Tag: accommodation

6 Accommodations Stayed at in Japan, 2022

ZooksLeave a comment

Tere!

After spending two weeks in my hometown, I headed to Osaka. Mainly I stayed in Osaka, and yet at some point I stayed in Kyoto too.

In this article I’m gonna make some comments on how staying at accommodations in Kansai was.

Table of Contents

     1. Osaka
          a. Business hotel Nisshin Namba Inn
          b. FON-SU B&B
          c. Quintessa Comic & Books
          d. HOTEL MORNING BOX
          e. KIX House Waraku 2 goukan
     2. Kyoto
          a. HOTEL M’s PLUS SHIJO OMIYA
     ★Summary

1. Osaka

a. Business hotel Nisshin Namba Inn

The first accommodation that I stayed in was Business Hotel Nisshin Namba Inn. It is literally located in Namba, Osaka.

The accessibility to Nisshin Namba Inn is quite good. I arrived at JR Namba station, and if I walked it would have taken only 10 minutes. Since I had two 20 kg suitcases, I took Uber. There are a few more taxi apps in Japan, but their apps were not available in App Store Estonia. Therefore, Uber was the only option for me. From JR Namba station to Nisshin Namba Inn, it cost less than 700 JPY on Saturday afternoon.

Around Nisshin Namba Inn, there are some restaurants, a drug store, and what is best, two convenience stores (kiosks) called Family Mart. In some countries, Family Mart exists with the name of “Famima” which is an abbreviation that we Japanese use.

I booked a double room. Usually, toiletries in Japanese hotels are furnished in each room, but due to COVID, in Nisshin Namba Inn, it was self service. However, when checking in, they gave me a bag with a few cotton swabs, a hair tie, one-time liquid cleansing as well as a mask. In the bathroom, there was a new soap. Hence the only thing I took from the toiletry box was a body wash sponge. I had my own toothbrush too, so I didn’t have to take one.

In the bathroom of Nisshin Namba Inn, there were bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. This is a good point because I don’t have to consider how much I can use those liquids!

In the room, there is also a microwave, a small fridge, a cooker, a kettle in addition to a closet. In the closet there were three hangers. Since it’s a hotel, a pair of slippers and a hairdryer was also in the room. What is more, I had one bag of tea and one set of instant coffee.

Nisshin Namba Inn offers breakfast too. Don’t expect anything fancy. There are several different types of bread (both savoury and sweet ones) and yoghurt as food. As for drinks, there are coffee, instant coffee, tea, instant soup in addition to juice and milk.

I’ve had something wrong with my belly whenever I ate bread or pasta. Sometimes it was fine, for instance, when I ate my mum’s sourdough bread sandwiches. Immediately after eating some pastries in Nisshin Namba Inn for breakfast, my belly bloated. Since they didn’t offer anything else like rice, I decided not to eat those pieces of bread for breakfast in Nisshin Namba Inn.

Also, of course there is free Wifi in Nisshin Namba Inn, and the connection was very good. I did a school theory exam for driving online, and there was no problem.

b. FON-SU B&B

FON-SU B&B is located in Shinsaibashi area but quite away from any stations or the main streets in Shinsaibashi and Namba. The exact location is in the residential area.

The good points of staying in FON-SU B&B are that three convenience stores (7-eleven, Lawson and Family mart) are nearby.

However, there are multiple negative points.

First, it is not a B&B. Though they say “B&B”, they don’t include breakfast at all. There is their cafe in the same building, but it opens at 9. I was very disappointed, and felt like I wasted money. I chose FON-SU B&B because it says “B&B”. Then what is it? It’s a hostel with private rooms. Mine was a private room as I had two big suitcases.

The second point is the location from FON-SU B&B. When I walked somewhere from FON-SU B&B, there was no problem. However, when I had to move to the next accommodation in Kyoto, 10 minutes by walk with two 20-kg suitcases was too much. I eventually took Uber to the nearest station as from the station the transport didn’t seem to be that hard.

Thirdly, I didn’t like their way of speaking. I had to call them on Skype in the morning like at 7.30 because I had no idea how to get out while the main entrance was closed. They answered and they sounded as if they had wondered why I didn’t know how to get out of the building outside the active hours. When checking in, they taught me how to get in late at night or in the early morning because the door requires a code. However, they didn’t tell me how to get out of the building during such a time. When I met the person who answered my call, she was nice, but her way of speaking on Skype wasn’t guest-friendly.

When I come to Japan again, I wouldn’t stay in this hostel again. If you are on a budget trip or local trip in Japan, it could be an option.

c. Quintessa Comic & Books

Quintessa Comic & Books was an interesting hotel because there were lots of comics books! The number of comic books was not as big as internet cafes. However, it was satisfactory as they had “Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no yaiba)”.

At that time, it was said that the third season of “Demon Slayer” anime would start in the coming months, and I had not watched the second season. When I didn’t have any plans to go outside, I spent some time reading “Demon Slayer” in the hotel room.

