Discovering Modern Comfort and Historical Charm in Osaka
We arrived in Tokyo, Japan on a red-eye flight from Singapore. After a smooth immigration and baggage claim, we headed straight to the Shinkansen towards Osaka. Taking the Shinkansen was a great experience! Even though our luggage was small enough, we booked seats that were meant for oversized luggage, as well as seats on the right side to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji. After arriving at Shin-Osaka station, we hopped on the local subway towards Namba. The Citadines Namba was a short walk from Namba Station and quite a pleasant one. Due to the low number of vehicles passing by, the smaller streets felt like pedestrian only areas. The hotel was hard to miss as it was one of the larger buildings in the area. We arrived before check-in so we stored our bags and went to explore Osaka.
The hotel was well located, only a five-minute walk away from both Namba Station as well as Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street. Dotonbori street wasn’t far either; we visited it multiple times. The hotel was located on a main street yet it was very quiet. The same building also houses the Community Food Hall, a bunch of restaurants next door. The building has cultural and historical significance as it used to be part of a Takashimaya department store built in the 1930s.
Room
The Citadines Namba offers serviced apartments as well as hotel rooms for single night stays. They have a variety of available rooms ranging from smaller studios to 2-bedroom apartments. We were lucky to stay in a Premier Double Room which featured a kitchenette and a spacious couch and table.
The sleeping area featured a queen-sized floating bed and a desk that looked out onto a quiet street. The room was equipped with an air purifier which is the normal standard in most hotels in Japan. It also had a large TV mounted to the wall.
The kitchenette included a small induction cooktop, a sink, a fridge, a microwave/oven as well as cookware, dishware and cleaning supplies. There was a large closet which included robes, slippers and storage space.
The bathroom was spotless. Japanese style toilet with bidet options mounted on the wall and a simple shower but with the strongest water pressure we’ve ever experienced! The bathroom was elevated above the rest of the room, which was an interesting concept that probably helped keep the rest of the room dry and moisture-free.
The room was styled minimal with blue and yellow tones using a lot of natural wood accents. The use of light wood flooring as opposed to carpet is a great idea. It keeps the hotel looking clean and modern.
Amenities
The hotel featured useful amenities such as a laundry room, kids playroom, and a fitness centre.
We used the laundry room during our stay. There were 6 washers and 6 dryers which meant there were always machines available to use. Instructions were in Japanese but with a quick use of Google Translate, we were able to download an app to pay and start the machines. The app also told you the timing until it was finished which was extremely helpful. It rained the majority of the time, but the hotel provided large umbrellas at the lobby for guests to use as needed.
Lounge
The Residents’ Lounge was our favourite area of the hotel. It was a room on the 5th floor where guests could relax. There were couches and long tables and chairs as well as many places to sit. There is a full kitchen with unlimited coffee machine and water refill station. There were also utensils and dishware that are free to use, as well as a vending machine for cold/hot drinks. Because our room only had one desk, we spent time in the Residents’ Lounge in the mornings working on our laptops.
It’s a genius idea to have a place where guests can spend time outside of the confines of their room, and away from the loudness of a hotel lobby. The best part is it’s open 24/7 which is great for those with jetlag.
Breakfast
The hotel served breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday at their in-house restaurant Number 5. It was a large brightly lit area with plenty of seating. It had a cute vintage red car inside near the entrance which added a pop of colour. We enjoyed breakfast on our first morning. It was buffet-style with many traditional Japanese food options. As well as fresh fruits and baked goods, there was dim-sum, miso soup, French toast, and miso soup. We tried tamagoyaki, which was cut into cubes and served chilled in the Japanese style.
The hotel also had a chic lobby bar. They had sustainability offer that if you don’t use the daily housekeeping services, they give you two drink vouchers to use at the lobby bar. We claimed them by ordering delicious matcha cocktails.
In retrospect, our stay at Citadines Namba merged modern comfort with historical charm, creating an exciting chapter in our Osaka adventure. From the sleek design of our room to the peaceful atmosphere of the Residents’ Lounge, every detail was thoughtful. Citadines Namba became a cherished accommodation that we highly recommend if you’re planning to travel to Osaka!