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As the main destination of this trip was Tottori, Osaka was simply a
gateway for getting in and out. We only stayed in Osaka for the first
night and the final night of the trip. Althrough the two nights were not
consecutive, we stayed at the same hotel both times –
Onyado Nono Osaka Yodoyabashi (御宿 野乃 大阪淀屋橋).
Originally, we had planned to stay around Shinsaibashi or Namba on the
last night, but the room rates there were about one and a half times the
price, so in the end we decided it made more sense to stay at the same
hotel again. |
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The hotel is located in Kitahama (北浜),
between Kitahama station and Yodoyabashi station. The lines available
are the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line and Sakaisuji Line, as well as the
Keihan Main Line. From Yodoyabashi station, the nearest exit is Keihan
Exit 20. If you are pulling luggage, Keihan Exit 14B has an upward
escalator, while Keihan Exit 13 has a lift. From Kitahama station, the
nearest exit is Keihan Exit 21 (in fact, Keihan Yodoyabashi and Kitahama
stations are connected), and the nearest lift is at Osaka Metro Exit 1B. |
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Lawson convenience store under the hotel |
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Hotel sign, with the English description 'Japanese Style Dormy
Inn Premium' |
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Main entrance vestibule |
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Suitcases need to be rolled across a
disinfectant tray |
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We got off at Kitahama station and walked over from Exit 1B, which took
about five minutes. Transport links are quite convenient. 'Onyado Nono'
is a modern Japanese-style hotel brand under Dormy Inn. The services
provided are largely the same as those of Dormy Inn, but the interior
design and decor follow a Japanese style. That said, it is still run as
a modern hotel and is different from a traditional Japanese inn or onsen
ryokan. The sign outside clearly states 'Japanese style Dormy Inn
Premium'. |
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The biggest difference compared with a normal hotel is that the entire
building is covered with tatami mats, and guests walk around barefoot.
As with a typical Japanese home, after entering the main entrance
vestibule, you need to remove your shoes at the step and store them in
the shoe lockers on the left-hand side. Suitcases that have been dragged
through the streets must also be rolled across a tray filled with
disinfectant before being taken onto the tatami. After that, you can
proceed to the reception area to check in. |
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Lift lobby on the guest room floors |
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The check-in process is basically done through self-service machines,
with staff nearby to assist if needed. First, you choose the language –
English, Chinese, or Korean – and then follow the on-screen instructions
to enter you details, including your name, and the names, addresses, and
phone number of any accompanying guests. Once the information is
registered, payment is made directly at the machine. Credit cards, QR
payments, and cash are all accepted. After payment, the machine prints
out the room number details and receipt, and issues two room key cards.
Staff then provide a hotel guide in the selected language, which clearly
lists the opening hours for the various services. |
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The hotel has 13 floors, and our room was on the 11th floor. We booked a
twin room with two single beds, each 1.1 metres wide. The hotel also
offers Double room (one 1.4-metre-wide bed), Corner Double rooms, Queen
rooms (bed width 1.6 metres), King rooms (bed width 1.8 metres), and a
Universal room designed for guests with disabilities (bed width 1.6
metres). The room rate for one night was about JP¥28,000, including
breakfast, which I personally think offers very good value for money. |
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Bathroom (accessed through the toilet) |
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Open wardrobe (with luggage storage space) |
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Clothing deodoriser, basically standard in
Japanese hotels |
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Emergency evacuation slippers |
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The room design is actually very similar to the
Dormy Inn PREMIUM Ginza where we stayed last year, except that the
beds are slightly lower. By Japanese standards, the room size is quite
decent. In additional to the beds, there is a two-seater bench, and it
is just about possible to open two suitcases at the same time. Following
the usual Dormy Inn style, hotel room windows generally do not offer
much of a view, but this time it was fairly good. The view was quite
open, and we could see the Museum of Oriental Ceramics on Nakanoshima. |
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Although the bathroom is located within the toilet area, it is separated
by a door, so wet and dry areas are still kept apart. The washbasin is
not inside the toilet, but instead placed in the entrance area together
with the open wardrobe. By closing the partition door between the
entrance and the bedroom, the entire entrance area effectively becomes
part of the bathroom space. The bathroom amenities in the room are from
POLA Aroma Ess Gold, which is considered a mid-to-high range brand. |
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In the drawer beneath the washbasin are the personal toiletries,
including cups, toothbrushes, combs, razors, shower caps, cotton buds,
and hair ties. Below that is the fridge, which contains complimentary
bottled water and snacks for each guest. This time, the welcome snack
was pear pudding. Although it is labelled as pear pudding, the
ingredients include apple juice, giving it a slightly tart apple flavour. |
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Hot spring items: bath towels, body scurb
towel, socks, and laundry bag |
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Welcome snacks inside the fridge |
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Welcome snack: pear pudding |
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Power sockets by the bed |
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I personally highly recommend Dormy Inn hotels (definitely not sponsored
– these days, brands rarely pay writers for sponsored content unless you
are extremely well known). Not only do they offer great value for money,
but they are also very thoughtful in many small details. For example,
the television provides a lot of useful real-time information, such as
the availability of washing machines and dryers, so you do not need to
carry your laundry to the laundry room and wait around for nothing. It
also shows the current crowd levels at the hot spring baths and the
restaurant, clearly indicating whether they are empty, quiet, normal, or
busy. |
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There are power sockets by the bed, supporting not only Japanese
standard plugs but also two sets of USB ports. Each set provides DC 5V
2.4A output, which is sufficient for most phones and tablets. Remember
that you have to remove your shoes inside the hotel – but what if there
is an emergency, such as a fire or earthquake? Would you really run
outside barefoot, or rush back to the shoe lockers at a critical moment?
