Water hotel Osaka

During Obon, I set off on a whirlwind adventure across the Kansai region, hopping from one prefecture to another. Each night brought a new love hotel, each with its own surprises. To keep things fresh and avoid a flood of hotel reviews, I promise to sprinkle in at least three non-review blogs along the way.

The first hotel left me wishing for more hours to explore its charms. I arrived just before midnight; I rode the last train from mystical Mount Koya in Wakayama. Beforehand, I scouted the best hotel districts, determined to try the classic experience. In Osaka you are spoiled for choice as there are many areas where hotels cluster and most are near the hot spots or at least near public transport. Most guests simply show up and take their pick, since these hotels are built for spontaneity. Water Hotel had caught my eye with its quirky features, and I was eager to see them up close.

Stepping inside, you are greeted by a grand circular aquarium and ceiling mirrors that scatter light across the lobby, setting a tranquil, almost otherworldly mood. The hotel is devoted to a water theme, with some rooms featuring soothing aquariums for relaxation therapy. Others offer planetariums, and each space is designed to immerse guests in calm and comfort. When I arrived, a few rooms were still available, however the check-in board at this hotel is not the fancy modern touch screen. This sadly means it will only display one room image, usually just the bed meaning it is hard to know what a room will be like. There is also no amenities style shop which I have grown to love, and many hotels now are offering their own takes on this. The old-style board also only shows basic rates so you will need to take this into account when you select your room.

The hotel’s website is up to date, and I had to cross check the images on the website to work out which rooms were left. This took some time and made me pine for the newer touch screens used in a growing number of love hotels.

After comparing options with the hotel’s website, I narrowed it down to two room types. Most rooms here come with a jet bath as a standard perk, though the coveted aquarium rooms had already been snapped up. While there were no typical amenities shop to browse, my room was thoughtfully stocked with plenty of extras and all the essentials for a comfortable stay.

Location is an easy win here: the hotel sits right in the vibrant heart of Osaka, perched beside the famous canal and surrounded by a web of transport options. It earns a perfect 10 for location. When it comes to ease of access, online booking is available, but the old-fashioned board system leaves much to be desired, offering little insight into the rooms themselves. The front desk will also call after you arrive to confirm your length of stay. For a hotel that promises a contactless experience, this can lead to awkward conversations for those not fluent in Japanese, and may frustrate guests used to newer hotels where you simply enter your stay duration at check-in. I give this category a 6, bringing the total score to 16.

The room was very pleasant, and there was a glass floor with white gravel beneath to give the vibe of a beach. The whole room had led panels that could be adjusted; the living room and bedroom were part of the same space, but the sofa section was raised to create a distinction. The bathroom had a very large bath, which I am sad that I did not get to use, as it was spacious. The room is on the smaller side, but the space is handled very well. There is a TV and fridges with drinks and amenities. Everything was clean, and the room looked modern. I award an 8 for comfort and cleanliness as the room was above what I was expecting.

For amenities, it had everything you needed for an overnight stay, and they even offered an alarm service. For amenities, I award a 7, taking the score to 31. Perhaps I am too attached to my amenities-styled stores, which are provided in a lot more love hotels these days.

For food, I again was unable to try the food due to the late arrival and my early start. I will note that I attempted to place an order, as 24-hour service is provided; however, after being told we don’t have it or it has sold out for three different menu items, I abandoned the cause. Ordering also must be done over the phone, which is a far cry from the hotels with app food ordering or even TV ordering. So, for food, the usual 5 will be awarded, taking the score to 36.

My overall experience was very positive. I was impressed with the room, and it was a very nice space. The relaxation theme is a welcome one on a long week of exploring, and it was a nice rest. I think the hotel would benefit from the newer touch screen displays and adding at least TV ordering to the rooms. But the experience was good, and even if the room was smaller compared to love hotels, it was still a larger space than most Japanese business hotels. So, for overall enjoyment, I award a 7, taking the total to 45.  

The final category is likely to be rebooked, and there are certainly more rooms I want to see, but the check-in process and having to cross-check rooms are slightly off-putting. Osaka is home to many love hotels; in fact, it is the city where I had the most results. There are many unique and crazy hotels on the long list, so for likely to rebook, I award a 6. The final score for this hotel is 51/70.

It is certainly worth a look at if the area is busy and they have space.