In the last two years, I have been to Osaka four times. Believe it or not, I only stayed in one accommodation. I enjoyed my first stay back in April 2023, to the point where I stayed in this property every single time I visited Osaka after. I will not gatekeep this any longer, and I will share my favorite Osaka hostel, The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi, in today’s Hostel of the Day feature.
I have been to Osaka a few times in the past. If you are interested to know more about my previous visits, feel free to check out the posts under the Osaka category.
The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi
The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi is 2-star high-rated accommodation in the heart of Osaka. Renovated in 2019, the property has 134 well-designed private and dormitory rooms across 7 floors. The reception, communal lounge, and co-working spaces are found on the second floor.
A few years ago, I stayed with The Stay Osaka’s sister hostel, The Stay Sapporo, in Hokkaido. I also featured the said hostel in this website. I hope you can check out that hostel of the day post here.
Location & Access
The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi is located at 1-14-29 Shimanouchi Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, 542-0082. It is in the center of Osaka, in a quiet neighborhood east of Shinsaibashi. The property is 2 minutes by foot from Exit 6 of Nagahoribashi Station (K16/N16) on the Sakaisuji & Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Subway Lines. It is 10 minutes by food from Exits 5 & 6 of Shinsaibashi Station (M19) on the Midōsuji Subway Line.
The hostel is 700 meters or 10 minutes away by foot from the Shinsaibashi Shopping Street and 1.1 kilometers or 15 minutes away by foot from Dotonbori/GGlico Man Sign. It is also near several local restaurants and convenience stores like Lawson, Family Mart, and 7-Eleven.
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The Stay Osaka is 25 to 30 minutes by train (Midōsuji Subway Line) from Shin-Ōsaka Station, 45 to 50 minutes away by train (Midōsuji and Sakaisuji Subway Lines) and airport bus from Osaka Itami Airport, and 50 minutes to an hour by train (Midōsuji and Sakaisuji Subway Lines, Nankai Lines, and Osaka Loop Line) from Kansai International Airport.
The hostel’s location is an easy 10 out of 10. It is close to everything one needs when traveling around Osaka. It is near the subway station, near commercial spaces, and is accessible to the airports via train.
In 2023, I stayed with another hostel in Osaka named Backpackers Hotel Toyo. It is probably the most economical hostel in the city with good quality facilities. You can check out my Backpackers Hotel Toyo hostel of the day feature here.
Room Options & Cost
The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi has a long list of hotel- and hostel-type private and dormitory rooms that all types of guests can choose from.
The private rooms have the following configurations: queen room with private toilet, twin room with private toilet, triple room with private toilet, 4-bed bunk room with shared toilet, 4-bed bunk room with private toilet and mini kitchen, Japanese-style (futon) room (for 5 people) with private toilet, 5-bed bunk room with private toilet and mini kitchen, and 6-bed bunk room with shared toilet.
The dormitory rooms have the following bed arrangements: mixed dormitory room with shared toilet, female dormitory room with shared toilet, and mixed dormitory room with semi-double beds and shared toilet. Room or dormitory bed rates per night vary depending on season and booking platform.
I stayed with The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi four times in the last 2 years, and I have booked the same mixed dormitory room (Room 701) with semi-double beds for all stays. Each semi-double bed features an enclosed (by curtains) space, a pillow and duvet, a safe box, in-room slippers, and toilet amenities, including bath and face towels. The room also features a large storage space and a small co-working space with tables and chairs facing the windows.
I paid an average of ¥4,322.13 per night, or ₱1,682.86 per night, with 11 out of 16 nights during peak season (long holiday weekend and Sakura season).
Guest Facilities & Amenities
Guests staying at The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi enjoy the following facilities and amenities:
Free High-Speed Wi-Fi – All hostel guests have access to complimentary high-speed wi-fi both inside the rooms and in the communal areas. The connection is fast enough to accommodate those people working remotely while in Osaka.
Shared Kitchen – Guests can use the shared kitchen to cook meals during their stay. The kitchen is fully-equipped with a burner, pans, and everything needed for cooking.
Communal Dining Area – The hostel has a spacious and aesthetic communal dining area beside the kitchen.
Complimentary Tea, Coffee, & Ice Cubes – The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi offers complimentary tea, coffee, and ice cubes to all guests. The hostel’s tap water is safe for drinking.
Co-Working Space – The hostel has a co-working space shared with the dining area on the second floor. Some dormitory rooms also have small co-working spaces inside the rooms.
Common Lounge & TV Area – Guests can chill and relax in the common lounge and TV area beside reception.
Clean Communal Showers & Toilets – The property makes sure that its communal showers and toilets are clean and well-maintained.
Air Conditioning & Heating Systems – All private rooms, dormitory rooms, and common areas feature air conditioning and heating systems.