To deal with this, the hotel provides emergency slippers, stored in a
fabric bag hanging the wardrobe. It really shows how carefully
everything has been thought through. |
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Lift lobby on the hotel's 2nd floor |
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Hotel restaurant – Hatago |
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Yonaki soba (free soy sauce ramen late-night
snack) |
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Seating area outside the restaurant |
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The hotel restaurant is called 'Hatago' and is located on the 2nd floor.
From 15:00 to 21:00, complimentary non-alcoholic drinks are available.
Like Dormy Inn, it is familar, yet slightly different. From 18:00 to
21:00, there is a 'Dominista Lounge' session where alcoholic drinks are
served. Guests who book directly through the hotel's official website,
or choose a plan that includes the Dominista Lounge, can enjoy this for
free. Other guests need to pay JP¥1,100. As a member of the Dormy Inn
group, the free late-night snack – Yonaki soba – is, of course, included
and is served from 21:30 to 23:00. |
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Just outside the restaurant is a relaxation area, with several
comfortable chairs and footstools, as well as massage chairs that guests
can use free of charge. The shelves in the relaxation area display
decorative items and also hold books that can be borrowed. There is a
vending machine selling drinks at reasonable prices. As the entire hotel
(including all guest rooms and public areas) is non-smoking, there is a
smoking room on the 2nd floor relaxation area and another on the 13th
floor near the hot spring baths. |
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Natural Hot Spring Hanami no Yu |
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Free ice lollies (evening) |
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Vending machines and ice machine |
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No more glass bottles of milk! |
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The hot spring baths – Natural Hot Spring Hanami no Yu (天然温泉
花波の湯) – are located on the 13th floor. The men's and women's
baths are separate. For the men's bath, access is gained by tapping the
room key card, while the women's bath requires an additional passcode.
As with Dormy Inn, each shower is separated by partitions, which are
fairly tall and wide, offering good privacy. The hot spring water is
transported daily from Mt Ikoma (山駒山),
which sits on the border between Osaka and Nara, at an elevation of 642
metres. The main bath is indoors, are there are also two small 'outdoor'
baths. Here. 'outdoor' does not mean open-air, but rather baths with
windows that allow in fresh air. |
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The washing machines and dryers are located in the bath changing area.
The washing machines are free to use and already contain detergent, so
there is no need to add any. The dryers are chargeable at JP¥100 for
every 20 minutes. The 13th floor also has a comic corner where guests
can borrow comics. Outside the baths, free ice lollies are available in
the evening (15:00-01:00), while free probiotic drinks (similar to
Yakult) are provided in the morning (05:00-10:00). In addition to the
vending machines on the 2nd floor, there are also machines on the 13th
floor. Since they are located outside the baths, they naturally sell
chilled fresh milk – unfortunately, no longer in glass bottles. |
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Miso soup and savory egg pudding |
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Pickles to go with rice |
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Cubed seafood for kaisendon (seafood rice
bowl): tuna, salmon with salmon roe, whitebait, and okra |
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Vinegared rice for the kaisendon |
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Cutlets: prawns, creamy croquettes, karaage
(fried chicken), and potato wedges |
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Freshly fried tempura: oysters, prawns, lotus
root, and pumpkin |
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My personal breakfast selection |
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After soaking in the hot spring the night before and enjoying a good
night's sleep, it was only right to start the morning with a heartly
breakfast. Each Dormy Inn or Onyado Nono property features a theme based
on local ingredients or cuisine, and the theme at Onyado Nono Osaka
Yodoyabashi is 'kaisendon (seafood rice bowls) and freshly fried
tempura'. Breakfast is served as an all-you-can-eat buffet, and the
seafood rice bowl can be customised to your own taste. Apart from okra,
I added everything, and there was also a wide selection of small side
dishes to choose from. |
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After finishing breakfast, we returned to the room, packed our luggage,
and checked out. We left our bags with the hotel for a while, then made
a quick dash to Kyoto to visit Iwashimizu Hachimangû (石清水八幡宮),
before collecting our luggage in the afternoon and heading on to
Tottori... |
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