Reference

It seemed that there were some guests who just wanted to read comic books in Quintessa Comic & Books.

The hotel toiletries including tea, coffee, and face wash were self-service. Of course, I took extra for the next trip I planned.

d. HOTEL MORNING BOX

I didn’t like HOTEL MORNING BOX because my hotel room was too small, it was chilly inside, and there was no drink in the room. On the other hand, the good point was that there was a large communal bath. Since it was not onsen, it was just a large version of a regular bathtub, and yet it was very comfortable to soak my full body there alone. (Yes, there was no one in the bathroom.)

Reference

HOTEL MORNING BOX also had a shared space where guests could eat and do some computer jobs. I could use this space even after checking out.

I really liked the communal bath, but I wouldn’t stay at HOTEL MORNING BOX again.

e. KIX House Waraku 2 goukan

Waraku is in Rinku, and around 15 minutes away by walk.

Speaking plainly, I am not sure if I will stay at Waraku again because of the taxi issue there. Since Rinku is in Osaka, I thought Uber was available. However, when arriving at Rinku town station, there was no Uber. Even regular taxis were not there. I went to the reception in the hotel beside the taxi area in the station, and asked them to call a taxi. Gladly, they did, and I was able to go to the accommodation by taxi.

Due to this, I had to do something for the transport the next morning. The taxi driver was luckily very kind, and when arriving at Waraku, he called his taxi company, and let me book a taxi ride the next morning.

Maybe it was still cheap to stay there and go to Rinku town station, and take a train to the airport, but I didn’t like the accommodation itself. My room was on the upstairs, and I had to bring two heavy suitcases there, which was not easy.

2. Kyoto

a. HOTEL M’s PLUS SHIJO OMIYA

I stayed at HOTEL M’s PLUS SHIJO OMIYA because I was supposed to hang out with my friend in Kyoto. However, owing to her company’s rule on COVID, she cancelled the plan. Therefore, the accommodation was still in Kyoto.

HOTEL M’s PLUS SHIJO OMIYA is located just next to the Hankyu Omiya station.

The room looked fashionable, but I didn’t like it that much as there was no table in the room. There was some space in the TV rack, but it was far from the edge of the bed, so it didn’t work well as a table.

Around HOTEL M’s PLUS SHIJO OMIYA, there are convenience stores and a supermarket. If you want, there is a McDonald’s too near HOTEL M’s PLUS SHIJO OMIYA too.

In HOTEL M’s PLUS SHIJO OMIYA, in the common area, there is a microwave though I didn’t use it.

★Summary

To be honest, I wanted to stay at a weekly flat in Osaka, however, it was more expensive than staying at hotels.

Next time, I want to stay in Osaka or somewhere for one month so that I can stay at a monthly flat, and go to some other far away cities such as Tokyo and Okinawa from Kansai on weekends.

Aitäh! 🙂

Hostels that I stayed in Stockholm and Gothenburg

ZooksLeave a comment

Tere!

I don’t basically choose hotels on my solo trips. Since I came to know using hostels when I was about to go to Ireland in 2015, fundamentally the accommodations during my trips are hostels. At that time, I happened to tell my Irish teacher in my university in Japan “I can’t move into the student accommodation right after arrival in Ireland, I think I need to book a hotel room for a few days” and he suggested to me “Why don’t you stay in a hostel? It’s cheaper”, which was the beginning. Since then, I have used hostels wherever I have travelled. (As a student, due to the flight schedules or airports’ locations, occasionally I had no choice but to stay in B&B.)

In the countryside there are more B&B accommodations, and it’s hard to find a hostel whilst in cities (almost) always there are hostels. Of course, there are hostels in Stockholm and Gothenburg. (Of course of “of course”.) In this article, I will talk about the hostels that I used on a trip to Sweden in March, 2022.

Table of Contents

1. Stockholm – Crafoord Place Hostel
     a. Super long on-hold booking
     b. Dusty?
     c. Overall review on Crafoord Place Hostel

2. Gothenburg – Backpackers Göteborg
     a. Location of the Backpackers Göteborg hostel
     b. Facilities in the Backpackers Göteborg hostel
     c. Overall review on the Backpackers Göteborg hostel

★Summary

1. Stockholm – Crafoord Place Hostel

Firstly, I’m going to discuss the hostel in Stockholm. In Stockholm I stayed in the hostel called Crafoord Place Hostel. This was my fourth visit to Stockholm. Depending on dates, times, and situations, the reasonable hostels vary, so this was my first time staying in Crafoord Place Hostel.

a. Super long on-hold booking

I booked Crafoord Place Hostel so as to go to a gig by Louis Tomlinson from One Direction, and yet the gig had been postponed owing to COVID, I had to change the booking dates in Crafoord Place Hostel as well. Initially I booked a bed via Hostelworld, but I directly communicated with Crafoord Place Hostel about putting off the booking.