Breakfast Service – The hostel offers breakfast service to those who avail themselves of it. The breakfast meals can be ordered for a fee the night before.
In-House Bar – The Stay Osaka has an in-house bar that sells alcoholic drinks and mixed drinks.
Vending Machines – The hostel has vending machines in front of reception.
Tourist Corner – The Stay Osaka has a tourist corner that has guides, city maps, flyers, and pamphlets with everything about Osaka, current promotions, and upcoming events.
Locker Rental – Guests can rent lockers for their valuables or other items when needed.
Free Boardgames Rental – Guests can borrow the boardgames near the lounge area and play with them during their stay.
Free Umbrella Rental – The Stay Osaka offers free umbrella rental during rainy days. Guests can freely get one when leaving the hostel and return it after use.
Coin-Operated Laundry & Dryer – The hostel has a coin-operated laundry and dryer, which guests can use during their stay.
Luggage Storage – The Stay Osaka offers free luggage storage before check-in until 3:00 p.m. and after check-out until 10:00 p.m.
Hostel Shop – Forgot to bring something? Fret not. The hostel has a small shop selling items the guests might need during their stay.
Seasonal Hostel Activities – The property hosts seasonal hostel activities to welcome guests from around the world. These activities are announced ahead of time in the hostel socials and on the noticeboards.
Long Reception Hours – The hostel reception is open from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. Check-in starts at 3 p.m. daily while check-out is allowed until 10:00 a.m.
Multi-Lingual & Friendly Staff – The hostel staff are all warm, welcoming, and friendly. They speak different languages including Nihongo, Korean, and English.
Lift Access – The hostel has one lift that goes to every floor. Guests who bring large luggage do not need to carry it via the stairs.
Designated Smoking Area – The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi has a designated smoking area outside near the building entrance.
Secured Room Access – All private and dormitory rooms can only be accessed by using the assigned key cards during check-in. The key cards only work on your assigned room, the assigned floor in the lifts, and the common floors.
Secured Hostel Premises – The rooms can only be accessed by the guests. Also, the lift requires a keycard for it to go up. The main entrance door is locked every day after 11:00 p.m. The hostel is also equipped with a 24/7 security surveillance system.
Hostel Experience
I have stayed with The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi several times in the past, and I will continue to stay with them every time I am in Osaka.
The hostel wins in some aspects. First, the mixed-dorm with semi-double beds is something I really like. I get the privacy I need for a fraction of the price of a private room. I also like that the room is spacious, has its own toilet and shower, and has a small co-working space or table.
Second, the hostel’s common area is my favorite. The common area is spacious and aesthetic. It is also perfect for those who need to do some work during their stay. It also has a fast and reliable wi-fi connection, ideal for work calls and meetings.
Third, the hostel offers complimentary amenities like shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, coffee, tea, and even ice cubes. It is my first time to see a hostel regularly provide ice cubes to its guests. Fourth, the hostel’s location is one of the best in Osaka. It is in a quiet neighborhood near Shinsaibashi and near many Osaka sights like Dotonbori, Kuromon Market, and Namba. It is also accessible to the city’s public transportation system.
Fifth, the hostel’s rates are not the cheapest in the city but are affordable and reasonable for the location, facilities, and amenities they offer.
The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi is not a perfect hostel. I also had some not-so-good experiences during my previous hostel stays. First, the common area can be very noisy and busy during the night when most guests are back from the days outside. There was one instance when guests were laughing out loud and shouting at 1:00 a.m. Good thing, the staff advised that group to tone down their voices.
Second, the dormitory room temperatures can be hot and uncomfortable at times. The dormitory room temperatures are controlled by the staff. There were instances when it went to the high and hot temperatures during my spring visits.
Even with these not-so-good experiences, The Stay Osaka remains to be my favorite hostel in Osaka. I enjoyed my previous stays with them and I am looking forward to coming back in the future.
If you have any curiosities about the hostel and about a potential upcoming stay, please feel free to reach out to them on the following channels:
The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi
Address: 1-14-29 Shimanouchi Chuo-ku ,Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, 542-0082
Phone Number: +81 06-6251-3900
Email: osaka@thestay.jp
Website: www.thestay.jp/osaka/en
Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_stay_osaka_shinsaibashi
This wraps up my post about The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi. What do you think of the hostel? Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send these questions to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.
Thanks for joining me in today’s Hostel of the Day feature. Please also take time to check out my previous HOTD features by clicking this. You will find my other hostel reviews about Le Village Montmartre in Paris, The Bed KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, The RomeHello in Rome, Yesinn Youth Hostel in Hong Kong, Yeah Hostel in Barcelona, Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel in Tokyo, and Z Hostel here in the Philippines.
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PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.