Korean Job Discussion Forums

[warren pease]

Hey - MERRY CHRISTMAS

I booked a good deal last minute flight to Osaka for New Years. However, I'm having a really hard time finding a hotel online for less than like W160,000 a night. Everything seems booked up for the holidays.

Does anyone know if Japan's love motels are like ours - like you can stay in them for a couple days like a normal motel. And if they have a lot of other small hotels, maybe like min-baks, that wouldn't pop up on an internet search.

I'm flying out the morning of the 26th, so I'm getting pretty desperate. I'd really love to hear from anyone that's ever even been to Osaka.

Thanks in advance

[reactionary]

hi. love hotels exist but they're not as cheap as in korea.

a few options:

capsule hotels. this will be about 25,000-30,000 a night. there's at least one in america-mura that i've seen.

internet cafes (sleep in the chair, a sliding door gives you some privacy in your 'cubicle', and most if not all of them of them have showers). around 12,000 a night. a little hard to find, but one chain is called "popeye's media center." there's at least one in the namba/shinsaibashi area.

there are also some really cheap hotels around the dobutsuen-mae area. they might show up on hostelsworld.com or similar cheap hotel/hostel websites. you wont share a room though, they are just cheap hotels and not too far from the downtown action. they should be in the 50,000 won range.

good luck

[reactionary]

a ton of open hotels on hostelworld (japan doesnt have that many hostels, but plenty of budget hotels)

http://www.hostelworld.com/findabed.php?Search=1&PHPSESSID=2886745614-091225010342wkfIiQ2LOJpnjJVLDrm4

[warren pease]

Thanks for you quick replies.

So, like here, it's possible to stay at a love motel for a week or so? I tried looking online and a lot of what i read talked about hourly rates - and i could find nothing about staying more than one night.

[reactionary]

Never heard of it or tried it. I don't think they're as cheap as korea either, the love motels. Far more common are the "business hotels" like the ones I showed you on hostelworld.com. Any reason you're set on love motels in particular? If you're that keen to try them, you'll find plenty near Namba station on the Americamura side.

Btw, the rough Japanese equivalent of minbak are ryokan or minshuku. The former are a lot nicer and more expensive (usually including a NICE meal servedin your room), the latter I've never been able to find, I think they're more of a rural thing...

The "Hello Kitty" love motel exists in osaka...

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/love_hotels/01lh.php

Keep in mind also Osaka is about 40 minutes to an hour either way from Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara cities. And NYE is I believe the only night in Japan that most trains run all night long (in case you have particular troubles finding accommodation on the 31st).

[warren pease]

Not set on love motels at all. I just meant cheap, small businesses that might not appear on a web search.

I tried following your link to hostelworld but it just goes to the main page.
I did find some interesting places on hostelworld but almost nowhere has a room available for the entire week i'm going to be there.

I'm travelling with the GF so capsule hotels aren't gonna cut it. If it were just me i'd have no problem just showing up and looking around for a place. But the girlfriend is feeling less adventurous and is CERTAIN that if we do not book one of the few remaining, insanely overpriced, hotels online we will be sleeping on the street.

Am I wrong? Is there really a chance that i'll show up and everything will be booked?

[reactionary]

Ah, I only searched for a few nights. Anyway, why spend your whole week in Osaka? Spend a few nights there, a couple nights in Kyoto, and maybe a night in Nara. Pack light and maybe bite the bullet if you have to and spend ONE night in the pricy hotels - make it seem like a treat to the lady.

As for showing up and looking...I do think you will find something. There are business hotels a plenty in Japanese cities - but a huge caveat: IT CAN SOMETIMES BE HARD TO GET A SHARED ROOM IN A BUSINESS HOTEL, THEY WILL OFTEN ONLY HAVE ROOMS FOR SINGLE TRAVELERS. At any rate how long do you want to be walking around in the winter in an unfamiliar city and a language you don't speak with a whining girlfriend at your side?

http://wikitravel.org/en/Osaka#Sleep

A few more listings to try. A lot of mention of the dobutsuen-mae subway stop. Lots of cheap hotels there as I mentioned but they might not be the cleanest, nicest. It's located near Japan's largest "slum" (which is a huge overstatement).

[Xuanzang]

Try Toyoko Inn.