When changing the booking details, I explained to them “I booked a bed because I planned to go to an event in Stockholm, but the event was postponed, and I don’t know the new date yet” and then they gave me a due date for rebooking for some months.

Before reaching the due date, I contacted Crafoord Place Hostel again, and they gave me another due date for rebooking as it was still in the middle of the pandemic.

After a while, I finally rebooked in 2022. Although it’s Crafoord Place Hostel’s business, they had been waiting for me very patiently. However, since the three-year waiting time made me forget the details of the booking, I thought I would stay in a mixed dormitory, but actually it was a female dormitory. (I was betrayed with my expectation in a good way.)

b. Dusty?

Crafoord Place Hostel was kind of dusty. Or maybe the room where I stayed rather than the entire Crafoord Place Hostel hostel? The room window was always open, and my bed was just under the window. At that time, in Stockholm due to its season, the city was so dusty, and I saw sandstorms several times. Hence, it was dusty in the hostel because of the city environment rather than the uncleanliness of the hostel.

In the hostel I shared a room with some other girls, so while I was out, they opened the window, the dust constantly came into the room. Ah….

c. Overall review on Crafoord Place Hostel

As an overall review to Crafoord Place Hostel, the hostel was okay in my opinion.

The biggest con is that there was no microwave in the kitchen. Also, there were few mags and cutleries either.

The bathroom was not problematic though. There was hot water, and it was clean. However, I needed to look for a hair dryer, but there was anyway.

It was neither good nor bad. However, if a location is crucial for you, maybe Crafoord Place Hostel isn’t for you because Crafoord Place Hostel is located in the centre of Stockholm, but not very close, and moreover, Crafoord Place Hostel is quite far from the old town (gamla stan).

2. Gothenburg – Backpackers Göteborg

In Gothenburg, Istayed in a hostel called Backpackers Göteborg, and yet I honestly don’t remember why I chose this hostel. However, overall the hostel was good, so it was not a bad decision.

a. Location of the Backpackers Göteborg hostel

The Backpackers Göteborg hostel’s location is pretty well. It’s in the centre of Gothenburg, and there are three supermarkets within walking distances. What is better, there was a pharmacy, electronic appliances shop for a rainy day (where I had to buy a cable for my iPhone as it suddenly broke), and tram and bus stops near the hostel.

The con is that it might be hard to find this hostel.

I saw a description like “The address is this, but the location is a bit different!” when I booked. Looking at the map, the Backpackers Göteborg hostel looks like being built together with the next building, but I believe both are the same. When you go to the actual address, you will see the sign board anyway, and you can ask the reception if the building is the Backpackers Göteborg hostel, so it shouldn’t be a big problem anyway.

b. Facilities in the Backpackers Göteborg hostel

The Backpackers Göteborg hostel’s facilities were pretty good too. In the kitchen, there were microwaves, ovens, cookers and lots of dinnerware. (And I accidentally broke one plate…) However, the dining area didn’t seem to welcome a solo traveller in my opinion. The furniture was placed as they had said: please share with other travellers in a friendly way or use it in a group.

The bathrooms in the Backpackers Göteborg hostel were sometimes good and sometimes not so good. In most of the times, it was okay though. The bathroom itself was spacious, which was a good point.

The room I stayed in the Backpackers Göteborg hostel was a female dormitory for 8 women, and each bed had a reading light, socket and curtain. In addition, under the lower beds, there were lockers with the numbers that correspond with each bed’s number. Although having a locker itself was convenient, it seemed like an older (type of) locker, so whenever I or someone opened or closed it, I heard the locker was with

with a creak…

It was very frustrating when I heard it during the sleep.

By the way, the point that a female traveller might be worried about, a hair dryer, was in the dormitory.

c. Overall review on the Backpackers Göteborg hostel

The Backpackers Göteborg hostel should score high in my personal opinion. Hostels can barely have perfect or very high scores, but if there are a couple of or some pros, your evaluation of the hostel would rise. Also, the cleanness of the bathroom is crucial. It affects our opinions and evaluations a lot, I believe.

Personally the biggest advantage was the Backpackers Göteborg hostel’s location, so perhaps those who wish to stay in hostels around the centre of Gothenburg could consider the Backpackers Göteborg hostel as an option.

★Summary

Whilst I don’t have any records or data about Crafoord Place Hostel anymore as the initial booking was too long ago, in the Backpackers Göteborg hostel, it cost around 25 EUR per night. (Yeah, it’s expensive…) Considering this price of a hostel room, hotels cost more, so for budget travellers as well as students hostels are better I guess.

This is kind of out of the topic, but occasionally there are people who think about their ages, and reckon “I’m too old to stay in a hostel”, but I’ve seen a bunch of Russian middle aged old men and women in a hostel in Dublin before, so age doesn’t matter. 👍

Aitäh! 🙂