for us. As I mentioned above, the idea of staying in a cat spa was appealing, however I think we would have enjoyed it for just one night instead of 5. The biggest thing I found troubling was that there was a camera recording the common area, so we were told not to walk around without clothing. Even though we had the whole place to ourselves. We had to bring all the clothes with us to the shower or change in the capsules which wasn't very comfortable. It just felt icky and wrong. Next, some of the cats were very cute and playful but there were a few cats that stayed in cages the whole time, which is understandable if they can't play nice with other cats but they yowled really loudly and non stop (during the night as well). The entryway to the caspule area and the cat area smelled pretty bad. And the cat area itself especially, probably because they had litter boxes right there where people were playing with the cats. I've been to a few cat cafes before and never had a litter box right there next to visitors. That was really gross. Lastly, the beds were so thin and uncomfortable. I'm a side sleeper and I got bruises on my hips from how hard it was. I slept in another ryokan right before staying here and it was much more cushy and comfortable. I hope this helps another family make a decision about booking this place.